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The River Ale House (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Bexley - Five Arches |  | 1 |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | | 3 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur Union | | 2 |
| Salopian - Living a Dream, | | 1 |
| Anspach & Hobday - The IPA | | 1 |
| Bexley - Redhouse | | 5 |
| Brew York - Calmer Chameleon |  | 1 |
| Bexley - Five Arches Summer Pale | | 1 |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | | 3 |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | | 1 |
| 360° - Session IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| 360° - Tacoma | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brew York - Kea | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Sun City | Not Tried | 0 |
| Castle Rock - Phase Shift | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bexley - Golden Acre | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Barbe Rouge | Not Tried | 0 |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
20 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Low footfall.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur Union | 5.90 | | Some loss of edge since yesterday's |
| Salopian - Living a Dream, | 4.40 | | Same old same old citrus golden ale. No USP. A bore |
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Golden Acre | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | Lasting forever |
| Oakham - Sun City | 3.70 | Not Tried |
19 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Ticking over for last 30 minutes of serving with the hardened regulars on parade among the more occasional and the fiddlers out the back on their usual Tuesday evening.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | | Now the third night on for this Erith-brewed ruby bitter from the neighbouring Bexley borough. Head and lacing, still good, and lasting, also still good. A bitter malty first bite. Its Crystal malts still giving it that almighty malty taste with a hint of biscuity caramel for excitement. Still a soup-like consistency that you cannot simply quaff down. As much as it is moreish, it resolutely refuses to go down my hatch with any haste! Its English Goldings and Challenger hops lending it a good hop-infused bitterness. I had planned a supper on my return but it had so filled me up with its lashings of malt, I could not countenance the prospect. Beer is supposed to be liquid bread but in this instance what I had from the Redhouse ruby bitter felt like the equivalent of clearing at least one whole shelf in a bakers of bread. As much a challenge to get it to slither down as on Sunday when first tried. Once again, very moreish and so stuck to it but extremely heavy and so slow-going! |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | Now its eighth night on. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur Union | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Sun City | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Phase Shift | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Five Arches Summer Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried |
19 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur Union | 5.90 | | Very good initial head and lacing. A tasty drop. Pricey at £5.80 a pop |
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | | Tiring after a few days on |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Sun City | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Phase Shift | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Five Arches Summer Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried |
18 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Only 6 topers in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | | Holding up after a few days on |
| Bexley - Five Arches Summer Pale | 4.00 | | Not much condition left. Price is before CAMRA discount. |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Sun City | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Castle Rock - Phase Shift | 4.10 | Not Tried |
17 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 40 minutes of serving with just a few of the hardened on parade among a sprinkling of the more occasional. A long-lost barman back from his travels and a new bitter on!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 |  | Fresh on and the epitome of what a good ruby bitter should look like was this Erith-brewed ale from the neighbouring Bexley borough. Positively foaming it was! A great relief after the earlier bitter's demise the evening before. Head and lacing, very good, and lasting, also very good. A very, very malty first bite from its Crystal malts. It reminded me of a soup-like consistency that you cannot simply quaff down. This needed to be sipped for its maltiness rising. A moreish bitterness got in on the act, aided by its English Goldings and Challenger hops. Hints of biscuity caramel coming to the fore alongside its lashings of maltiness managing to slither down my hatch. Very moreish and so stuck to it but slow-going! |
| Anspach & Hobday - The IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - Tacoma | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Kea | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Bexley - Five Arches Summer Pale | 4.00 | Not Tried |
17 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anspach & Hobday - The IPA | 6.00 | | Has the obvious strength but little if any head or lacing |
| Bexley - Redhouse | 4.20 | | Very good condition albeit a style not much to my liking |
