For a first stay away from home since December 2019, advantage was taken of a bargain flexible rate at the London Docklands Travelodge in the Republic Estate near East India DLR station.
Faced with the option of a £10 charge to check in early at 12 noon instead of 3pm, a decision was made to save the fee and spend it on beer instead!
Travelling with luggage by train from Newbury, the nearest pub to the hotel featured in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide and close to a station was Pepper Saint Ontiod, near Crossharbour DLR station.
This Antic pub is situated on the north west edge of Millwall Outer Dock and is approached via Pepper Street and Glengall Bridge.
Si BRAPA Everitt describes Pepper Saint Ontiod as looking like a NHS walk-in centre, in his 11/9/2020 blog post which includes more photos. Si also thanks ‘a kind Twitter person called Mr Bravery’ for explaining the pub name - ‘they’ve made Street into Saint’ and Ontiod is ‘On The Isle Of Dogs’. Now you know!
Outside tables give good views of the dock and a row of three cranes. Some tables next to the railings are in the sun while others are shaded.
Looking into the pub, there were three handpumps on the bar but only two had pump clips and these were for beers from Antic Pub Company’s house brewery - Volden Pale and Volden Session Ale.
Thinking that there might only be time for one pint I ordered Volden Pale (4.6% ABV) which was served in a dimpled glass with a handle. This had a fresh tangy bitterness and was refreshing in the sunshine, especially after the journey by bus, train, tube and Docklands Light Railway.
It turned out that there was time for another pint and an opportunity to enjoy Volden’s Session Ale, a 3.8% ABV bitter which is excellent value at £3.30 pint.
On 20 April 2021, Volden had tweeted
London prices
Got you down?
Try our beer
To fix that frown
Volden Session. A mere £3.30 at @AnticPubs up and down London #threepintsatenner #CraftBeer
Inside the pub there are two levels with a variety of mirrors and a quirky collection of items on display to add character to the functional stairway that leads to the upstairs toilets.
The Canary Wharf BrewDog is located at 2 Churchill Place, at the east end of the main Canary Wharf commercial district and near a bridge over Bellmouth Channel which links North Dock and South Dock.
The outside seating area has windows on three sides and the roof was open on our visit. We were given a warm welcome and shown to a seat at our table. It was a relief not to be seated at the central long high table. Customers are encouraged to use an App to order drinks but it proved possible to order from a passing member of staff who was very helpful.
It was Mikkeller Showcase week and two thirds of a pint of the Mikkeller Henry Hops (4.1% ABV) was pale, hoppy and refreshing.
Sticking with relatively low alcohol beers, my choice of a guest beer from Swansea, a half pint of Beer Riff Finger Gunzzz IPA was pale and clear with some honey sweetness.
After dining at Franco Manca, a wander around Canary Wharf led to The Ledger Building, a Wetherspoon pub situated near the Museum of London Docklands. Unfortunately the Wetherspoon App only offered a choice of Doom Bar or Greene King IPA and we moved on with the intention of visiting The Henry Addington, a Nicholson’s pub on the north side of Middle Dock. However we found ourselves on the south side of Middle Dock and ended up catching a bus to Poplar instead.
The D8 bus passed The Pensioner in Bazely Street so we got off at All Saints Church and walked back to it past the churchyard and Mountague Place. The traditional Taylor Walker sign and glazed green tiles looked attractive in the light from the pub’s lamps. Taking a peek inside through the pub’s high windows showed that several tables were occupied and it was obvious from signs at the bar that an interesting range of keg craft beers are served here.
There would be opportunities for cask ale elsewhere tomorrow!
