Decent pub food and real beer before O2 Concert

[garreth64]

Coming down to London this friday to see the Pythons at the O2.

We are staying in the City (between Barbican and Moorgate) and looking for a good real ale/craft beer pub in the vicinity or on the way to the O2, ideally with some some decent pub food.

Otherwise it will be a few drinks first, and then somewhere else to eat. We will need to eat early to be at the O2 in time, so I'm thinking of eating around 4pm-5pm.

Have dome some googling and found the following, but recommendations are always better:

http://thecraftbeerco.com - sounds good for a few beers but will need to find somewhere else for food

http://www.the-white-hart.co.uk/index.php - mixed reviews, not sure about their beer, food looks ok

http://www.drafthouse.co.uk - beer sounds good, food basic but would do the job

[22s]

Only been to the Tower Bridge Drafthouse but can confirm it's a decent joint. Didn't eat, but the beer selection is good.

[NNH]

Try the Oiler Bar- it's a boat on the Royal Victoria Dock, by Royal Victoria DLR station. Then take the cablecar over the river to the O2, enjoying the view.

[Spice_Weasel]

The Globe on the corner of Moorgate and London Wall generally has a decent selection of guest ales. I'd go elsewhere to eat though.

[Type R Tom]

That's quite a big area to cover, there are a few decent places in the East End but not many.

Near the O2 you have

http://www.meantimebrewing.com/
http://www.oldbrewerygreenwich.com/

The same company, one it the brewery where you can do a tour, the other is a pub / restaurant. Not cheap but I quite like the beer and the area around the Royal Naval College is nice.

[PedroB]

Type R Tom said:

That's quite a big area to cover, there are a few decent places in the East End but not many.

Near the O2 you have

http://www.meantimebrewing.com/
http://www.oldbrewerygreenwich.com/

The same company, one it the brewery where you can do a tour, the other is a pub / restaurant. Not cheap but I quite like the beer and the area around the Royal Naval College is nice.

The Old Brewery is good but not really a 'pub' setting. That said the outdoors down by the river is a nice place to sit and watch the world go by.

I'd suggest Meantime's backstreet boozer The Union on Royal Hill instead. Good food, good beer, not too expensive and about 10 minutes on the 188 bus from the O2: http://www.greenwichunion.com/

[garreth64]

Cheers for the suggestions, both of the Meantime options look good as they are reasonably close to the O2. Just got to decide which one

I think the Old Brewery might edge it for location as I'm with the other half :-)

[GWC]

The Pilot was always a good pub (I haven't been for 18 months), just a short walk from the O2, reading some recent reviews it looks like it's had a refurb and lost a lot of its character, which is a shame.

http://www.pilotgreenwich.co.uk/