please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Atmospheric and historic interior, but a must-visit for its sensational view over the Thames. Good service when I visited.
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Another one of those must visit London Pubs - if you are in the area.
A board traces its history through the monarch's since Henry VIII. Frequented by Captain Kidd. Many stories to tell.
On this visit, it was a relatively quiet Saturday lunch which meant I could have a proper mooch - head to the back for the Thames Terrace or upstairs for the Smugglers Bar.
Seems churlish to talk about the beer in a living museum but my Isle of Rye from the New River brewery was in perfect condition.
Not bad for a Greene King.
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Visited early lunchtime, pub almost totally empty. Interesting range of beers, had the ELB Nightwatchman which was in good condition. I imagine this place would get totally rammed on a sunny afternoon. Worth visiting.
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Tuesday night pub crawl in Wapping and the first port of call @ 6.30pm is the Prospect and it’s already busy in the garden overlooking the Thames.
Modern interior with lots of wood and low lighting.
Five Points Brewing Co Five Points Pale @ 4.4% is my a choice from the 5 hand pumps, there’s also 2 more on keg. A thoroughly decent pint but with change of just 20p from a tenner for 2 pints it’s not overly cheap!
Great water frontage and also food available which looked pretty good, I can understand why it’s so pricey but it’s not the best pub in the area.
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The service in here goes from bad to worse. It doesn't matter whether it's packed or there's only three men and a dog in there, somehow they'll always find a way to make you wait.
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Gorgeous pub tucked into the bend on the road with two pleasant outside sitting areas. The building oozes character and also had a nice selection of ales on when I was in there. Very efficient and friendly fella behind the bar (on his own) managing the queue. An excellent place to while away an afternoon or evening whatever the season due to the cosy nooks and different rooms. They also had a wood burner pumping when I was there earlier in the year too.
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Finally visited and was not disappointed. It is one of London's character pubs and should be on a must-visit list for a trip to town.
8 on handpump, a wide selection of trad and modern.
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Miserable selection on the menu if you happen to be a vegetarian and hungry but this is otherwise one of London's 'must visit' pubs. Yes it's touristy, and while we were there a coach load of Dutch people arrived but even Londoners should visit this pub at least once and admire the many features and details of this riverside institution. The pewter bar, very rare these days, and impressive views combined with evocative and atmospheric interior make for a wonderful setting to have a drink. Of course the dangling noose outside on the deck is a fun photo opportunity. Definitely one for visitors if you are entertaining folk from out of town. The staff were good too. An antipodean gentleman by the name of Steve was very friendly and told us about the pub's 500 year history.
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For history and character this is one of London's 'great' pubs. It may not have quite the view that say the Founders Arms (Bankside) has, but then you don't go to the Founders Arms for its charm, it's all about the view. With the Prospect, you have a nice riverside view and the added bonus of a pub with a great history.
In terms of food, this isn't the best pub...in fact there are many many more who do better food, but then this isn't the kind of pub you come to for professional chef-style food - you come here for the history and the decent selection of ales.
Why do so many people expect a 'gourmet' experience in every pub they go to?. This isn't the point of most pubs, and those who seem to think that this and all pubs should have top notch food are also missing the point. This may not be the best pub in London but few can match it's history - it reeks of it.
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visited on a Saturday afternoon: short measures on the pints - almost an inch lower than the rim! two families with their screaming babies in the garden made it impossible to stay
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Visited this afternoon. My food (fish) was great, my wifes (steak) was terrible. The pub is amazing, full of interesting details. The staff wonderful and friendly. The view over the Thames superb. We only meant to stay for one drink, but stayed for three. Check the pub web site for vouches, we saved �5 on the food. Will return to chat to the Australian barman again. We were impressed and will take our friends to visit!
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Good pub terrible food! I visited the pub on the 2nd Jan this year. I love the location by the river and the beer is good. Unfortunately I have to agree with some other posts, the food is standard pub fare done incredibly badly.
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I booked the Prospect of Whitby for one of those milestone birthdays on 18/9/2011 and invited family and friends from far and wide including Boston USA , Isle of Man and UK to a pub lunch. I was not expecting a gourmet meal but having booked a table I did expect to be advised where that table was on arrival and not to wait over 3 hours to complete a simple pub lunch. There was no organisation , grumpy staff , no one visibly in charge and the food took ages to arrive.We will never go back and have renamed the pub ' The Prospect of Starvation ' .Having complained politely in detail in writing I am still waiting for a letter of apology from the CEO of Spirit Pubs - the chain that owns it - signalling that they will take measures to improve.Even the CEO can't be bothered.it seems.
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OK Taylor Walker pub backing out onto the river. Spitfire, Pride, Youngs and Woodfordes Wherry (�3.40).
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Chalk up another one for the disapointed group. Being on of Londons oldest pubs I was keen to pay a visit. Finally got around to it this evening. I was hoping to step back in time a few hundered years on entering but found the redevelopers had got there first. Gone are all the original features only to be replaced by modern Olde Worlde Charm. Way too Disneyland for me. Won't be back.
