please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Quirky pub on a barge in Greenland dock with a nautical theme. Friendly staff. Bitter is keg but I can put up with that for the experience of the pub. Pontoon outside wobbles gently while you chat and drink. Very relaxing and I'll be going back. Greenland pier is a short walk and we went for a trip on the Thames Clipper up to the London Eye and back. Cost �4.95 on an Oyster card.
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Was there last week for Works Christmas drinks and meal.. Drinks very reasonably priced with really friendly welcoming new Scottish Management. Upstairs now converted to an Indian restaurant.. food was tasty and good value. It is obviously a fairly snug environment onboard but seems a million miles from the hustle and bustle of city life. Easily accesssible via the Thames Clipper too at Greenland Dock... definitely will go back.
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BigManBigThirst - unfortunately they've changed their food! They used to only do weekends and it was really good, properly cooked food. Now it's on every day and it's clearly not as eh, fresh, as it used to be.
I still like the place but I can't disagree with you about the food now.
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Mr Gravy - I spent a sunny Saturday afternoon (the last of the summer, it now seems) at this pub - and the bar food was atrocious! I had bangers&mash and the sausages were completely dry and the mash was from a sachet (or at least tasted like it was) and the jacket potato tasted burned.
Bar service was a bit slow but we weren't in a hurry.
Will prob go again for the drink but will never eat there again.
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Best pub in the area by a country mile, admittedly there's not much competition but the staff are friendly, the food when it's on is great and it's just generally a nice, interesting place to have a pint or two.
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I visited this strange floating pub when I first moved to Surrey Docks 9 months ago and found it a bit lary and unwelcoming, so haven't bothered to go in again. Walked past yesterday and found the place buzzing with friendly, interesting people. Apparently there's new management. We had a traditional Sunday lunch, I had the best roast pork that I've tasted since last time I was at my Nan's and my mate had lovely looking roast chicken with all the trimmings. And very cheap (for London). A lovely place to hang out for a few hours.
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Previous reviews say it all, really... It's eccentric, cramped but a delightful change from the production-line chain pubs. No, it's not everyone's cup of tea - but well worth a visit with an open mind. Occasional chav invasion make it a hit-and-miss affair...but generally worth a speculative visit. If all else fails, pop round to the Ship & Whale nearby - which nearly always delights.
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I agree, great pub in the summer when you can sit outside, but in the winter its just far too smokey! Guess that won't be the case next winter though!
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Not a bad place, if you can stand the stares of the locals. The restaurant has gone, by the way.
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One of the more eccentric �pubs� in London, the Wibbly Wobbly is a converted barge (or tug boat depending on which report you read) founded by local comedian Malcolm Hardy (and I believe Jools Holland had a hand in it as well). Malcolm sadly drowned in January 2005 when he fell into the dock whilst rowing home to his houseboat on the other side of the dock but he has left us with this wonderful unusual legacy. There is a restaurant on the upper deck and the main bar is situated on the lower deck. Unlike other boats (namely the ones moored on the Thames) the Wibbly Wobbly feels more like a pub than a bar and is certainly not an expensive tourist trap. Given that it is in a sheltered dock and not on a river, you have little chance of being seasick unless you are intimidated by the smallest of ripples. There are a few concessions to this unique experience. The first is that when busy, it can get very smoky when inside. The second is that they don�t have any real ales (probably too difficult to keep) so the beers / lagers are fairly standard. There is an outside seated section where you can sit and do a bit of seagull feeding and cormorant spotting. Well worth going out of the way for and several other good pubs dotted around.
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The Wibbley is a great little pub. Shame they can't get some proper ales (the ruddles doesn't quite cut the mustard) but the put is unique and should be applauded because of that. As other writers have said though, it is just too smokey inside for comfort. Very nice out on the floating bit during the warmer months though.
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First off, the pub is called the Wibbley Wobbley, not the Wibbly Wobbly. It's written in huge letters on the side. I've only been to the restaurant upstairs once. We were the only people in there, but the food was great. The pontoon beside the boat is a great place to drink in summer. It's a shame that it's so smoky inside. It's a shame they can't sort that out because if you could actually breathe, it would be a very atmospheric place to spend an evening.
