Welcome to the most comprehensive guide to the Bermondsey Beer Mile you'll find anywhere — written by a team that walks it for a living. Tucked beneath the railway arches of South East London is the highest concentration of independent breweries in the UK, and this guide covers everything: a section on every brewery, the route and a rough map, opening times, where to eat, how much to budget, and the insider tips that make the difference between a great day and a messy one.
In a hurry? Jump to the breweries, the route & map, opening times or top tips. Want it all sorted for you? Our guided Bermondsey Beer Tasting Tour visits four hand-picked taprooms with a tutored tasting at every stop.
What is the Bermondsey Beer Mile?
The Bermondsey Beer Mile is an informal trail of independent breweries, taprooms and bottle shops housed in the Victorian railway arches of Bermondsey. There's no ticket, no official map and no single owner — it's simply a cluster of breweries that grew up next to one another and open their doors to the public, especially on Saturdays. The result is a uniquely London experience: world-class beer served metres from the tanks it was brewed in, with communal benches, street food and a friendly, beer-obsessed crowd. For the back-story, see our history of the Bermondsey Beer Mile.
Where is it, and how do I get there?
The Mile runs through Bermondsey in the London Borough of Southwark (Zone 2), roughly from the London Bridge end down to South Bermondsey, threaded along the railway arches of Druid Street, Enid Street and the Spa Terminus, with Maltby Street Market in the middle. The nearest stations are:
- London Bridge (Jubilee & Northern lines, National Rail) — best for the Druid Street end.
- Bermondsey (Jubilee line) — close to the middle of the route.
- South Bermondsey (National Rail) — handy for the southern end.
It's also a short walk from Tower Bridge and Borough Market, so it pairs perfectly with a wider day out — see things to do near London Bridge.
The route & a rough map
Most people walk from the London Bridge (Druid Street) end southwards, though you can go either way. The whole thing is well under a mile on foot — the time goes on the beer, not the walking. A typical run takes you along Druid Street, past Maltby Street Market for lunch, through the Enid Street arches and on towards the Spa Terminus and South Bermondsey. Treat any map as a guide only: breweries open, expand and move, so the smartest plan is to follow what's pouring on the day.
The breweries, stop by stop
Here's the heart of the guide — the breweries and taprooms that make the Mile, with what each is known for and what to order. Line-ups and opening days change, so check a brewery's own social media before a special trip. (Our guided tour visits six of these in the ideal order.)
Southwark Brewing Co
A Druid Street stalwart and one of the best places to start. The taproom is large, friendly and great for groups, with a range from easy-drinking bitters and lagers to bigger specials. Order: a classic London-style bitter or the flagship lager. It's also where our tour meets.
Anspach & Hobday
One of the Mile's most respected names, famous for The Smoked Brown and a rotating cast of hop-forward and barrel-aged beers at their Arch House. Order: The Smoked Brown, or whatever cask special is freshest.
Affinity Brew Co
A Druid Street favourite specialising in hop-forward beers and sharp, refreshing sours — a great mid-route palate reset. Order: a kettle sour or a crisp pale.
The Kernel Brewery
The brewery widely credited with starting the whole scene. The Kernel's Saturday operation around the Spa Terminus is a pilgrimage for beer lovers, renowned for its pale ales, IPAs and revived historical London porters and stouts. Order: whatever Pale Ale or Table Beer is on — they're benchmarks.
Brew By Numbers (BBNo)
Known for its systematic, numbered approach to styles, BBNo has long been a Bermondsey favourite, brewing everything from delicate saisons to big pastry stouts. Order: a saison or a DIPA, depending on your mood.
Partizan Brewing
A much-loved Bermondsey independent with beautifully labelled bottles and a strong line in saisons, pales and porters. Traditionally a Saturday bottle-shop-and-taproom affair. Order: a saison or a single-hop pale.
Bianca Road Brew Co
Bold, modern and consistently excellent — juicy IPAs, pales and inventive specials in a lively arch that's a firm group favourite. Order: a hazy IPA or a fruited pale.
