The Roebuck — Restaurant in London

I love this pub, honestly I do. I first started going there in 2008, I lived opposite so it was my go to. Even after moving out of the area I still went back; I loved the food, the magnificent Cotswold Cider on tap (why doesn’t every pub stock this????), the food and the laidback, cosy, Victorian feel of the pub. The location is great, 5-minute walk from Borough and slightly more from Borough Market and London Bridge.

I no longer live in the UK, during a recent return visit I (excitedly) arranged to meet a bunch of friends there. The pub had its usual charm on a typically wet British evening and the young staff behind the bar were helpful and quick. My disappointment comes from the food only. Two of us ordered the fish pie, decent portion and taste but temperature-wise they were both luke warm at best and cold in the middle - not good for a fish dish and an experienced kitchen. One friend ordered the sirloin steak and after one mouthful said, as an Italian, it was the worst steak he had ever had; poor cut, greasy and over cooked. When ordering it, I specifically requested ‘medium rare, closer to rare”. We raised with one of the staff that it had not been cooked as ordered, they said they would redo. After 5 minutes a different staff appeared, with the same dish and a copy of the kitchen order saying the meat had been cooked per order “medium rare” and the chef was not prepared to redo it. I said that I had placed the order and definitely stated ‘closer to rare’, the staff argued it had not been put through and the chef would not provide another or offer a refund. Nice service eh? My friend then ordered the fish and chips (at no extra charge) which appeared after 15 minutes and on a side plate, rather than the dinner plates other mains were being served on, for £20... The area has a large student population, many of whom visit and work at the pub, perhaps the chef thought we were some students trying it on, who knows. Though, we were a large group and spent well over £200.

Another friend ordered sausage and mash, which he has ordered and eaten before, unfortunately he said the gravy ‘was more salt than anything else’.

I really enjoy this pub, it has a lot of great memories and as mentioned, I love the relaxed feel and, yes, the cider. That said, if this is how they are now serving food and treating customers who give comments less than positive, I will think twice before...

🚇 Borough 🍺 £6.90 Pillars Pilsner

The Roebuck is located halfway down Great Dover Street in Borough, South London. The nearest Tube is Borough.

Close by on Tabard Street and Hankey Place are Stretcher Railings. These are fences which are recycled World War II stretchers. They are worth a look as part of a visit to the pub.

The Roebuck was built in 1892 and is Grade II listed ex-Truman’s pub. This handsome Victorian building has mansard roofing, Dutch gables and a green dome-like roof structure, making it one of London’s most attractive pubs.

This is good size one bar pub that has a contemporary feel with nice traditional touches. At the heart of this pub is an Island servery with elegant corinthian columns and lots of foliage above the back bar. The main bar area forms a horseshoe shape around the servery and is bathed in light from the beautiful arched windows. To the rear of the servery is a snug complete with a fireplace and comfy sofas. The overall decor comprises of a boarding floor, pastel coloured walls, rustic tables and chairs and a mixture of colourful prints and mirrors. Upstairs is a function room where Charlie Chaplin supposedly performed.

The beer selection is on point and offers a selection of four cask ales and keg options from local London breweries. I decided on a Pillars Pilsner, my pint was excellent, price point was a little high. The food option is classic pub fayre, a large portion of Fish & Chips costs £17, Roasts are available on a Sunday.

I arrived around 12.30pm on a mild Saturday lunchtime in February. The pub was initially calm and relaxed but soon filled up with hordes of punters, in to watch the Six Nations rugby. The atmosphere was upbeat with an expectant buzz around the pub. The service was friendly and personable, the team on duty were enthusiastic and ready for a busy day’s trade.

Jaw dropping architecture, comfortable surroundings, a good selection of beer and friendly service, made for a marvellous pub experience, put this one on the must visit list.

Follow @theroebuckse1 for updates.

📅 1st February 2025

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Over the years I've been going to The Roebuck the quality of the food has been variable to say the least. I have had some fantastic Sunday roasts there and some that have been pretty sub par. However, the other day I had the 'beef' burger. The beef burger is NOT a beef burger and it should be made more clear on the menu. Having not read the large paragraph of fine print at the bottom of the menu I was genuinely confused as to whether I was given the vegan burger instead of the beef burger because it didn't look or taste like beef. After enquiring as to what my burger was I was informed that the beef burger contains 'a percentage' of lentils and mushrooms and it says so at the bottom of the menu. As I said, the bottom of the menu has an entire 8 line paragraph and the bit about the beef burger is nestled in the middle. Now the burger tasted fine and I don't have a problem with the concept of incorporating lentils and mushrooms into the burger but, seeing as I have no evidence to the contrary, I assume that 'a percentage' means more than 50% because it certainly didn't taste like beef. That being said it really needs to be made more clear because its not really a beef burger is it. Either don't call it a beef burger or put the fine print next to the item...