Catford Bridge Tavern — Restaurant in London

🚇 Catford Bridge 🍺 £5.40 Notting Helles

This pub is located in Catford, in southeast London. The nearest station is Catford Bridge, which is literally right next door.

Built in the 1930s in “Brewers’ Tudor” style by Courage, the Catford Bridge Tavern began as the Railway Tavern above Catford Bridge station. Later renamed the Copperfield, it declined in the 2000s, plagued by drugs, violence, and poor management. After losing its license and narrowly avoiding conversion into a Tesco, it also survived a major fire. In 2023, @portobellopubco took over and brought it back to life.

This is a large and spacious one-bar pub with a centrally located island servery. The décor is traditional in nature, with a few contemporary touches. It features a boarded floor with chequered tiles around the servery, neo-Georgian wall panels, some original interwar fireplaces, and plenty of comfortable seating, including booths and banquettes. There is an outdoor space to the side of the pub, and at the back, there is a lovely terrace that is partially covered.

The beer lineup included a selection of familiar favourites, some of Portobello’s in-house brews, and two cask ales. I decided to try the Notting Helles; my pint was very agreeable, and the price point was below average.

The food menu offers a choice of small plates, sharers, traditional mains, and a range of burgers. We were feeling peckish, so we decided to order the fish and chips. The batter on the fish was crispy, though it could have come with a few more chips, and the peas were overcooked. Still, it hit the spot. The cost was £16.50.

We arrived around 6.30pm on a sunny early Saturday evening in May. The pub was fairly busy with a 30 something crowd and the atmosphere was upbeat and buzzy. The service was great, the team on duty were welcoming and friendly.

This pub has survived legal threats, redevelopment plans, neglect, and even a fire, so it’s great to see it now flourishing. We enjoyed our visit here — definitely worth a look if you’re in the area.

Follow @catfordbridgetavern for info and updates.

📅 10th May 2025

If you want to see all my pub reviews in one place, head to @londonpubmap on...

Update 03/09/2025: GOOD NEWS I talked to the manager, and there's still lunchtime deals (£12.50 now but still reasonable) and Hepcat is

I visited here on the basis of its location. It's a huge pub with interesting seating and decor. The young barmaid was extremely pleasant and the pub is dog friendly, both winning points for me. So why do I only rate it 3 stars? The extortionate cost of their beers and the abysmal lack of any actual beer. They only sell lagers and IPAs! Little wonder then that the place had no other customers in the middle of the day! How this pub can justify its crazy prices I don't know. Its not located in Mayfair or Knightsbridge but scruffy old Catford where there's huge poverty and unemployment. Why pay £5 per pint for a poor range when there's a pub not far from it where one can buy real ale at £1.50 per pint? I'd really like to be able to drink here with my little dog in tow but I'd need a mortgage for a session. This is not a pub for locals but a trendy place for yuppies passing through. Truly...