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Ignore my last posting, this was the Grapes further East. Felt too much like a restaurant, and noisy extract fan out back. Beer fine if expensive!
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Like the little seating area out back. We watched a comorant catch an eel, wrestle with it and swallow it whole! Nice location, beer fine.
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Really disappointed with The Prospect of Whitby! We were concerned by all the bad reviews but thought we should try it for ourselves. Whilst the pub is in an excellent location and has oodles of old world charm, the food is utterly terrible!! Gastro pub prices for re-constituted chicken and coleslaw from a tub... Not to mention the cold chips! If you like basic cuisine from the 80s then this might be for you (lots of prawn cocktail on the menu) but otherwise just pop in for a drink, enjoy it by the river and then cross the road and treat yourself to dinner at The Wapping Project.
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this is a great pub, a friend of mine who lives in one of those posh gigilo apartments round the corner from it reccommended it to me, says it features in Only Fools and Horses. nice selection of ales, the rear part could do with a spruce up, great place to go to pick up a brass. not so good for boating,
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Went to this pub on a Friday afternoon for a celebration. OK we were a little loud, but one of the locals started racially abusing us. The staff asked us to leave and basically supported the local, they said as much. I will never visit this pub again. I will never recommend it.
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I'm a regular lunchtime customer and the beer is VERY expensive. They almost always have a well kept ale on though like Doom Bar for example. We've really enjoyed the fish and chips with mushy peas all summer. I'll try it again soon and let you know if there standards are slipping. When the weather is good the roof terrace is very pleasant with excellent views of the river towards Limehouse.
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I went with a group of friends on Saturday evening and loved this pub. We didn't try the food so I don't know if the negative comments are justified or not, but the service for drinks was very good and I don't recognise the negative comments on the bar staff - they seemed to work very hard,. It's on the tourist trail and a coach load of Italians turned up part-way through the evening but they were served separately at the end of the bar and the staff coped very well. The pub itself is stunning - fantastically atmospheric - and the river terraces are absolutely perfect for observing the boats on the Thames. And the views of Canary Wharf are amazing.
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There seems to be all sorts of opinions about this famous pub. Called in today whilst walking the Thames Path, so my limited comments are as follows. The pub itself - yes, it's a bit dark, but what do you expect in a 500 year old pub. Expensive drinks - my pint of Youngs London Gold set me back �2.75 - not bad I would say. Food - I cannnot comment upon the quality as I didn't eat, but I did peruse the menu and the prices seemed reasonable for the food on offer. There is a nice terrace for watching the river traffic, also an upper room and terrace. Admittedly it was a Wednesday afternoon, and I can imagine it might be horrendously crowded on summer weekends, but to be honest, what would draw the crowds to Wapping?? Whatever might befall this place in the future, for heavens sake don't touch the fabric and layout of the building - it's magnificent.
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Was really looking forward to a Sunday lunch in this pub - if it's good enough for Sinatra and Princess Margaret, I thought I was in for a treat! The decor didn't disappoint - a great downstairs terrace, wonderful upstairs rooms and a further roof garden, and really interesting curios and pictures.
However, the food was a bog standard plate of reheated grease, with both the Yorkshire Pudding and the Roast Potatoes carrying a strong suspicion of being from a packet. The drinks were VERY expensive, and the Duty Manager moped around with a face like disinterested thunder, and a trip hazard of a rucked-up rug in the dining room was pointed out to the staff at least once every 5 minutes (after more than a dozen people fell over) but never rectified.
Needs new management, new staff and it will be pretty good.
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Really rubbish service this weekend and looks like it's staying that way.
Here's the list:
- No straws for drinks in the pub
- Did not know how to make a Bloody Mary and put cucumber in it
- Took ages to get served
- Beer was off
- Ran out of Lamb at 2 on a Sunday afternoon
- Forgot our food order.
- Food took over an hour to come
- Duty manager didn't look like he gave a s**t
- When asked to check on whether food was coming they didn't come back
- Glass collector took one of our drinks
- Mashed potato was powdered mash
- One tiny out of the box Yorkshire pudding
- Roast potatoes looked dehydrated and some were black
- Beef was really bad quality
- No one asked if our food was okay
- The table nest to us left and got their money back as they were waiting longer than us.
We were going to stay for desert but didn't bother as it was a horrible experience. I won't be going back. Shame really as it is easy for me to get to on the new East London Line.
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Never been to this pub before today. The way it stands at the moment (present management) - its an Ok boozer I guess. All the beers are standard, and don't taste particularly well kept. The food is probably worse than average pub food these days. Very unloved and plastic tasting. Burgers look like they are being served on polystyrine, vegetables very overcooked. That kind of thing.
But what saves it is the layout, and atmosphere. Anyone who decides to do anything drastic to the interior of this pub, deserves hanging because its the best feature it has. Staff were a bit rushed, but Ok when I was there.
