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The River Ale House (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Vocation - Golden Ale (collaboration with Fierce) |  | 2 |
| Bexley - Bursted Session Bitter (was 3.8%) |  | 3 |
| Burton Bridge - Brewers Gold | | 2 |
| Bexley - Black Prince Vanilla Porter | | 2 |
| Bexley - Redhouse | | 2 |
| Bexley - XPA (Extra Pale) | | 1 |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | | 2 |
| Stancill - Cashmere - pale | | 1 |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | | 1 |
| Elusive - Midnight Oregon Trail | | 2 |
| 360° - Triple Act |  | 1 |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | | 2 |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | Not Tried | 0 |
| Elusive - Juku | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bexley - Golden Acre | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Elusive - Oregon Trail | Not Tried | 0 |
| Darkland - Off the Lip | Not Tried | 0 |
| Swannay (formerly Highland) - Island Hopping | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vocation - Pride & Joy | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Tempo | Not Tried | 0 |
| Elusive - DDH Oregon Trail | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
08 Feb 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet football with only the hardened in and the odd occasional for the last half an hour of serving. Just five real ales on compared to the usual six to seven. The so-called monthly quiz has not yet reared its head again in the month of February following its inaugural January appearance two weeks ago and no notice clearly displayed to suggest when in February if at all on a Sunday evening.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley - Bursted Session Bitter (was 3.8%) | 3.40 | | 1st beer of this visit: Second day on and better for it was this bitter. Presently perhaps an even better head than the evening before on this Erith-brewed dark amber session bitter from the Bexley borough. Such a shame it was low gravity at just 3.4% as otherwise might have been afforded more flavour, though I was not the only one of the regulars to detect that the range of beers this evening seemed noticeably at a cooler temperature compared to the recent norm. Defiantly, it displayed excellent lacing but for a slightly cooler offering than is usual. Still a very dry bitter first bite which was unmistakable. Still an ever so lightly fruited bitterness. Still that hint of pine, plus hints of stone fruit. Kentish hops lending it a hoppy mouthfeel and Crystal malts adding their flavours, including a subtle biscuity, caramel and toffee infusion. A hop-infused piney touch playing out with a fruity kick afforded. Once again, for being in such good nick appearance-wise with its head and lacing, a pity it was so low gravity since it continued from the evening before in lacking distinct hoppy flavouring to my taste buds. Less watery though than the evening before! |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | | 3rd beer of this visit: Fresh on was this Maidstone-brewed pale ale, originally brewed in 1993 to mark the brewery's 10th anniversary, but a touch too fresh in appearance and for my liking on this occasion. A head, yes, but very lacking the normal frothiness of a good head. Its lacing though lasting in its favour. A very lightly fruited first hit. A hoppy bitterness surfacing and prevailing from its East Kent Goldings. A distinct hoppy fruitiness sliding out with a lingering sweetness arising from its Maris Otter floor-malted barley. |
| 360° - Triple Act | 3.90 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Second day on for this East Sussex "tri-hopped" American pale ale approximately 5 to 6 miles to the south-east of Uckfield and brewed about 1.2 miles from the village of Fletching. Displaying the merest head and not lasting. A lightly fruited first hit. A distant hoppiness rising with hints of fruitiness from its hops with its Motueka adding a distinct kiwi flair. A very gentle fruited hoppiness sliding downwards also care of its Mosaic and Galaxy hops, before climaxing with a fruity kick in its finale. |
| Bexley - Black Prince Vanilla Porter | 4.60 | Not Tried | A half sufficed the evening before and for me not in the least moreish and so I have let it be! |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | Not Tried | Glad I escaped this as saw one other with this hazy and what looked liked a fruit-juiced concoction in their pint glass. They were a braver man than me! |
08 Feb 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley - Bursted Session Bitter (was 3.8%) | 3.40 | | Very good condition and full flavour for a 3.4% ale |
| Goacher's - Gold Star | 5.10 | | Fresh, green, slight haze. Can be a lot better |
| Bexley - Black Prince Vanilla Porter | 4.60 | | Poured flat, stayed flat in glass. No life |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - Triple Act | 3.90 | Not Tried |
07 Feb 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Certainly, a change of beers from my last visit on Thursday as Charlton FC had drawn 0-0 at home on Friday evening against Queens Park Rangers FC and so a few beers had been supped before and after the match. Not overly busy this evening with the hardened in among a few of the more occasional for the last three quarters of an hour.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley - Bursted Session Bitter (was 3.8%) | 3.40 | | 1st beer of this visit: Fresh on today with a very good head on this Erith-brewed dark amber session bitter from the Bexley borough. Its lacing staying firmly attached to the glass. A very dry bitter first bite. A lightly fruited bitterness rising with hints of pine and stone fruit, including apricot and plum. Kentish hops providing a traditional home-grown flavouring while the varieties are not listed for this brew. Only a distant hint of maltiness from its combination of Crystal malts for me despite being described as full of malty flavour. A dry piney hoppiness lingering with subtle biscuity, caramel and toffee notes. It was somewhat lacklustre in flavouring I thought and slightly watery as a result. |
