Trafalgar Tavern Greenwich… history bursting from everywhere
BY BILL LACY
Motivated by a new year’s resolution to check out classic pubs, I headed to the famous Trafalgar Tavern on the riverside in Greenwich.
Greenwich has its fair share of good pubs, but the Trafalgar is undoubtedly the most magnificent.
Built in 1837 when Queen Victoria ascended the throne, it was restored to its Victorian glory in the 1960s.
It remains a large and resplendent Grade-II listed building, worth a visit to see the inside alone.
And splendid it is, with magnificent dining rooms and ornate ceilings.
A wedding was taking place – it is clearly a popular venue choice for nuptials.
A prominent statue of Nelson greets you on the way in.
The pub naturally has a nautical theme, with pictures and other little treasures all over the place.
There was a Nelson bust just above my seat.
The rooms are named for naval heroes from history – Nelson, Hawks, Duncan and the like.
History bursts from everywhere.
It made sense when I discovered that Dickens used this pub as the setting for the wedding breakfast in Our Mutual Friend.
Perhaps strangely, I was quite taken with the pictures in the gents toilets depicting old-fashioned pub names like The Muddled Man, Kemble Head and Shearer’s Arms.
The splendour is completed by the wonderful riverside views.
The downside is that it can get mobbed by tourists and can get very busy, even though it is a large pub. A not-so-secret pub.
As such it perhaps sometimes loses that personal touch and feels like a formal dining hall more than a pub.
Food is a big draw here and bookings are recommended.
A couple of unique ales were on, inspired by Nelsoniana, which I enjoyed beneath the winter sun, although bought more for the theme than the quality.
Even the walk back past the old Royal Naval College and the Cutty Sark was glorious.
Only a stone’s throw away from Greenwich town centre, it really is inexcusable to pass this by.
Trafalgar Tavern, Park Row, Greenwich, SE1
Picture: Trafalgar Tavern. Picture: Bill Lacy
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