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This pub has always been badly run and food very poor. Its changed hands a few times over the years. Great location and can never understand why it can't be run properly. There can be two customers and it still takes 20 mins to get served. When busy the staff just cannot cope and most of them have trouble understanding English. In the past year have never seen the owner or a manager, so that says it all. Most pubs in Wapping are as crap as this. Town of Ramsgate probably the best.
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Where to start! The service was terrible. The duty manager was very very unfriendly [Sunday 23 March 2010]. If that's the face of the staff you have no hope. I ordered nuts... didn't receive those. There was no opportunity to ask the duty manger because he disappeared into the kitchen. Also, I wasn't able to check if I paid for this because we received no receipt (a common complaint listening to the table next door). The food was terrible. The meat inedible. We ordered the Sunday roast, lamb and beef. There was more sinew on the plate than edible meat (I have pictured if you need those), and the veggies were overcooked. 45min later (everyone else received and tried to eat their food by this point) the veggie tagine "was still in the process of being made", so one patron without food. No ETA given. We received a very insincere apology after complaining for the second time and a refund on request. Then I spotted the duty manager putting the top back on a bottle of cider and sticking it back in the fridge? There is no excuse as the location is excellent and the history and charm can't be bought. This pub will never see us again.
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What a great little pub. Good location right on the Thames. Nice atmosphere and the beer well kept.
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Oh dear-tourist hell hole. Arrived the same time as a coach load of American pensioners who were heading upstairs for an Olde London pub meal. 1 harassed barman only downstairs and an uninspired pint of Doombar. I won't be back.
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Loved it - went there the first time a week or so ago after reading about the place on a "Great pubs of London" list........lovely interior, fascinating history and of course the location is brilliant, sat by the window looking over to Docklands, literally looking down out of the window next to me I could see the Thames swaying in and out.....brilliant, loved it ! Only downside is its a bit of a hassle to get to - tube to Tower Hill, then DLR to Shadwell then 10 minute walk......but other than that - fabuluous place and respectful and friendly staff - all "Hello Sir" and "Thankyou Sir"....very nice!
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After a short but cold walk from the DLR station we were pleasantly suprised by the welcoming lights as we rounded the corner. Inside we had been warned to expect a slightly tacky interior, however it was far better than we expected and definately superior to many an 'Olde English cum fake Irish pub'. Service was fast and atmosphere relaxed and evn though it was a cold Tuesday Evening in March, the pub was gently busy. Fish and Chips were better than average and looking around, the roast looked excellement. Music was 80's cheese and needs improvement, and gas effect effect log fires would have been far better if real. Definatley worth a second visit.
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Just spent New Year's Eve here are what a dismal experience. I don't know what the problem is with this place, just very badlly run. Avoid it like the plague!
Any brewery worth its salt would make this the jewel in its crown. Fantastic location, historic building, garden. Instead it is run like a student union bar.
To be fair the New Year 'nite' was cheap, and we soon found out why. The 'DJ' insisted on playing crap music, about as suitable for the occasion as a dose of the clap. He insisted on playing 'his choice' and presumably, for the bunch of dodgy cronies he brought along with him. The 'food' was inedible.
Half the punters left before the midnight hour. These were affluent customers who would have spent A LOT OF CASH. Well done brwery... everyone was was a loser!!!
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This is worth coming to even just for the river view, but it is also a nice, spacious pub and the food is good. The garden, last time I was in it during the summer, was surprisingly shabby though. The last couple of times I've been here the toilets have not been great.
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Visited again yesterday. Excellent service and well kept cask ales (although there only seemed to be two on now, were four on my last post in June last year).
The location with river views is possibly the best in London. The food was good and reasonably priced, although the portions seemed a lot smaller than I remembered.
Worth a special visit. Be even easier to get to when Wapping Station reopens!
alexw - 18 Sep 2009 08:20 |
Wonderful pub, the Doom Bar was on top form! Just a little more effort on sweeping up the outside area would be good.
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What a gem we found today. The Prospect of Whitby is in a perfect location on the river with fantastic views of London. It serves quality food well presented and cooked to perfection... and not at London prices. You almost feel you are aboard ship with the sound of the water and the boats passing by. We only went in for a quick lunch but managed to stay till 5 p.m. We will be back very soon PLEASE do not change a THING.
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A nice surprise.
We took American visitors there, feeling a little aprehensive as previuos visits have not been very good, but it was good.
A Tuesday so not too busy but good atmosphere and good service. You can order food up to 10pm, which is a nice change, the food came up very hot and fish & chips were eaten by all!
A great view and talkative locals to inform our visitors of sights and history. The icing on the cake a really good black cab driver to take us home.