| Bexley - Black Prince Vanilla Porter | 4.60 | | 3rd beer of this visit: Second day on for this porter from Erith in the Bexley borough and a creamy head and lacing lasting. It had all the ingredients a box of chocolates would have felt at home with in its first hit. A syrupy malty dryness rising from its mix of brown, chocolate, black and crystal malts, and a dry caramel hint joining in. Flavourings you would expect in such a flavoured ice-cream emerging from vanilla extracts in on the mix alongside hints of coffee, and lingering as this dark porter made its downwards journey. Not overly bittered but likely to have had a measure of Kentish hop varieties, as is standard practice with Bexley brews, to balance its sweetness best they could. Too cloying for me to have more than a half! |
| Stancill - Cashmere - pale | 4.50 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Second day on and good head and lacing presented and lasting on this pale from a Sheffield-based micro-brewery in South Yorkshire and founded in 2013. A fruity first bite. A dose of hoppiness climbing up from its Pilgrim hop and experimental hop, #161, from Charles Faram*, which runs an extensive hop development programme designed to be agronomically sound (and where agronomy is the science of soil management and crop production) with exciting new hop varieties that can be produced commercially that are resistant to diseases and resilient to climate change. A hint of lemon and lime rising for me from its very distinct lemongrass flavouring. A lightly fruited hoppiness paddling out. *Successful varieties that have emerged from the programme and are now commercially available are said to include Jester®, Olicana®, Harlequin®, Godiva™, Mystic™, Emperor®, Most™, and Opus®. |
| Monkey - Sea Wall | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Juku | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - Triple Act | 3.90 | Not Tried |
05 Feb 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with the regulars on parade among a few of the lesser spotted and for the last half an hour of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burton Bridge - Brewers Gold | 4.00 | | 1st beer of this visit: Second day on for this Staffordshire golden ale brewed in Burton-upon-Trent, 11 miles north-east of Derby and still presenting good head and lacing. A fruity first bite. A good dose of fruits hurtling up at my taste buds and giving them a good pounding with the likes of spicy hedgerow berries including blackcurrant plus lemon in on the onslaught. A dry hoppiness winning over from its Brewers Gold hops, developed at Wye College in the UK and known for its high resin content, lending it a gentle bitterness before cascading downwards. |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | | 2nd beer of this visit: Second day on and presenting a very good head and lacing and lasting on this Bermondsey-brewed bitter. A dry bitter first bite. A gentle hop-infused bitterness rising from its blend of two hops: the classic English East Kent Goldings and the American Chinook, the latter affording it pine, spice and dark fruity notes. Likely to be from Crystal Malt, hints of biscuit and caramel joining in. Even oranges, apples and sultanas bounding up. A lightly fruited hoppiness with its piney, spicy and dark fruited notes swimming out with an ever so gentle roasty chocolate and peppery hint. Its dry finish and smoothly rich mouthfeel for me is aided by the addition of flaked barley and maize in on its mix. Very moreish and belies its 3.4% gravity and so stuck to it. |
| Swannay (formerly Highland) - Island Hopping | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Pride & Joy | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Midnight Oregon Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried |
05 Feb 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elusive - Midnight Oregon Trail | 5.80 | | Just about holding on to good condition since Monday's |
| Burton Bridge - Brewers Gold | 4.00 | | Nothing much in taste in this. Held little head or lacing |
| Swannay (formerly Highland) - Island Hopping | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Pride & Joy | 4.80 | Not Tried |
03 Feb 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for the last half an hour of serving with a local club meeting nearby and so bringing in some of its members, the hardened regulars in situ and the fiddlers in strumming but minus their bagpiper from a week earlier.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley - XPA (Extra Pale) | 4.40 | | Second night on for this Erith-brewed extra pale ale and presenting good head and lacing and lasting. A slightly hazy appearance. A lightly fruited first hit. A subtle dry hoppiness rising from its Citra, Mosaic and Amarillo, and winning through its gentle fruitiness of grapefruit, lemon, lime and the odd tropical fruit in on the equation. It was sliding downwards without much hesitation but a juicy touch to it gave me indigestion afterwards for a good hour. |
