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The River Ale House (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) |  | 2 |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | | 5 |
| Elusive - Crusade |  | 1 |
| Goacher's - Gold Star |  | 1 |
| Kent - Cain and Abel | | 1 |
| Mighty Oak - Otter Chaos | | 1 |
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | | 1 |
| Oakham - Midnight Mild | | 3 |
| Ten Tun - James Maybe | | 1 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Made Glorious Summer (collaboration with Brasserie de la Senne) | | 1 |
| Oakham - Sun City | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Memento | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Tempo | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
14 Aug 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
A rare Friday appearance for me but the hot weather aided my late evening outing alongside the mild which I highly enjoyed the evening before. A sprinkling of regulars including the Friday club devotees for the last half an hour of serving and good banter ensued.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Midnight Mild | 4.00 | | Second day on and its frothy head had sadly gone but head and lacing still lasting on this Peterborough-based jet-black mild. Its brewery is so-named because Oakham was where it was established in 1993 in Rutland. It relocated its main brewing operations to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in 1998. A first hit of dry malty bitterness. Its New World hops behind a subtle fruitiness. Its maltiness winning over with coffee, caramel and chocolatey flavours and rising from its floor-malted grain, including black malt and roasted varieties. A very subtle treacle and sweet malty milk flavouring emerging. Very moreish from not being overly fruited in the least. Still in good nick but losing some of its conditioning from the day before. |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Sun City | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Made Glorious Summer (collaboration with Brasserie de la Senne) | 5.80 | Not Tried |
13 Aug 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
A mix of regulars on parade and the lesser spotted for the last half an hour of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Midnight Mild | 4.00 | | Fresh on and a very good frothy head and lacing presented on this Peterborough-based jet-black mild and whose brewery is still called Oakham as it was established there in 1993 in Rutland, but which relocated its main brewing operations to Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in 1998. A first hit of dry bitter maltiness. A riot of New World hops flavours lending a fruitiness that does battle for supremacy with its heavy malt base. Coffee, caramel and chocolatey flavours all emanating from its blend of premium floor-malted grain, including traditional black malt and roasted varieties aiding its black colouring and flavourings. A touch of treacle and sweet malty milk making it very moreish. On top form for its flavours, appearance and mouthfeel. |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Tempo | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Made Glorious Summer (collaboration with Brasserie de la Senne) | 5.80 | Not Tried |
13 Aug 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Low footfall.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Midnight Mild | 4.00 | | Unbelievably an Oakham non lemon juicer. New cask on today. Fresh tasting with good head and lacing. I then moved off cask to a bottle of Westmalle |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | Unbroken run |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Tempo | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Made Glorious Summer (collaboration with Brasserie de la Senne) | 5.80 | Not Tried |
12 Aug 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | 4.20 | | Very pale in hue. Condition fair to good but little taste made this a slow drinking ale |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | May last forever |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Tempo | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Made Glorious Summer (collaboration with Brasserie de la Senne) | 5.80 | Not Tried |
11 Aug 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
A cacophony of fiddlers out the back and a few of the hardened out the front for the last half an hour of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | | This Kentish Session IPA, from brewing south-west of Canterbury near Chartham, was now witnessing its third day on and its head and lacing whilst not as prolific as the day before was still in evidence. A fruity hoppy first note. A hoppy oiliness rising from its East Kent Goldings hops behind its earthy, honey-infused sweetness, and Jester hops from West Kent behind an array of tropical fruit flavours. A toffee bitterness lingering from its malted barley and a combination of local and international malt. Slightly less conditioning than the day before but still hanging onto its head and lacing. |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Tempo | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Glass Mountain | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Made Glorious Summer (collaboration with Brasserie de la Senne) | 5.80 | Not Tried |
10 Aug 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
A mix of the usual regulars on parade for the last half an hour of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | | 1st beer of this visit: Second day on for this Kentish Session IPA, from brewing south-west of Canterbury near Chartham, and still exhibiting very good head and lacing. A fruity hopped first hit. An earthy, honey-infused sweetness from its East Kent Goldings hops, while its West Kent-sourced Jester coming up with berry flavours for me and an array of tropical fruit flavours. I welcomed its resinous oily hoppiness reminding me of the green hop season from September. A nuttiness rising from its malted barley. Its combination of local and international malts giving rise to its toffee infusions alongside a bitterness prevailing in its downwards passage. Again served in very good nick with lasting lacing and conditioning. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Made Glorious Summer (collaboration with Brasserie de la Senne) | 5.80 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Fresh on was this Derbyshire Belgian pale and a collaboration between Thornbridge Brewery, set up in 2005 on the grounds of Thornbridge Hall near the village of Bakewell within the Peak District, and Brasserie de la Senne, a critically acclaimed Brussels-based brewery, famous for pioneering a return to traditional, bitter and intensely yeast-forward session beers. No head and lacing was evident beyond it being first served. Initially fermented using the historic and resurrected Burton Union system and said to be the world's only operational set of the traditional interlocking wood-cask fermentation troughs which circulates fermenting beer to naturally separate yeast to produce a crisp finish. A tropical-fruited first hit. A hoppiness rising among its dominant fruit flavours including citrus and lychee from its English Jester and Slovenian Celeia hops. For me white wine resinous flavours prevailing. Its collaboration with Belgium's Brasserie de la Senne demonstrated by the use of Continental Pilsner malt, African Fonio grain of rare West African heritage behind its tropical/lychee notes, alongside oats and unmalted wheat. Hoppy floral hints joining in before sliding downwards. Served perhaps too early before its second fermentation has fully taken place to explain the lack of head and lacing. |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Cain and Abel | 3.30 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Otter Chaos | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Crusade | 4.00 | Not Tried |
