The Woolpack

One of Bermondsey Street’s two opposing pubs, The Woolpack is firmly the boozers’ choice.

The Garrison is ok if a little 'quirky vintage shoppe with old birdcages and tatty mirrors', but when half the tables are set for dining and you’re asked if you’re ok as soon as you sit down, it’s quite a different vibe. They have rubbish beers too – but really, both of these pubs should be swimming in Kernel and Meantime. I think instead, both have Stella on draught.

But as well as a more laidback atmosphere, a big garden and original, stark tiling, The Woolpack do a decent line in pub grub. My mate and I had the burger and the steak respectively as we watched the parade of A-gays, City boys in civvies and in-the-know estate agents playing with their little mutts and lounging in the sun. 

The bacon cheeseburger (£11-ish) I didn’t try so can’t comment on too much, and this particular friend’s feedback is only ever a grunt somewhere between indifferent and mildly enthused, but it looked pretty good and wasn’t overcooked at all.

My steak (at about £15) was a great pub steak. A decent wedge of medium rare rib-eye resting on a massive pile of skin-on chips, which were excellent. And a massive pile of rocket to assuage the guilt, and then bring it back with generous parmesan shavings. I do prefer this modern, if predictable, evolution of the pub steak’s cursory salad and cremated tomato and mushrooms. It’d be £4-5 extra in many of the high-end, sides-happy venues too.

The steak was crowned with a slab of bone marrow butter, which while tasty (is there bad butter?), wasn’t hugely strong in the bone marrow flavour but perhaps that is being deliberately restrained for people’s tastes. It’s crazy in this Hawksmoor age, but I still think it freaks some people out.

In this area of fantastic eating options, I could see a lot of people foregoing The Woolpack for one of the establishments further down the street. But if croquetas and veal chops just won’t suffice and it’s a decent burger, steak or roast you’re after, with a bit of sun, a decent pint and some Gok Wan stalking, The Woolpack is the one.

Food – 7/10

Drink – 6/10

Service - 5/10

Value – 8/10

Tap water tales – 5/10 - pub so request your own, no expectation though

Staff Hotness – 7/10 (hip staff, flat out but still bit chatty amongst themselves if that winds you up)