The Grapes — Restaurant in London

🚇 Westferry 🍺 £5.50 Carlsberg ❤️ An historic, welcoming and charming riverside pub. . The Grapes is located on the banks of the Thames alongside converted Wharf buildings on tranquil Narrow Street. The nearest Tube is Westferry DLR which is a five minute walk away. . This Grade II listed pub dates from the 1720s and is on the site of The Bunch of Grapes built in 1583. This pub is part owned by Sir Ian Mckellen (Gandalf in Lord of the Rings) and has a rich history of connections with Pepys, Dickens and Oscar Wilde. . The decor here is traditional and has a unique old-world charm about it. The pub is set out over two floors, has a dark wood interior, warm burgundy-coloured walls with Dickens memorabilia, plus pictures of local clientele. A tight stairway leads up to the upstairs room which has a roomier feel to it. There are some nice touches that link to the owner, Gandalfs staff behind the counter and a small Gandalf ornament at the rear of the pub. My favourite place when visiting here is the Veranda overlooking the Thames, I could sit there for hours watching the coming and goings on the river. . The beer line up was good and included three cask ales. We all decided on pints of Carlsberg, our pints were enjoyable and not overly expensive. There is a popular British pub grub menu available which includes roasts on a Sunday, Fish & Chips costs £15.95. . We visited on a Sunday just after midday and the pub was already in full swing. The atmosphere here was convivial and calm even though the pub was busy. The punters were a mix of locals and tourists enjoying roast dinners and a May Bank Holiday drink or two. We managed to squeeze our way on to the deck at the back, we were all smiles quaffing our pints and taking in our surroundings. A big shout out to the bar staff who were excellent, the ladies on duty were welcoming and courteous. . I have visited this bonafide pub a number of times and each time I visit it is like the first. This is such an atmospheric pub that has that old London feel, such a priceless commodity to have. The Grapes in Limehouse is definitely a must visit London pub. . ℹ️ Info correct on...

The pub itself is lovely. When it comes to atmosphere and old-world charm, it's great. And, thankfully, it hasn't been ruined by modernisation!

It's a teeny-tiny pub, with a teeny-tiny balcony, but that lends to the charm. The view from the balcony is an unobstructed outlook over the Thames. I was there at midday, and the tide was up, so the river was lapping at the bank just below the balcony. Fantastic!

I stopped in for lunch on a Saturday and, surprisingly, there was no problem getting a table. The reason for this became clear after receiving my food.

I knocked two stars off this review because of the very disappointing food. Due to the posh location, the history of the pub, the owners, and the prices, I expected the food to be freshly-made on the premises and delicious. I ordered from the "Specials" board and was really looking forward to my delicious steak and leek pie with chips.

I was crestfallen when what I was brought was a soggy, microwaved frozen pie. I couldn't believe it! This is "special"? And the chips weren't chips but rather frozen french fries that had been reheated in oil, so were especially greasy. A far cry from the the handcut, crispy, fluffy goodness I was expecting. For £14.50, I expected a freshly made pie and chips, not a reheated frozen mess. Truly, it was unbelievable.

Not only was the food a joke, but the waittress didn't bring or offer any sauces. I went to the bar to ask for ketchup, and the barmaid handed me ONE packet of ketchup. Not a bottle, not 3 or 4 packets, but ONE packet of ketchup for a sizeable portion of fries. I just rolled my eyes and went back to my table. I ended up not eating all of the fries anyway.

I know that Ian McKellan is an owner of this pub, but I doubt he is involved in the daily running of it. However, given that a minted oligarch is also an owner, I would definitely have expected better on the food front.

If you're walking the Thames Path and want a charming and lovely place full of history to stop for a refreshing beverage and a great view, this is the place. Just don't...

Some pubs aren’t just pubs they’re time machines. The Grapes in Limehouse is one of those places. You step through the door and it’s like London exhales around you. Centuries of spilled pints, whispered schemes, and bawdy laughter have soaked into its dark, old wood paneling. You can feel it. You can smell it. It’s the kind of place Dickens probably drank himself stupid in, back when Limehouse was more sailors and smugglers than glass towers and hedge fund guys. Order a pint, mine was a Greene King Level Head, crisp, easy, no pretensions and claim a spot near the balcony. Out there, the Thames rolls past, gray and restless as ever. Below, Anthony Gormley’s lone figure stands sentinel in the mudflats, a silent witness to the centuries, staring down the tide like he’s got all the time in the world. It’s art, sure, but it’s also just right: a strange, solitary reminder of how small we all are next to this ancient river. The Grapes isn’t about craft beer lists or clever bar snacks. It’s about the hum of conversation, the creak of old floorboards, and the way the sun slants through the windows at just the right angle to make you forget what decade you’re in. It’s the kind of pub where you can sit alone with your thoughts or a pint and nobody’s going to bother you. Places like this are disappearing, replaced by soulless gastropubs with Edison bulbs and ironic wallpaper. But The Grapes? It endures. It doesn’t care who you are. Pull up a stool, take a sip, and for a moment, you’re part of London’s long, messy, beautiful story, Gandalf himself seems to have left his staff behind enjoying this great spot! "If in doubt... always follow your nose" to...