10 Aug 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | | Holding up as yesterday's |
| Kent - Cain and Abel | 3.30 | | Flat in glass. Nothing here to taste. Thought I would give it a try |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | | Little condition. Thin gruel |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | Record breaking? |
| Mighty Oak - Otter Chaos | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Crusade | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Made Glorious Summer (collaboration with Brasserie de la Senne) | 5.80 | Not Tried | On but not advertised as on! |
09 Aug 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
A couple of tables of hardened Sunday regulars on parade for the last half an hour of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Also fresh on and within five minutes of my arriving. Also, very good head and lacing on this Kentish Session IPA from south-west of Canterbury near Chartham. A hoppy fruited first hit aided by its East Kent Goldings hops lending an earthy, honey-like fruit sweetness, and Jester sourced from West Kent, adding modern, punchy tropical fruit and berry flavours for me. A resinous oily hoppiness prevailing with a honey flavouring mixed in. A hoppy fruitiness competing with its malty nuttiness and with the latter derived from its malted barley and local and international malts also aiding its toffee infusions. A lingering bitterness sliding out. Served in fine fettle with much lasting conditioning and very good head retention. |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | | 1st beer of this visit: Fresh on and displaying a very good head and lasting lacing on this amber-coloured bitter from the 2013-launched Bermondsey brewery which still operates some brewing and its Arch House taproom in its railway arch in Bermondsey, South London, but their main brewing operation has moved to their larger site in Croydon in 2020. A fruity sweet first bite. A hoppiness rising with flavours for me of pine, resinous spice and dark fruits and derived from its traditional British East Kent Goldings for bittering and its late-boil fruitcake flavours, alongside lashings of American Chinook hops for its piney, spicy hints. A malted bitterness winning over with a biscuity, toffee-infused and caramel sweetness tantalising my taste buddies and emanating from its Maris Otter, Flaked Barley behind its head retention, Flaked Maize/Corn behind its touch of sugar, Light Crystal malt behind its toffee sweetness, and Dark Crystal malt aiding its colour and burnt caramel flavours. A hoppy fruited note paddling out. Served in very good nick with good conditioning and head retention. |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Cain and Abel | 3.30 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Otter Chaos | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Crusade | 4.00 | Not Tried |
09 Aug 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Friar's Ale | 4.30 | | Fresh on tonight so zesty |
| Mighty Oak - Otter Chaos | 4.60 | | OK. I did not pick up the Citra hopping. Lost head and lacing quickly |
| Elusive - Crusade | 4.00 | | Nothing much of flavour, little condition. |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Cain and Abel | 3.30 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried |
08 Aug 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Just a table or two of regulars in for the last three-quarters of an hour of serving mixed with the occasional on parade.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Good head and lasting lacing on this Kentish pale from Kent's oldest microbrewery and established in 1983 in Maidstone, close to Hayle Mill before moving to an industrial estate in Tovil, Maidstone in 1990. Gold Star Ale was originally released in 1993 also at 5.1% ABV to celebrate the brewery's 10th anniversary. Made entirely out of locally sourced ingredients to present a classic Kentish real ale as it should be, a fruited hoppiness in this golden coloured pale’s first bite and rapidly rising. A white wine-like grapey flavouring joining in from its East Kent Goldings hops. Its Maris Otter barley lending sweet malt flavours. A resinous hoppiness prevailing with herbal, fruity and subtle apple-infused hints and dancing out. Served in very good nick. |
| Ten Tun - James Maybe | 4.30 | | 1st beer of this visit: Second day on and very good head and lacing to start with and almost lasting on this American-style golden pale ale from Alton, Hampshire, where the Ten Tun Tap House operates an on-site microbrewery from 2023. A lightly fruited first hit. A fruited hoppiness rising from its Mosaic hops, a modern variety, originating from the Yakima Valley in Washington State, USA. My taste buddies were suitably entertained by an array of tropical fruit including mango, papaya and passionfruit alongside bursts of tangerine, grapefruit and lemon. Also, in on the act were hints of blueberry, dark blackcurrant, peach and apricot. A lively hoppy note throughout before its downwards passage with a piney, resinous note lingering and finished off with a subtle earthy, grassy and green tea-infused flourish. Good conditioning throughout. |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Cain and Abel | 3.30 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Memento | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Crusade | 4.00 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 15 |
| 798 |
| 2186 |
| 738 |
 | 63 |
The pub is found in East Greenwich, Greater London, SE10 0RJ.
Micropub in Woolwich Road in a former street corner lingerie and hosiery business premises and which opened on 13th September 2017. Comprises a front room with bar counter and with real ales and ciders served on gravity dispense from a temperature controlled cellar room behind the bar, and a rear room down one step. Each day a pre-prepared paper ale menu sheet, with tasting notes, is provided to every table. Bare-board flooring throughout and all seating at wall mounted high settles and hand made wooden high tables. CAMRA card holders' discount on pints and halves of real ale and cider. Card payments accepted. SPBW London Pub of the Year 2019. Local CAMRA branch 2019, 2022 and 2024 Pub of the Year and its Cider Pub of the Year too in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. CAMRA Greenwich District Pub of the Year 2024.
We have visited this pub 1767 times, seen 2032 different beers and tried 1201 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