We've been running tutored beer tastings through the Bermondsey railway arches since 2014, so most of what we write about this corner of London starts with the taprooms - working breweries pouring straight from the tank, no table service, no music, just the beer. But Bermondsey isn't only taprooms. Bermondsey Street and the stretch of river towards Shad Thames have a genuinely good run of proper pubs too, and a lot of visitors who only know us from the Bermondsey Beer Mile guide never make it as far as them. This is our attempt to put that right: a local's honest rundown of the area's best pubs, and some thoughts on when a pub beats a taproom and when it's the other way round.
Bermondsey Street: independent pubs among the galleries
Bermondsey Street runs roughly parallel to the arches where our tastings happen, and it's a different kind of drinking altogether. Where the taprooms are single-brewery, beer-only spaces, Bermondsey Street's pubs are proper all-rounder venues - full drinks lists, kitchens turning out everything from Sunday roasts to bar snacks, and the kind of worn-in, independent character that comes from decades of trading rather than a five-year-old brewery lease. The street mixes traditional boozers with smarter, food-led gastropubs, often sitting next to a gallery or a design studio, which gives it a slightly different crowd to the taprooms: as much a destination for a sit-down meal and a pint as a quick craft beer stop. As with any independent pub scene, which specific venues are trading and what they're serving shifts over time, so it's worth a quick check of a pub's own site or social media before you commit to one for a group booking.
The riverside classics: Mayflower and Angel
Walk east from Tower Bridge towards Rotherhithe and you hit a genuinely different kind of pub - low beamed ceilings, centuries of history, and views straight across the Thames. The Mayflower, said to date back to the 17th century and named for the ship that reputedly set off from nearby on its voyage to America, and The Angel, a riverside pub with a history stretching back even further, are the two names most locals reach for when they want a proper river pub rather than a modern taproom. Both sit a fifteen-to-twenty-minute walk from the Beer Mile itself, so we'd treat this as its own leg of a day out rather than a quick add-on - our full guide to London's best riverside pubs covers this stretch (and further afield) in more detail, including how each pub tends to compare for food, crowds and views. Opening hours and food service can vary by season and day of the week, so it's worth checking ahead, especially if you're planning a specific meal around one of them.
Near Borough Market and London Bridge
If your day starts nearer London Bridge station rather than deep in Bermondsey, there's a cluster of classic market-adjacent pubs that have been pouring pints since long before Borough Market became a tourist stop, plus a growing number of newer craft-focused bottle shops and bars filling in the gaps between the market and the arches. Our guide to craft beer near London Bridge covers this in-between zone properly, and it's a sensible starting point if you're walking down from the station towards Bermondsey Street or the Beer Mile rather than approaching from the river side.
Taprooms vs pubs: when to choose which
We get asked fairly often whether people should "do the taprooms or the pubs" in Bermondsey, and the honest answer is that they suit different moods rather than one being better than the other.
- Pick a taproom when you want to taste beer at its freshest, straight from the brewery that made it, and you're happy with informal seating, no food beyond the odd pop-up stall, and a session that's about the beer itself.
- Pick a pub when you want a proper sit-down, a full menu, a wider range of drinks beyond craft beer, and a setting built for lingering rather than moving on to the next stop.
- Do both if you've got the time - taprooms earlier in the day while the group's together and the beer's pouring fresh, then a pub afterwards for food and a slower final couple of hours.
If you'd like the taproom side guided rather than worked out yourself, that's exactly what our Bermondsey Beer Tasting Tour does: a 2 to 3.5 hour tutored route through four of the arch taprooms, beer included, meeting at Southwark Brewing Co, 46 Druid Street, from £49pp.
Building it into a bigger Bermondsey day
Bermondsey rewards a full day rather than a single stop. Our local's guide to things to do in Bermondsey ties together the Beer Mile, Maltby Street Market, Bermondsey Street's galleries and the riverside walk into one itinerary, and our guide to Maltby Street Market is worth reading if food is as big a priority as the pubs for your group. If your visit happens to land on a Sunday, our guide to Sunday roasts around London Bridge and Bermondsey is the closest match to this post, with more detail on which pubs are worth booking for a proper roast and the Sunday-specific opening-hours caveats for the taprooms.
What makes a Bermondsey pub worth seeking out
Not every pub near the Beer Mile is worth a special trip, so it helps to know what separates the ones worth your time from the ones that are simply convenient. Look for a genuinely independent operator rather than a chain fit-out, a drinks list that goes beyond the obvious lagers, a kitchen that's clearly cooking rather than microwaving, and staff who know the area well enough to point you towards Bermondsey Street or the riverside if you ask. Several of the better spots also keep a rotating guest beer or two on the bar, which is as close as a traditional pub gets to the taproom experience without actually brewing on site.
Practical tips for a Bermondsey pub crawl
- Book ahead for groups. The well-known Bermondsey Street and riverside pubs fill their good tables early, particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings and at Sunday lunchtime.
- Check opening hours before you set off. Independent pubs and taprooms alike can trade shorter hours midweek or shut earlier than you'd expect on a quiet evening, so a quick check saves a wasted walk.
- Don't assume every taproom will be open if you're combining both. Saturday is the Beer Mile's busiest trading day; several arches keep reduced hours or close entirely on other days.
- Pace the walk. The riverside pubs are a proper walk from Bermondsey Street and the Beer Mile, not a two-minute detour - build that time in rather than rushing between the two.
- Large group? Pubs generally handle bigger bookings better than taprooms, which have limited indoor space. If you're organising a private outing for 6 to 60 or more, our private and group tours page has details on booking a guided taproom session first, then moving the group on to a pub afterwards.
A note on gifting a Bermondsey day out
If you're planning this as a gift rather than your own day out - a birthday, an anniversary, a thank-you for a colleague - our gift vouchers cover the guided taproom half of the day. They're bought directly on our gift vouchers page, delivered by email instantly and never expire, so the recipient can pick their own date and simply add a Bermondsey Street pub stop either side of the tour.
Whether you end up in a railway-arch taproom, a Bermondsey Street gastropub or a 17th-century riverside boozer, this corner of London has more variety than a single "Beer Mile" label suggests. Take your time, book ahead where it matters, and treat the pubs and the taprooms as two different, equally good reasons to come back.