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A wonderful experience that my 'thirsty' other half and I re-live on our every visit to London (and intend to do again shortly!). Have yet to eat here as the beer's always so good but - guys - what's with the old flagstone floor and ancient pewter bar? Strip all that old stuff out, get some MDF boards down and give it a cheap makeover. You've got to go 'gastro' these days, didn't you know?
Kidding! One can almost smell the smuggling history and see the old Hanging Judge propping up the bar after a hard day's sentencing.
Ex-ale-lent! (See what I did there?)
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A terrific pub that is badly managed.
On my weekend visit some staff were wandering aimlessly with no intention of serving customers, others were very pleasant and helpful but rushed off their feet. Long wait to get served with no-one in charge. Almost all the tables are marked for food service, which means more food orders - and more profit from the absent management - but too much work for the lazier staff and consequently tables are littered with uncleared glasses and plates (and flies on a hot day). Add to this mix the random arrival of coach parties occupying space yet ordering three capuccinos between 10 people and it quickly becomes intolerable.
All in all, a trade-off between the magnificent location and decent beer selection and shockingly poor management.
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4 casks - IPA, Pride, Broadside and guest: Rosey Nosey.
Stunning pub - great atmosphere - drips with history. Wonderful setting - great views of the Thames. Standard pub grub at around �8. Great place - one of London's best pubs - a must visit place. Well run. Interior has been updated, and although fake, it fits in. Floor is original.
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NOT IMPRESSED at all! Have been to this pub in the past (a few years back) took the parents for lunch there today, what a shame!! It's a lovely old pub and obviously has a load of history! Very busy, got a table, ordered food and was told by the bar staff it would take an hour! I ordered Roast Dinner - Half a Chicken (on the menu its listed as Roast Dinner, served with all the trimmings) Parents ordered Moules with fries. Food arrived as promised an hour later, parents moules and fries and the waiter (doesnt speak very good english) brought my plate ............ Chicken, chips, salad and spicy sauce!? I told him I had asked for a Roast Chicken Dinner and he said YES!!! So it turns out if you order a Roast Chicken Dinner you wont receive one, but you will receive ...Chicken with spicy sauce chips and salad!??? WTF is that all about!!!! I told him to take it away as I wasnt going to eat it! We got our money back, the staff at the bar (could speak English) told us this is how its served, why not be specific on the menu PLEASE!!? A waitress came to clear the table she stacked up the plates of finshed moules in such a way that she spilt the sauce all over the table, chairs, floor and herself! Clever!!! What a shame, this pub could be a little goldmine! I wont be going there again!
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This pub has so much potential, but unfortunitly is not really worth a visit. Starting with the drink - there is nothing of note here, just the usual Fosters, London Pride, Gallo Wine, etc. Food isn't great, with small portions and not great quality. The staff are not very good - often getting orders wrong and spilling drinks. Also, it's pretty pricy. Basically, has the feel of a poor quality chain pub.
To top everything off, the Prospect can be a tourist trap, with full coach loads of people stopping for an "English pub experience".
The saving grace of this pub is it's location. Sunningly placed right on the bank of the Thames, with a wonderful (small) beer garden. All this pub needs to fix it is a decent landlord to restore it's former glory. Currently 4/10, but could easily approach 10 with some decent management.
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Pub was very quiet on a recent visit, but I suppose no more than is to be expected on a Monday afternoon in February. Had a really nice pint of Broadside, the staff were fine, and I enjoyed the traditional interior, and the views of the river.
D_J_C - 25 Feb 2009 22:24 |
An essential stop off in Wapping and Limehouse - one of the best neighbourhoods for a pub crawl in London - but resting on its laurels in a very sorry way. It is knocked into a cocked hat by the nearby Grapes. A below par realization of a magnificent location. Still gets a mark of 7 due to past glories.
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Having known this famous pub for many years I make a point of visiting if I'm over that way.
When I visited 4 months ago I was appalled! This wonderful old pub had no atmosphere at all - stark with ultra bright lights and very poor service from miserable staff and management alike.
HOWEVER, I met an old pal in there last Thursday and what a transformation! The old place oozed atmosphere with much more appropriate lighting, background music, friendly, welcoming staff and much improved standards.
I was so impressed I took my parents back for Sunday lunch. The pub was very busy and no wonder because the lunch was delicious - good British roast dinner at it's best. my dad was particular pleased with the choice and quality of his real ale too - Rosey Nosey on at the moment was his choice.
Apparently the management has recently changed here so if you've not been in for a while it's well worth having another look.
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i have to agree with Rich01's post.
I've been a resident in wapping for 10 years, and this pub has being going steadily downhill for the past 5, to such an extent I've recently stopped going altogether.
apart from the distictly average food, this pub fails on a far more basic level, that the bar service is among the worst ive come accross.
if you are looking for a decent boozer in the area, the captain kid knocks socks off this place which is suffering from extreme mis-management.
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I visited The Prospect Of Whitby with my family on Friday night for dinner. I don't normally spend time writing reviews such as this one but I feel compelled to share my experience with the world.
