South East London pubs such as the Anchor Tap are nice to come across in your travels through the city. It is located on the south side of the Thames, near the Tower Bridge.

It was once Courage Brewery’s tap, which ran their operation here from 1787 to 1981. Now it is owned by the Samuel Smith Company, and features their fine ales and lagers.

An interesting fact about the Anchor Tap is that Dr. Samuel Johnson compiled his famous dictionary working at a room here.

From the outside, it is a nicely kept little pub, and on the inside there are four rooms. Two are game rooms; one for pool, and one for quiz machines and darts.

There is a piano room and another room in addition to the main bar area. There is also a beer garden in the back of the pub which has tables and chairs and makes a nice retreat during pleasant weather.

Unlike many other pubs in the area, the Anchor Tap is rarely crowded, it should be easy to find a seat at most times of the day. Another very nice thing about the pub is that because it is the brewery tap for Samuel Smith’s, the prices are very low in comparison to other venues.

The beer is all on tap, rather than hand drawn, which might disappoint a few folks, but it is very good nonetheless and the rest of the pub experience more than outweighs this for most people.

You will find a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere here; the staff are very friendly and willing to chat. The locals are equally as pleasant, gone are they days when it was a more rough and tumble dockworkers hangout. Unlike some other “traditional pubs”, this one has an unpretentiousness that is quite appealing and you are likely to feel right at home here.

South East London pubs are becoming more and more modernized, but the Anchor Tap is a holdout from an earlier time, and we are all very glad to see that it is still around.

Visiting The Anchor Tap

23 Horsleydown Road, Bermondsey, Bankside, SE1 2LN

Telephone: 020 7403 4637

Photo courtesy: Ewan-M

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