London Waterloo Pubs

Friday night and I needed a beer after work.  On the pub menu for the evening was the Fire Station at Waterloo.  I met up with a few mates including my usual pub chum, Eddy.  I felt a bit bad having suggested the pub as I’d been before and knew it wasn’t great.  But on the other hand it was on the list so I had to give it a visit.  

Fire Station Waterloo (not my pic)

The Fire Station is just outside Waterloo train station and I’d been there several times before due to its useful location for a cheeky pint while waiting for a train.  The pub is divided into three parts.  Most of the so called pub is actually a restaurant that you have to be eating in to sit there.  The other two parts are where the bar is and some sitting area.  The pub doesn’t have much character.  It was once a fire station and I’m guessing some of the original features are the same like the floor tiles but it’s not that interesting in terms of design.  It is probably a good thing they got rid of the fireman’s pole as that may lead to some confusion about the function of the pub!  The feel of the pub is very much wine bar rather than pub.  The shiny black tiled area that is the restaurant looks like a pizza express or other bland chain restaurant.  So the place is part wine bar, part pub and part restaurant.  Unfortunately it has not done any of these very well.  It would be better off just focusing on one and getting good at that rather than having three poor elements to make the whole.  

Ed and Catherine

As I usually do I like to sample some pub snacks, I asked for a pack of nuts and was told I would have to wait until they were heated.  I told them not to bother, I didn’t need some stupid hot nuts.  One of my mates got some later on and it was not worth the cost or the fact they were warmed up.  Pointless.  

Pub or bar I can't decide

The other problem is the price.  Don’t expect much change from a tenner if you get two drinks in there.  So pretty disappointing overall, I wouldn’t recommend visiting this pub if you are a fan of real ale with the 3 ales being fairly ordinary, I wouldn’t recommend visiting as pub lover.  Oh well let’s hope the next pub is better.