The Plume of Feathers, Greenwich, SE10

Attractive, small back street pub tucked away behind the National Maritime Museum. Pertains to be a fairly old 18th century pub with the exterior sign giving that it was originally built in 1691. Festooned with hanging baskets and troughs it has a nice green tiled exterior more reminiscent of a Victorian pub frontage. Inside it is two areas either side of the central serving area that you walk onto when entering from the front door. The right hand space was mainly laid to table for dining, which several people were doing on my lunchtime visit. But the left hand space is a more traditional drinking area with space up the bar or tables round the side. There are four hand pumps on the bar , which were dispensing Sharps Doom Bar, Fullers London Pride, TT Landlord and Harveys Best. So not the most adventurous of beer selection , but solid enough, and as the Harveys Best and Landlord we tried were well kept pints, makes this a decent little pub to search out when in Greenwich. There is also a small external drinking area to the left front of the pub, with a couple of tables, which was catching the mid day sun and was a great place for an alfresco pint.

Randomness Guide to London - Plume Of Feathers entry

Randomness Guide to London - Plume Of Feathers entry

There were three real ales on during my visit – London Pride, Harvey’s Best, and Dartford Kentish Dark, with a fourth clip having an Adnam’s clip reversed. Never having had a Dartford ale before, I went for the Kentish Dark, which turned out to be an excellent 3.5% session bitter. The lady behind the bar gave me a taster first, which is invariably a sign of a good pub. I didn’t eat there, but the lunch menu seemed to be fairly reasonably priced, with a daily special (e.g. bangers and mash; fish and chips) for £5.95. My impression of this pub is that it is a clean, comfortable, friendly and welcoming place. As you enter, the bar counter is immediately in front of you, with seating areas to the right and left of it. There is a separate room at the back on the right with tables set for diners, leading out to a smallish garden area. Furnishings consist of red upholstered banquettes, normal tables and chairs plus stools; and it is also carpeted and low ceilinged, adding to the warm and cosy feel. The decor on the walls is of a mainly nautical bent of course, which is a feature of pubs in this area, but there is a picture of Winston Churchill in the bar area on the left. The seating area on the right features a rather good painting of HMS Bellerephon dishing out a thorough tonking to a French ship at the Battle of Trafalgar, and there is also a fireplace in this area, with the dark stains that indicate considerable past use. The outside has dark green tiling, and the windows have the green glazed bands round the sides, both indicating that this was a Charrington’s pub in the past. It is only a few yards from the entrance to Greenwich Park, and on a nice sunny day it tended to get a fair number of families in, all of which during my visit filed through the pub to get to the garden at the back. Nonetheless, I liked the atmosphere of this pub very much, and would very much like to pay a return visit.

A friendly if efficient welcome, log effect fire burning, chiming clock, lots of paintings of galleons, lively atmosphere with a buzz of chatter, you get the ambiance. Large TV suspended from the ceiling but not on suggests sporting events shown but perhaps with discretion; the background 80's music left a bit to be desired though. Fullers Pride, Adnams Best and Gale's Trafalger on tap, beer well kept. Snacks available, and a restaurant area at the rear.