Moor Beer (London vaults)
Bristol's Moor Beer pours its unfined, naturally-carbonated, vegan-friendly beers at its London home — superb cask and keg quality. Order: Nor'Hop or Hoppiness for hops, or Old Freddy Walker for something dark and strong.
Hawkes Cidery & Taproom
Not a brewery but a brilliant change of pace — a Druid Street cidery making proper, modern craft cider. A great stop for anyone in the group who prefers cider to beer. Order: the Urban Orchard or a fruited cider.
Fabal, Hiver & the new wave
The Mile keeps evolving. Fabal brings contemporary craft to the southern stretch; Hiver's honey beers, brewed with British honey, are a genuinely different stop; and new taprooms appear regularly as arches change hands. Keep an eye out for the latest openings — discovering them is part of the fun.
Spartan, Fourpure & the southern end
Towards South Bermondsey the arches keep coming, with the likes of Spartan Brewery and the larger Fourpure operation rewarding those who make it to the far end. By this point you'll have earned a sit-down — pace yourself.
Opening times: when to go
Saturday is the classic day, when virtually every arch opens its taproom, roughly from late morning to early evening (some go later). Plenty of breweries now also open Thursday to Sunday, and a few midweek, but hours vary from arch to arch and change seasonally — always check each brewery's website or socials before a non-Saturday visit. Sundays are quieter, with many closing by late afternoon.
Where to eat on the Beer Mile
You'll want to line your stomach. Maltby Street Market sits right on the route and is superb for weekend street food — everything from salt-beef bagels to wood-fired pizza and fresh oysters. Several taprooms also have their own kitchens or visiting food traders, and nearby Bermondsey Street has plenty of restaurants for a sit-down meal. Build a proper lunch stop into your plan and the day will go much further.
How long, how much, how many?
Allow a relaxed four to six hours to do the Mile justice. Drinking in thirds, a full day typically costs around £40–£70 per person including lunch, depending on how many breweries you visit. Most people comfortably manage five to eight taprooms in an afternoon — quality over quantity is the key to enjoying (and remembering) it.
Top tips for doing the Bermondsey Beer Mile
- Start early. Mornings are calmer; Saturday afternoons get very busy.
- Drink in thirds. It's the only way to sample widely and last the distance.
- Go light to dark. Lager and pale first, sours to reset, stouts to finish.
- Eat and hydrate. Lunch at Maltby Street, water between stops.
- Bring card and a little cash to speed things up at busy hatches.
- Wear comfy shoes and a layer — the arches can be cool.
- Pace yourself and drink responsibly — it's a marathon, not a sprint.
Is Bermondsey safe?
Yes. Bermondsey is a popular, well-visited part of central London and the Beer Mile is busy and sociable, particularly on Saturdays. Take the same sensible precautions you would anywhere in a city — keep an eye on your belongings, stick with your group, and plan your route home — and you'll have a brilliant, trouble-free day.
Doing it as a group — or with a guide
The Mile is fantastic for birthdays, stag dos and hen parties, but herding a big group between arches and keeping everyone together is hard work for whoever's organising. That's where we come in. Our guided Bermondsey Beer Tasting Tour (£49pp, 2–3.5 hours) visits four hand-picked taprooms in the right order, with an accredited Beer Sommelier hosting a tutored tasting at each. Prefer food with your beer? The Cheese, Meat & Beer Tour pairs British cheese and charcuterie across three taprooms on Saturdays, and our Hackney Wick Craft Beer Experience does the same job in east London. Any of them can be booked privately for your group, and you can warm up beforehand with our free self-guided heritage walk.
The verdict
The Bermondsey Beer Mile is one of the great London days out — a walkable, year-round beer festival in the railway arches, with something for every taste. Plan a little, pace yourself, eat well and follow your curiosity from arch to arch. And if you'd rather leave the planning to someone else, we'd love to show you around.