The food we initially received was extremely disappointing; three out of our five meals were stone cold. I hate complaining and making a fuss but I was out for a rare evening with my parents, my sister and my girlfriend, and I wanted everyone to be happy. We sent our meals back only for them to return five minutes later having been microwaved. The chips by this point were soggy and our burgers really dry. The tiny piece of lettuce had shriveled up and the ketchup on our plates was now warm.
What do we do? Do we eat the nine quid burger, smile politely, say thank you and go on our way, or do we take our complaint further? In hindsight I know which choice I wish we'd taken. What we did in fact do is ask to speak to the kitchen. Ten minutes later the barman (who had served us our drinks earlier) came upstairs to our table. My father asked him not charge us for all five meals as three of them were not acceptable. His reply was that he couldn't do that and we'd need to speak to the manager � Okay not a problem.
We waited 40 minutes for a response. Eventually we got the managers attention and when my father asked him why it had taken 40 minutes for him to respond to our complaint. The manager's reply was �I have 2 sick children upstairs and they are more important than any customer in this pub�. My father's response was �I am sorry, I'm not familiar with your family situation but you have 5 really unsatisfied customers�. The manager became more irate at this point and repeated his previous statement. He then accused us of being rude and told us he didn't want to speak to us and if we had a complaint we should write to the brewery. He then walked away and continued to ignore our protests.
So we left the pub hungry, 50 pounds out of pocket, and in absolute disbelief at the way we had been treated - our evening was ruined. It would have been so much better for us had we not complained and just eaten our food. I can safely say I will never visit the Prospect Of Whitby ever again, and I would encourage everyone else to do the same. A man as ill mannered and difficult as the gentleman in charge in my opinion should not be managing a pub. Customer service clearly does not exist in this mans vocabulary. And lets not forget the disgusting food we were served which began the whole episode.
My advice would be to visit Captain Kidd down the road or if you're in the area and you want really great food with exceptional service pop into Il Bordello on Wapping lane where you are guaranteed service with a beaming smile.
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Great old London Pub.
Good choice of beers, 4 Ales on hand pump.
Had a burger for a lunchtime snack and cannot fault the food or the service.
There is a good choice of seating inside. We had a view out over the Thames from the lower resturant area.
Inside is very nice, Old looking with lots of old possibly origional features.
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An interesting pub with various places to look over the river. Plays on its history. Beer is ok but nothing remarkable - Adnams Broadside and a couple of others. Somewhere to get wet feet at high tide, and listen to the salt wheeling shriek of seabirds.
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A fine location and the pewter bar is certainly worth seeing. The ale is well kept and eminently quaffable - this pub is a must if you're in the Wapping / Rotherhithe area.
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An excellent pub, the best I have visited in the London area and well worth a special detour!
Four very well kept cask ales at reasonable prices. Also excellent food with generous portions at very reasonable prices.
Added to that, a nice location with two outdoor areas, on different levels, both overlooking the river - and indoor areas with river views too.
I'll definitely be going there again next time I'm in London!
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Great pub which I deliberately went out of my way to visit last month, excellent pint of Timmy Taylor outside overlooking the river, amazing view could have stayed all day.
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Famous old riverside pub on the north bank of the River Thames. Probably one of the most famous pubs in London. Dates back to 1520, according to a sign on the outside of the building. A recent refurbishment has resulted in the loss of a bit of character and individuality and the place now has a bit of a feel of a corporate chainy, yet historic pub if you know what I mean.
On the day of my visit, the background music was irritatingly loud and the beer range was unexciting,but if you're a visitor to the area and haven't been before, I wouldn't attempt to discourage you from going.
In summer, there's an outside drinking area with fine river views
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Great for its views and friendly staff. The usual beers, but overpriced defrosted/'boilinthebag' food. Eat before you go.
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Popped in on Sunday evening round 10 with visitors for the marathon - the bar staff had already closed off upstairs and half of downstairs - luckily somebody was leaving outside so got a table. They then came out and told us pub was closed without telling us of last orders. Then told us to move inside - funnily enough no where to sit. Bar staff did not care about anything you asked. Will stick to Captain Kidds and leave this pub to bus full of Italian tourists who swarmed over our table trying to take pictures.
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My most recent visit to this pub was on Saturday night. To cut a long story short, a customer was drunk (and when I say drunk, I mean paralytic/couldn't stand/shouting abuse at other customers kind of drunk). Despite this, the bar staff served him another drink. He managed to just about sit down before knocking over a pint belonging to an American man. This was totally predictable and I felt it was irresponsible of the bar staff to continue to serve drinks to someone who had so obviously had more than enough.
I politely fed this back to the bar staff before leaving and was greeted with a blank stare by one member of staff and a dirty look by another. It is typical of pubs like this which are more concerned with selling "Prospect of Whitby" T-shirts and overpriced food than running a pub in a proper and responsible way by keeping a watching eye on the clientele and customers, as a good landlord should do.
anonymous - 2 Apr 2007 16:32 |
It's scary how many people seem to be impressed by the 'old pewter bar' when it's actually a modern 'refurbishment'.