| Swannay (formerly Highland) - Island Hopping | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Midnight Oregon Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried |
02 Feb 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | | Holding up after a few days on. Losing condition slowly |
| Elusive - Midnight Oregon Trail | 5.80 | | Black IPA twist on Oregon Trail ale |
| Swannay (formerly Highland) - Island Hopping | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - XPA (Extra Pale) | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Golden Ale (collaboration with Fierce) | 4.60 | Not Tried |
01 Feb 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
The quiz that ran the Sunday before is rumoured to be only monthly if it continues and so did not run this evening. I would not have been there for its early evening start of 7.30pm as too early for me on the average Sunday and do not like quizzes as my brain does not work quickly enough. By all accounts, it was not well attended the Sunday before and so who knows whether it will continue. So just a sprinkling of the usual Sunday regulars in for the last half an hour of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocation - Golden Ale (collaboration with Fierce) | 4.60 | | Fresh on today and presenting a good frothy head and lacing sticking to the glass to the very end on this collaboration between Vocation from Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, and Fierce Beer based in Aberdeen, Scotland. They have a history of working together on diverse styles. A lightly fruited first hit. A good dose of hoppiness rising from traditional British hops, likely to be East Kent Goldings or Fuggles, with dry floral notes winning over. The hint of a certain bear's favourite spread in sandwiches ambling up and also aided by modern hop varieties to achieve a sweet orange flavouring. A touch of maltiness to give this golden ale its colouring and likely to be from Maris Otter or Extra Pale Malt. A honey-infused hoppiness padding out and where a natural honey, Wildflower, was actually added to complement the floral notes of its English hops during the brewing at either the end of the boil, "flameout," or during "whirlpool" which is the term for a post-boil process where the wort (unfermented beer) is rapidly swirled in a circular motion, either by a high-velocity pump or by vigorous stirring with a paddle in homebrewing. Very moreish was this collaboration golden ale and so then stuck to it. |
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | | Only its second day on and presenting a good head and lacing to begin with but now not lasting on this Erith-brewed ruby bitter unlike on the evening before. A very malty first hit. I rapidly came to the conclusion that it was all rather too chewy to go beyond a first pint this evening of this. Still full of a biscuity maltiness with its full hops, English Goldings and Challenger, lending it a bitterness struggling to win through its pervading maltiness from its Crystal malts. |
| Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Darkland - Off the Lip | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - DDH Oregon Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried | Ran out during visit. |
| Elusive - Midnight Oregon Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried |
01 Feb 2026 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. No quiz nor themed music tonight.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | | A good heady strong ale |
| Vocation - Golden Ale (collaboration with Fierce) | 4.60 | | Apparently honeyed but I did not pick that up. Good condition |
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Oregon Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Darkland - Off the Lip | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - Midnight Oregon Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried | Came on late on |
31 Jan 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall with a mix of Saturday regulars, the hardened and the more occasional in for the last half an hour of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | | Fresh on and exhibiting very good head and lacing and lasting and named after the historic Red House in Bexleyheath, once the home of William Morris (1834–1896) who was described as a "revolutionary designer, craftsman, writer and socialist activist" who championed hand-craftsmanship over industrial mass production. A bitter fruity first bite off this Erith-brewed ruby bitter from the neighbouring Bexley borough. A very malty bitterness rising with touches of molasses. Such was its maltiness, it was not readily quaffable. A red fruited note winning over with a spiciness emanating from its English Goldings hops, lending it a pleasant hop-bitterness. A malty fruited bitterness slithering down. Slightly over fruited for my taste buds with a toffee and caramel-infused sweetness lingering in the aftertaste. I was very slow to drink it as presenting the consistency of a good thick soup to my taste buds but its appearance certainly did not suggest that. |
| Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vocation - Bread & Butter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Tempo | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Darkland - Off the Lip | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Elusive - DDH Oregon Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 15 |
| 754 |
| 2039 |
| 660 |
 | 58 |
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 1629 times, seen 1964 different beers and tried 1157 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