The Tankard, Lambeth, SE11

Visited 01/09/25. Visited previously 23/04/19. Cask offering amounted to Harvey's Best, Doom Bar and Youngs Original. Keg offering of Moretti, Fosters, Inch's cider, Guinness, Gamma Ray, Neck Oil, 1825 Session lager, Staro, Asahi, Madri, and Blue Moon. Last visited 6 or so years ago when still in Draft House days. Corner location near the Imperial War Museum. Bare boarded with bar servery and kitchen serving hatch on the rear right-hand side. Seating is a mixture of regular chunky light wood tables with regular chairs and some low stools plus some tall stool seating at the near end of the bar counter and the odd one with its own drinking ledge on the near side of the bar counter. There is some leather armchair and sofa seating serving low tables in the rear left-hand corner and near the entrance on the side street. Some bare brick wall, and a dark painting scheme. Single TV screen switched off on my visit with a poppy soundtrack. There is a large board on the wall opposite the start of the bar counter with individual listing and description of their extensive wine offering. Some outside seating at the side of the venue and an upstairs function room leading out onto the quite large roof terrace but not appealing on my rather wet early Monday evening visit.

Facebook page of The Tankard - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Tankard - thetankard.pub

Facebook page of The Tankard - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Tankard - thetankard.pub

This place dates to at least the early 19th century but is now probably a late Victorian structure, a Charrington’s house by 1951. It’s an attractive building with a spacious terrace to the first floor, but little if anything of the original interior remains. Now owned by BrewDog, the place hasn’t been as altered as some of their pubs, with a pale boarded floor, bare brick or muddy brown paintwork, black Anaglypta ceiling, modern bare brick bar with obligatory dark green shiny tiles and slightly industrial lighting, with some distracting red neon stuff. Furniture is largely conventional to the periphery, then tall tubular steel stuff to the centre, all with sauce bottles and menus, with décor in the form of trendy framed black and white prints. Just two normal customers, then an annoying couple swallowing each other’s tongues. Despite the stewardship, there was, aside from two unused pumps, a solitary handle dishing out an Adnams/DEYA double act called Boat Trip, price forgotten but undoubtedly expensive, passable and served by a highly apologetic barman. This place is ok, but I’d take the Dog House, Black Prince or Old Red Lion when in this neck of the woods.