| Bexley - Five Arches | 3.80 | | An OK summer pale |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - Tacoma | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Kea | 4.50 | Not Tried |
16 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
A mix of the Saturday regulars in, the few hardened and the more occasional, for the last 25 minutes of serving.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | | Fifth night on for this York-brewed milk stout and by now past its best. A head and lacing, definitely minus the cream, and so poor, and lasting, not a chance. Still its burnt-toast first bite. A malty sweetness rising. Still a lovely bunch of coconuts or two playing on my palate from their roasting. The Belgian cacao nibs with hints of dark chocolate still forming the backing group. A sweet spiciness from its vanilla, almond, cinnamon and clove flavourings with a malty fruit-infusion playing out. |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 |  | Now its third night on and not faring well is this Bermondsey-brewed bitter. Head and lacing, poor, and not lasting. A dry fruit-infused bitter first bite. A hoppy bitterness rising from its US Chinook hops but a hint of vinegary medicine getting in on the act. Poor indeed for only its third night on and indeed for the two longer days for serving on as in both Friday and Saturday when open much earlier as in 2pm and 12 noon respectively. |
| Anspach & Hobday - The IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - Session IPA | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - Tacoma | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Barbe Rouge | 4.50 | Not Tried |
15 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
For the last 30 minutes of serving, I witnessed a family reunion for one of our Friday regulars with his son and Scottish partner on brigade, and along with the hardened and the more occasional, and this made for an opportunity for lively banter all-round.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | | Fourth night on for this York-brewed milk stout and seen better days and which I earlier enjoyed. A head and lacing now minus the cream and lasting, a struggle. A burnt-toast first bite. A malty sweetness rising. A lovely bunch of coconuts or two playing on my palate from their roasting. The Belgian cacao nibs with hints of dark chocolate are part of the backing group. Its sweet spiciness tantalising my taste buds with its vanilla, almond, cinnamon and clove flavourings. A malty fruit-infused sweetness lasting. Moreish but somewhat overly sweet to do more than a half on its fourth night on. |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | | Second night on and head and lacing, good, and lasting, fair, on this Bermondsey-brewed bitter. Not as fruity a first bite as on its premier evening. Its US Chinook hops lending it a hoppy bitterness rising. A biscuity caramel-infusion mixed with a bitter dryness casting its sails before gently drifting off into the sunset. |
| Anspach & Hobday - The IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - Session IPA | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| 360° - Tacoma | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Barbe Rouge | 4.50 | Not Tried |
14 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Ticking over for last 30 minutes of serving with a mix of the regulars and the not so regular.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | | Third night on now for this York-brewed milk stout. Not as creamy a head as on Tuesday but still there and lacing almost lasting to the end and so fair. Now a touch of smokiness about its first bite. A very malty coffee-infused hit after hit. Its toasted coconut proved popular with me and one other fan on it as well, as did the Belgian cacao nibs with hints of dark chocolate flavouring. This was gently infused with an aromatic spice exuding vanilla, almond and possibly marzipan, cinnamon and clove flavourings. A malty fruit-infused sweetness slowly going out with its tide with a moreish dryness, its climax. Put to my taste buds' test and living up to its accolade of being multi-award winning! |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | | Fresh on this evening and so good head and lacing and lasting throughout on this Bermondsey-brewed bitter. A fruity first bite. A hop-infused bitterness rising aided by its US Chinook hops. A good kick, like the mule has, in its hoppy fruitiness. A touch of biscuity caramel-infused bitterness gently lapping up with a hint of pine, spice and the odd dark fruit before its tide gently ebbed away. |
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brew York - Calmer Chameleon | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Barbe Rouge | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | 4.20 | Not Tried |
14 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 | | Tiring now after some days on. Might well be quite a lot left in the tub still though |
| Brew York - Calmer Chameleon | 4.10 | | Very little life in glass. Disappointing |
| Brew York - Tonkoko | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Anspach & Hobday - The Ordinary Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Barbe Rouge | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Vibrant Forest - Evoke | 4.20 | Not Tried |
About The River Ale House
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 11 |
| 686 |
| 1721 |
| 505 |
| 42 |
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 1360 times, seen 1830 different beers and tried 1065 of them.
Postcode: SE10 0RJ