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Whilst this pub may a 'quirky' clientele and be a mecca for all you novelty hunters out there, it does, nevertheless, stink. Not just of fags either, those chemical toilets really hit you hard, especially in the summer.
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Have finally got round to trying this pub, which I have meant to for a while as I love the idea of a floating pub in the docks and I can just about walk there.
They have kitted out the boat well- I think they have done a good job; it's a shame there's no real ale, but I guess there are great difficulties in cellaring this on a boat, so the choice of IPA or Ruddles in the 'creamflow'-style isn't too bad for us bitter drinkers.
However I have to rate this pub a low score to account for the massive problem they have with smoke. I went there in the middle of a quiet afternoon when only about 1 in 4 tables was taken, and yet I can't describe how smoky it was.
I will not return until smoking is banned or they give some serious attention to their ventilation. (Or possibly in the summer, when you can sit outside.)
PS if you're disabled, I would treat the disabled-access noted above with caution; I wasn't looking out for this myself and only read that when I got back now, but from what I can remember there were steps to get in, a very sloping floor and extremely steep steps to the toilet. Now I'm not complaining- that's what you get for going on a small boat built long before disabled access was a consideration. But if you're in a wheelchair or unsteady on your feet a long trip to the pub could leave you disappointed.
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Crap beer. There are no cask ales...
A bit small inside, and an incredibly smokey atmosphere.
A good pub for the summer though. There is seeting outside where you float on the dock.
Might find a couple of chavs...
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In a world of chain bars this place definitely stands out. Also extremely noteworthy is the 5 or 6 table french restaurant upstairs serving upmarket bistro food in the week and a great Sunday Lunch. Got to be the best local around.
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Wobbly rocks.
Excellent pub if you like the simple things in life, a pint and good conversaton. The choice of bitter suffers from there being no London Pride, but recently have got some IPA which is an improvement from the dreadful creamy northern bitter. Can be a bit smokey and I don't smoke. Recommended.
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Excellent, character filled pub/boat in the otherwise bereft of character Surrey Quays area. A typical boozer in some terms but the fact its on a boat tends to make the experience more exciting (am I drunk or is that the boat?) Filled with characters and eccentrics, you could fill the evening with bizarre conversations.
There are a few bizarre nights. I've only been to the quiz, but I've heard that the karoake has a certain charm in it madness.
Wayne - 3 Nov 2004 09:52 |
Good atmosphere in this quirky little pub� definitely one of my favourites in the area�
Dan - 14 Jun 2004 15:18 |
The floating converted barge has survived the building of hundreds of new flats all around it and somehow keeps its miles from anywhere, if smoky, atmosphere. Worth a visit for its quirkiness and newcomer/houseboater mix. You never quite know what to expect there.
Barry
anonymous - 2 Apr 2004 14:16 |
I have very fond memories of this pub popping down from the Pepys for a pint or 6 as a lad. Nice to see it is still there. I look forward going back.
Jimbo - 21 Jan 2004 18:19 |
Cool pub/boat type thing! Worth a visit, you can sit outside on a floating deck in the summer. Toilets can be a bit dodgy as you have to walk up very step stairs and agree it can get smokey sometimes, but worth putting up with.
Steptoe - 14 Jan 2004 11:12 |
A fantastic eccentric pub. The quiz on a Tuesday night is well worth a visit, as is the karaeoke on a Thursday. The only pub that I've found in the immediate area that has any character. But it more than makes up for the others...
Alice - 30 Dec 2003 17:46 |
The pub was part paid for by Jools Holland, make of that what you will. Its got a floating beer garden that you can go and sit in.
The only fault with this otherwise fine little pub is that it can be too smokey. Not a problem in summer as you can sit outside.
Peter Thornton - 30 Dec 2003 16:20 |
It's a brilliant pub (and it's on a boat!) Great atmosphere- especially in the summer- sitting outside.
Carrie Love - 2 Dec 2003 17:18 |
It's a boat!
anonymous - 20 Nov 2003 16:00 |