Just shows how easy it can be to fool folks....
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The Business-Down this neck of the woods? -you can't pass this one by...The 1980's Yuppie Hutchers may still reside here-but the place has history...
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Went here after the Captain Kidd and thought it was alot better. Good pint of Greene King IPA, bar very quiet - but it was early (5). Tables round the back have a good view of the river and a nice outside area. Menu looked good and I will definatly go back to checkout the food.
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I have been visiting this pub on and off since 1964, it is still is a place worth a visit but is not as friendly or atmospheric as it used to be. Normaly stocks well kept real ale (at a price) nice views of the Thames
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While I agree that the level of service is hardly in proportion to the long bar and the number of staff members who hide behind it, this is a cracking pub. Yes, it's busy, but you're still likely to find your own little nook, and the beer is good. The food was also very good, but perhaps not for those with Wetherspoons-budgets.
All in all, I would defy anyone to find a pub in Zone 2 that ticks so many boxes all round, especially in the East of London.
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Had Christmas lunch in there yesterday with 3 ex-colleagues and thought the food was pretty good. At �20 for 3 courses plus coffee I thought it was good value. The service was good by any standards. Only 2 beers on - Rosey Nosey and Winter Warmer. Both fairly heavy ales, but the Rosey Nosey was outstanding, even though I would have preferred a slightly lighter beer to start the meal off. I don't think that the refurbishment has added anything to the atmosphere, and I gather that it resulted in the loss of more than just the atmosphere. But it still rates as one of the best pubs in London.
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The PoW has recently, in my opinion, lost some of its charm. The old landlord/manager left and this started the downward trend topped off by the recent "refurbishment". Used to feel a homely pub welcoming you off of the street on a cold winters evening.. now you have to wait ages to be served by staff who tend to hide from customers talking in the kitchen rather than serve them.
Don't get me wrong, it is still a great pub, just not what it was. Haven't eaten here in a few months so no comment on the food. London Prices for everything else.. Worth a visit if in the area. The Captain Kidd in Wapping although not having the genuine history of the PoW does serve a good pint and is considerably cheaper with a great friendly atmosphere and very efficient and polite bar staff.
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Can't help finding this place a bit of a disappointment. There are lots of good features inside but I'm sure the table layout just makes it seem ordinary. I read somewhere that it had an old pewter bar counter - I didn't see that. Beer in reasonable nick. with all that history and the location, it could be much much better!
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My appetite whetted by the historical calibre of this establishment, I went in on a quiet wednesday. The service is terrible, despite the over attentive new manager, and I was short changed by a tenner. However, the food is of a good standard and when it finally arrived, the sausage and mash was excellent.
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This reopened in July with new owners but the poor service by staff is prevalent and you might die of thirst from waiting too long to get served. Always busy on an evening with bus tours of camera clad foreigners clicking away in your earhole whilst you're trying to get served. Foreign staff who know nothing of the history of the pub either which is a real shame.
Hucks - 21 Oct 2006 17:46 |
What a lousy pub! I experienced some of the worst service I have ever had:
I was waiting to be served when a large group of people walked in. The staff served all of these people before me.
I ordered a large Scotch and Coke without ice, which when it arrived was in a half pint glass filled up to the brim and of course contained ice. I was not asked how much coke I wanted and my Scotch was completely drowned.
I waited almost an hour for my lunch to arrive, and when it did it was really nothing special at all.
This pub is highly overrated but a lot of the memebrs of this forum.
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I have recently moved into a flat near the Whitby and was very happy to discover this most excellent drinking establishment. Very seldom do you find so many attractive attributes in one pub ie the view, the outdoor seating arrangements, the decor etc. It does get a bit busy when the tourist are in town, but they're usually only there for one. If you want a drinking experience without loudmouths and music and with a huge dollop of history , good booze and food then come and join me (but only on Sat , Sun and Mon through Fri)
anonymous - 5 Sep 2006 15:09 |
My dad built the Pewter bar in this pub. Go and see the Pewter bar, its fab. And metal. Go and take a photo of it, but go in the week as it is full of tourists at other times ...
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I was here on a quiet Monday afternoon, sitting on the balcony by the (quite surreal) noose, overlooking the Thames and Canary Wharf, with the water lapping against the "beach" below us. A very pleasant way to while away an afternoon.
Only downside according to my girlfriend was the ladies toilet which had been transformed into a changing room for a fashion shoot!
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Lovely pub the Whitby. Oozing history. Top notch beer.
Personally, I find the clientele perfectly agreeable in the main. I am quite chuffed that they blanked that Foster-guzzling monkey at the bar though.
