The Ship — Restaurant in London

Dear oh dear this place is simply not the ticket.

In fairness some Greene King pubs have got their act together in recent times, but this isn’t one of them.

From the word go the pub felt tatty and unloved. The drink selection was subpar and there were only two ales on and several pumps covered over. Even the keg staples such as Estrella had bitten the dust. A pint of Nastro Azzuro and Level Head came to £15.50. Really? It’s more expensive than central London at this point (even by the river in town at some quite nice places) and this place has no glamour and charm to it. Quite the opposite. Probably the most expensive round I’ve had for two pints ever anywhere across the globe. It’s not even the nicest part of The Thames in the area or wider climbs with Strand on the Green nearby and pubs there are slightly cheaper.

A premium price even for Greene King that surely would befit palatial surroundings. Sadly not. The garden was full of weeds and the tables clearly hadn’t been cleared for hours. Staff came and went taking food out, but didn’t bother clearing glasses or cleaning tables. The pub wasn’t busy at the time just to be clear.

The rain then arrived and the indignity of sitting inside became inevitable. The threadbare carpets and peeling paintwork became apparent. I was left wondering how we’d spent so much money at such a ropey pub. The Jolly Gardeners wasn’t great nearby, but for less than £11 for basically the same round it would be a no brainer if in the area (local tip).

I get the staff can’t control the prices but they can certainly do basic housekeeping.

A closing gambit in that some reviews quote the name of the chef here as being as the next Gordon Ramsey cooking world class cuisine and meeting customers. I’ve never caught the name of a chef in a Greene King pub that cooks food that is little better than microwave standard. If he introduces himself personally to people here then please correct me. My conclusion is be careful what reviews you consider before you choose to visit.

Someone needs to sort this palaver out. Perhaps the inflated prices they’re charging are going into the kitty to save the pub. Good luck if they are! If the management fancy commenting on my review I’m...

Visited The Ship, Mortlake (Greene King) today at 1pm on a warm, sunny weekend afternoon — exactly the kind of day you’d expect a riverside pub with a beer garden to shine. Unfortunately, it was a complete letdown from start to finish.

We ordered drinks and kids’ food at 1pm, then adult meals at 1.08pm. The kids’ food finally turned up after 40 minutes. By the time our child had finished eating, we’d been waiting over 50 minutes, and still no sign of the adult food. No communication, no apology, no sense that anyone was even paying attention.

We went to the bar to request a refund as we had a train to catch. The refund was processed without fuss — but also without so much as an apology or any interest in how long we’d waited. Once it was done, the staff member simply turned his back and walked away.

In hindsight, I should have asked for a refund on the drinks too — completely pointless without the food we’d come in for.

Staff attitude was a big issue. The two team members on shift seemed out of their depth and were blunt, abrupt, and visibly frustrated with most customers. At one point they were arguing amongst themselves. Not exactly the kind of atmosphere that encourages people to relax and stay.

Basic service was lacking across the board — tables were being laid after food arrived, kids’ chips were covered in salt, and there was no visible manager or leadership anywhere. Another table nearby walked out after facing the same situation, which says it all.

This pub could be fantastic. It’s a great location, with a garden, river views, and lots of potential. But instead, it feels like a completely neglected site — understaffed, mismanaged, and run with zero pride or professionalism.

If Greene King invested in it properly and brought in a team who cared, they’d have a gem on their hands. As it stands, it’s just a well below average pub with a view.

Won’t be back — and I wouldn’t recommend anyone else...

Beautiful venue - awful food/service. Sitting on the bank of the Thames you would be hard pressed to find a more stunning venue. We plopped ourselves down at a table outside (under hanging baskets bursting with colourful chrysanthenums) and watched the sunset over the river... The plentiful menu made our tummies rumble and we set about ordering a delicious feast - or so we thought. A plate of chicken wings were served blackened and dry. Two Mexican bean salads (enticing us girls with the healthy promise of bulgar wheat, quinoa, kidney beans, sweet chilli dressing, sweetcorn, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips) literally arrived without containing a single one of these things!!!!!! Instead, for £12 per plate, we were literally and actually served a plate of spinach leaves, 3 cherry tomatoes and a scattering of diced cucumber..... no dressing (plus topping, one halloumi the other chicken - but they'd run out and served this plate with dry chicken goujons instead). Not a single one of these ingredients was on the menu for a Mexican bean salad. After speaking with the bar staff, and waiting 40 minutes for the manager to finally approach us to deal with our complaint (by which point we'd hungrily hoovered up most of our rabbit food - my friend having just stepped off a 30-hour flight from Australia!), an awkward and confronting argument ensued in front of other diners. We were appalled by his attitude but eventually had the salads refunded. £24. Such a shame. This is our local pub but we'll never be back. However, the dreadful and embarrassing experience we had certainly goes towards explaining the tumbleweed blowing through the joint - for such a vast venue it was completely empty...... We should have stuck with The Tapestry or White...