The Maritime Mile

Strolling the string of riverside pubs leading north from Maritime Greenwich’s heritage heart is one of the great London experiences. This collection of seven handsome waterside inns (some dating to Georgian times, some gleamingly modern) is strung along a mile of west-facing Thames shoreline. Time your walk for dusk, if you can, when the sun setting over Canary Wharf and the City of London warms your left shoulder.

Start where Deptford Creek meets the Thames, on the western cusp of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, at The Oystercatcher. Spread over two floors, its picture windows framing the Thames, Canary Wharf and London beyond, The Oystercatcher’s bar and restaurant offer British seafood like Jersey rock oysters and the day’s best catch from their south-coast fishing boats.

A few steps further east is The Sail Loft – offering more stunning views from its riverside terrace, the finest brews from Fuller’s and morish food like prawns, bruschetta, duck breast and traditional fish and chips.

Eight minutes further east, past the stately Cutty Sark riding at dock, is The Old Brewery. Occupying the Old Royal Naval College’s Pepys Building, it’s right amongst the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site’s grand buildings and parks. Grab a lawn-side table in this Grade II-listed beauty to enjoy Young’s beers, fine food like fresh Dorset crab and sharing platters of British cheese and charcuterie and, if you’re lucky, the serene strains of Trinity Laban musical students rehearsing.

Push on through the splendidly symmetrical grounds of the Old Royal Naval College (be sure to stop to admire the vista lining up the Queen’s House, Greenwich Park and the Royal Observatory), to the next Thames-side tempter: The Trafalgar Tavern. Built in 1837, the year of Victoria I’s coronation, the Trafalgar is possibly the perfect London riverside pub. Serving sailors, celebrities and sightseers for nearly 200 uninterrupted years, it’s beautifully presented and serves elevated British tavern fare alongside wines of the world and beers by producers like Kent’s Wantsum Brewery. Dickens used to drink here, and the whitebait dinners and views of the Thames and Canary Wharf are justly famous.

Keeping to the nautical theme, The Cutty Sark is a mere five minutes further along the wharf side. Named after the iconic tea clipper (now preserved as one of Maritime Greenwich’s most fascinating museums) The Cutty Sark offers three floors of Georgian tavern cosiness, with tables overlooking the Thames through original bow windows, or riverside seating for views from the city to The O2 – especially lovely on days when the sunlight’s on the water. The seafood, sourced from southern English fisheries like Maldon and Brixham, is also a highlight.

The Maritime Mile reveals some of its fascinating industrial history at our final stop: Enderby House. Built in 1830 by the Enderby brothers, also responsible for the adjoining Enderby's Wharf, it was acquired in 1857 by Glass, Elliot & Co, who built the cable for the first Transatlantic telegraph here. Beautifully restored, it’s now a delightful, light-filled pub with plenty of historical artefacts on display, superbly renovated rooms, modern riverfront terraces and an exceptional kitchen serving British seafood like Devon crab and Cornish mussels.