You were quite close the river there Mr C. Possibly should have taken the opportunity for a wash. Might get served next time!
anonymous - 24 Jul 2006 16:09 |
Tried to get a drink in here the other night. It was full of tourists and people waving credit cards at the bar. The pub looked great. But I left before they bothered to serve someone holding cash.
anonymous - 24 Jul 2006 15:53 |
Was here just the other day, I found it to be a fantastic little place in fact Wapping is a hidden gem of a place. The pub is spacious, nice pewter bar, three nice areas outside to stand/sit and take in the Thames. Also complete with a hangmans noose and great views. Go here followed by The Captain Kidd just down the road, all good.
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My first visit since the refurbishment was a bit like the curate's egg. Nice that the tables no longer wobble sufficiently to spill your pint, but why on earth have they retained the hideous flashing fruit machine that no one seems to play and which takes up valuable space. Not sure about the waitress service either, especially as they don't seem to know what beers are available on the bar.
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The refurb has been done well although the bar staff are still very slack when you stand at the far end of the bar rather than in the busy bit. Food was excellent despite not having everything I should have which was stated on the menu and the chicken breast appeared to be the pre-packed kind rather than fresh but as its only just opened I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. I only live next door so no doubt I'll be trying it again soon. The Adnams Best Bitter was good.
Hucks - 21 Jul 2006 13:10 |
Refurbishment is reasonably sympathetic, although a plasma TV screen looks out of place in an "olde worlde" pub like this - thankfully it wasn't on when I visited last Thursday. New chairs and tables abound, but they fit in well with the old bar top and general surroundings. Greene King IPA was only � 2.40, cheaper than might be expected given there's a refurbishment to pay for !
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Before entering, go down Pelican steps onto the foreshore, sniff the history. After that the pub, newly redecorated but with the bar top intact and in it's state of architectural chaos, can still delight. On a lovely evening it was a pleasure to loll over the terrace rail and watch the river go by. Drink was O.K. - the food will wait on another visit. Staff were pleasant.
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DON'T GO - is closed for refurbishment until 10 July 2006!
Hucks - 20 May 2006 15:13 |
This could be such a great pub with its cosy interior and great views, but slow and often surly service with very average food is a major let down. A real shame that the management can't get their act together.
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A fantastic pub. First visit there last week. It was recommended by a friend and I was not dissapointed by what I found. Excellent views, good food and friendly staff. Very quiet but still had a great atmosphere. Will definately be visiting again. Hear its having a face lift which can only benefit the already lovely (if tired) surroundings.
anonymous - 15 Apr 2006 19:18 |
This pub offers so much and does not quite deliver. It has looks, location and history but does not quite make it. I live locally and see the food supply company delivering the frozen meals in a bag in the early hours of the morning. Such a shame. It is a classic case of pub people should not run this place. No, I do not mean a load of toffs at the helm or even a gastropub. It needs "hospitality" people. Bring the food up a notch and put some smiling faces behind the bar and it could be a great place.
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They changed management and the food is now wretched. They used to do lovely juicy burgers and upon ordering one last Thursday, found it was a crap fake patty, they put shredded carrots on the bun (which I'm allergic to and you never expect as a burger topping) plus salsa and italian dressing, which do not go together. Whatever happened to just a plain, nice burger? Ick! And they are planning to shut it for a month to refurbish it! It is perfect as is! No doubt they will ruin it will some trendy wine bar style fixtures.
anonymous - 5 Feb 2006 00:08 |
A really nice-looking place, with some features (like the flagstone floor and the view of the Thames) that most of the tourist traps in town would kill for. The downstairs (especially by the back windows) is a nice spot to sit with a pint and a book, if you're there when it's not crowded.
The beer was okay, but not remarkable--two different beers were "kicked" when I was there, so I ended up with the same pint of London Pride I could've had anywhere. The barman was young, and clearly wished he was somewhere else--to be honest, my ranking of the pub has a point off it just because I didn't much care for listening to his mobile conversations while I drank. Overall, a place justly known for its views and decor, but not worth a long trip for the beer itself.
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Yarrr me mateys, best pirate pub in town! Great food, good booze selection and ideal surroundings. Now if only they'd get some more ciders on tap, I'd never leave...
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First went to this pub in 1962 - and popped in the other day. Place looked remarkably similar to my memories, customers are more toffs than my last visit, prices relatively the same as before, but bar staff look a lot younger!!!! Perhaps it's me.
mikem - 24 Dec 2005 16:13 |
Nice pub, great views, average beer. I think i prefer the `Town of Ramsgate` for Ale and food, but this pub is worth visiting for the location and history, and the beer garden is great in summer.
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Interesting pub. Comes out of nowhere. Doesn't seem in keeping with the area as this has changed so much. However an excellent pint of speckled hen and great views of the Thames. Pubs like this need saving.
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Nice riverside pub with great views over the Thames. Unless you live local it's hard to get to but still seems to get it's fair share of tourists. Looks great and the beer is served well. Got to be visited at least once especially in the summer months.
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The 'er indoors and myself stopped off in the Prospect after she had dragged me around London all afternoon sightseeing etc...
