The River Ale House — Restaurant in London

Background:

Have been here briefly twice, once in April and the 2nd time on Fri 22nd Sep, between 2:45-2:55pm.

Positives:

Interior looks nice, has a homely feel. Male toilet appears clean. Going by other reviews, it seems their drinks are great.

Negatives:

1: I went in on 22nd Sep, to use their toilet to wash my hands. 2: As I was leaving a blonde lady said with an attitude, “Can I help you?”. 3: I explained I came in to use the toilet.

4: She said with partially contained anger, to ask next time as it’s only for customers. 5: As she seemed so put out I apologised to be polite, but I don’t think I was in the wrong as:

6: there was no clear signage you had to be a customer to use a toilet. 7: it was virtually empty (looked like only 1 customer present), it wouldn’t possible for customers to be inconvenienced by me as there almost weren’t any.

8: When I last came in there was no issue with using the toilet without being a customer, so naturally I thought the same would be the case on my 2nd visit.

9: I noticed a lead tied at the bar and went down diagonally to a dog, the lead was well above the ground, covering the whole path.

10: As I came to the lead I thought this staff member would move it (or ask someone to) as it was next to them and they could see the obstruction.

11: The correct thing would be to remove an obstruction hindering someone leaving, especially if it’s a potential trip hazard.

12: They deliberately left this obstruction/hazard in my way, this was unnecessarily disrespectful, I’ve explained why I didn’t act badly and was polite despite facing hostility.

13: It was also unsafe as someone may trip when walking over something, especially if (in this case) the dog suddenly moved being attached to the lead (the obstruction) while I was walking over it.

14: Due to the negativity I experienced I didn’t prolong my departure asking someone to move the dog/lead, I sensed this could lead to more hostility.

Feedback:

1: If it is an important venue policy for the toilet only to be for customers, please make this clear with signs so people know.

2: Even with signs, it’s possible someone may not ask to use the loo as they may be very desperate, sick, or have some type of mental burden e.g. experienced a bereavement etc.

3: So it’s worth being polite as you don’t know what someone else is going through, it doesn’t help anyone to be rude to a person in potential difficulty.

4: If you see an obstruction that not only makes it more difficult to leave, but is unsafe, don’t ignore it...

Came for the late opening hours on a Sunday, stayed for the cider.

Me and a friend found about this place on a Sunday evening after attending a concert at the O2. It was the closest place opened after 9:30pm on a Sunday offering a good selection of craft beer.

When we arrived around 10pm, we were surprised to see the front room was still very busy with locals this late at night.

We sampled a couple of beers, but then we noticed the awards for Cider Pub of the Year so we decided to give the ciders a go.

And oh boy, was it he right decision!

We got some incredibly smooth ciders, low carbonation and packed with flavour, something we haven't experienced before.

Tried 5 or 6 different ciders from their blackboard menu and all of them exceeded our expectations.

Will definitely return to this place next time we are in the area to sample more...

The River Ale House in Greenwich is like a classic British pub, and the vibe there is just unbeatable. The lady behind the bar was super friendly, even letting us try some beer samples before deciding. She was cool and pro at her job.

The place has a simple and cute feel that attracts everyone. We tried Snailsbank mango cider, Snailsbank pigsqueal cider, and Kent Ale – seriously, some of the best beers I've had in London. They hit the spot. You can't order food there, but you can bring in your own from outside. Castellanos Pizza, just two shops away, gives a 15% discount for orders placed from the pub, which is handy. There are some bar snacks like crisps if you prefer.

If you're ever in Greenwich and fancy awesome beers, this is the spot – hands down the best pub around. Cheers to good drinks...