The Ship & Whale

Pretty decent pub, I liked the fish and chips though careful with the bones! I guess even average fish and chips in London are great!

My friend had the ribs and she said they weren't tender enough. No frills, decent place.

We kind of stumbled on this after a long day of travel. It was obvious immediately there was a group of locals who frequent the bar, who seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. We were greeted and made to feel welcome. The staff was attentive and friendly, providing an ample selection of libations. Interesting menu with typical items you would find in most pubs, plus a couple of more unique options. My son had grilled salmon served over Asian noodles. The fish had a nice little char on the outer skin, and was perfectly cooked. My wife had the Beetroot Risotto, which was listed as a chef special. This is a dish neither of us were familiar with, but found it to be delicious. I ordered the Spicy Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Couscous and thoroughly enjoyed it.
We plan to return before returning home.

The Ship and Whale is one of Rotherhithe's best open secrets: hidden around the corner from Greenland Docks Pier, it has outstanding classic gastropub dishes at a fair price, great drinks, fast friendly service, a beautiful garden and a charming old shipping industry venue that has a lively buzz on Friday evenings.

The vegetarian options are also way above pub average -- the veggie burger is fresh, veggie bangers and mash are tasty, and there is a variety of excellent salads.

Take the Thames Clipper and come here, play a game of chess in the garden, enjoy the people and atmosphere. Best pub in the area, and well worth the trip.

I used to live nearby to this pub and went back to it yesterday. The people there are very friendly and you feel like you are home as soon as you walk in. The food is good and they have daily specials and offers. They have a beer garden out the back which is good in summer. It is one of the few places where you get afternoon sun on that side of the river.

They do tea coffee and desserts if you do not want booze. They do some good beers if you do.

Very good well worth a visit. There is a town farm near by and a nature area if you fancy a walk about.

My local. I've been here quite a few times. It's a lovely little pub. Leather sofas, wooden benches and a very maritime feel.
It's very quiet though. You'll never come here and find it packed out, although I would say Sunday afternoons are its busiest. Acceptable range of rum ( vitally important for me, as you know!), friendly and efficient staff.
The food is good, it's no gastronomic masterpiece, but good. Good, hearty, wholesome pub-grub. And it's very reasonably priced! Look out for the special offers during the week.
Breakfast is served on the weekends. Teas and coffee are available.
They have a very nice beer garden.
I enjoyed a relaxing lunch there just this weekend, sitting in the sun, relaxing and reading a book.
The only drawback is that it doesn't attract much of a crowd. But then the advantage of that is you can be guaranteed a seat.

The Ship and Whale is a picturesque "local" in the Greenland Dock area of Surrey Quays, with a significant outdoor patio and a decent line in food. I went here on Wednesday evening (their "barbecue night") and very much enjoyed a barbecue half chicken and chips. For me, the service from the bar/wait staff was attentive and friendly, and the food tasty and amply portioned.

It is a little "off the beaten track" for most public transport; it being a good 15-20 minutes walk from Canada Water tube and not near any bus routes. However, on a summer's evening, I'd say it'd be worth the visit.

A friendly local pub, which has nice Gastropub type of food. The staff are always friendly, and the place has a open feel.

My main qualm be that the pub doesn't stay open as late as I'd like, but that's pretty common for local boozers across London. There's a decent selection of beers, ales and ciders, but mainly this is a 'Real Londoners' kind of pub (but not unwelcoming like The Ship York), and not a tourist trap kind of place (Think Old Salt Quays, or The Mayflower).

The food is nice, and they have deals on most weeknights, as well as a specials board. They also do a pretty nice breakfast at weekends.

The decor is what you want from your local pub too - comfy sofas, a nice open fire (for those long winter nights), a sizable beer garden (for those long summer evenings) and a bunch of board games (for those long, drawn out days).

If you're in the area (and not a local), then I recommend a hike through Russia Dock Woodlands and checking out the view from Stave Hill, and then heading down to The Ship and Whale for a pint, and a spot of lunch.

One of my favourite pubs in London, along with obligatory board games and good hot drinks for a Sunday afternoon chilling session.

Have eaten there and the food was good (not ammaazzzzing but just decent pub grub). Nice decor and never really busy so you can always get a seat for a weekend lunch or dinner.

Pub grub - check, fireplace - check, sofas to lounge on - check, board games - check! Seriously this combination makes for a great chilled pub for a Sunday wind down with a few pals. And being one of my locals it's great to see the old photos of the docklands gracing the walls.

There is also a small beer garden for the summer which gets the sun nicely in the afternoon.

As the previous poster has pointed out, it's all about the burgers here. I'd estimate that around 70% of diners order one, and with good reason too as they're top-notch (their goats cheese and chorizo topping is a personal favourite!).


With decent real ales on tap and a generous menu, the Ship & Whale is one of the best pubs you'll find in the area.