What a nice place, friendly and attentive staff, good beers and an ambience that isn't found too often anymore in many boozers.
Sank a couple of beers and had some excellent food, the deep fried brie is just great!!
Not a tourist in sight by the way, just some regulars having a yarn over a load of beers by the sound of them! Give the place a try, you wont be disappointed.
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Beware if you're paying with debit card. You can't spend less than a tenner! I was made to feel very lowly when I tried this, even though I was quite prepared to pay �10.00 for a �9.75 round.
anonymous - 27 Jun 2005 15:17 |
Visited the prospect again last night, having not been in for a couple of years. Despite the slightly suspect IPA frothiness, we had an excellent evening sitting on the upper terrace, mooning at passing tourist boats and generally soaking up the views as the sun disappeared over west London. Places like this are what makes me explore old London pubs. Fantastic
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The best pub in Wapping. Great Guiness and decent regulars make this a real local rather than the bar/tourist trap which have overrun the surrounding areas. Unfortunately Chris is about to leave as landlord. No doubt the coaches will continue unabated. Consistently perfect for a chilled pint whether mid-summer /winter. No tv. Joy!
Lovely views of the river. Food is good for the money. Enjoy.
anonymous - 16 Feb 2005 00:37 |
Moved to the area two months ago, couldn't ask for a nicer local watering hole. Previous comments still apply though, look out for those infamous coaches and get yer pint in first!! The food is superb and will keep you going for hours and hours (try the Bangers & Mash... didn't eat for the rest of the day!!). One of the best pints of London Pride I've sampled in town, and a fine selection of wines to keep the missus happy! We'll happily recommend this pub to any of our friends in the area... try it for yourself!
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I visited the Prospect with my Mother, and she was very impressed with the food and service. The servings were very good, and excellent value for money. The views alond the river are great. I would certainly give this a thumbs up to anybody.
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Beautiful views, but the staff are a bit offish, and it's hit hard by being on the tourist trail - watch those coach parties...
Darryl - 25 Oct 2004 18:00 |
Absolute fantastic pub - they even have old gas lamps which they light each night. There is also a restaurant upstairs, but the food in the pub is (simpler but) just as good!
You can even sit outside under large trees... magic.
max - 10 Oct 2004 18:14 |
The Prospect - what can you say about London's oldest riverside pub that a thousand tourist guide books have not already said!
Well - Chris best landlord in England, beer - best its been in year, Wine - well they have 3 New Zealand wines which is fine by me and food well - 150 times better than when I worked in the kitchen!
Great views, long nights and a some times magical atmosphere.
Tim - 3 Sep 2004 21:55 |
I used to go there in 1961/2 as a 21 year old Junior Engineer on the "Lucien" an Ellerman and Papyanni ship when we docked in Shadwell Basin, happy memories! Now retired living in Sydney Australia.
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The old Prospect. Lived round the corner for 2 years and miss it! Propping up the old pewter bar, nice views, lovely open fires. Can be surrounded by 20 jabbering tourists when the dreaded coaches turn up... get your drinks in first!
Graeme - 12 Aug 2004 19:24 |
This is a lovely old pub with fine views over the Thames. Or so my guidebook said. The restaurant was empty but we weren't allowed in as there was a party booked. However, we were told we could eat in the bar. I was given a bar menu and ordered some drinks while we decided what to eat. When we came to order we were told that the kitchen was too busy. I asked that the notice board outside - advertising the restaurant - be removed, since the restaurant was clearly not open for business. No one was actaully rude to me. But the atmosphere was not very nice, nor was there any hint of apology for the sequence of events. Having travelled from Leamington Spa to visit this particular pub (and the Museum of Childhood) I cannot recommend it.
Mark Shaw - 24 May 2004 18:59 |
Another gem along Wapping way. Check out the Town of Ramsgate and the Captain Kidd as well.
Mark - 12 Mar 2004 20:40 |
This was a regular of mine about 19/20 years ago - one of the old boys in blue from the Limehouse area.Living in Canada now but will be in London this year - Do they still have live music on at nights? Any more coach loads of Swedish tourists?
martin ward - 14 Feb 2004 23:24 |
Used to go to the Prospect of Whitby 20 years ago.....the Blue Lighthouse Brigade played good folk on alternate sundays and the Guiness was served in two-pint pots.......wonderful days
rob watts - 13 Feb 2004 20:19 |
agree with Dave. The food's not bad but overpriced.
justvisiting - 17 Oct 2003 13:34 |
go there if only once just to say you have been to londons oldest pub
dave - 2 Aug 2003 15:08 |
London's oldest riverside tavern dating from early 1500's. Nice pub with good atmosphere and good range of beers and wine. Family friendly with a restaurant upstairs. Nice seating areas with good views of the river. Top quality pub quite close to St Katharine's Dock and Tower Bridge.
Alistair - 13 Apr 2003 17:20 |
