The Pepys in City of London, Westminster

Had a lovely night celebrating my son’s 21st birthday here. Food, drinks, atmosphere & views were all great. However, what really made this night a wonderful occasion was the warm friendly service by Tara who really made us all feel special. Many thanks, we will definitely be back.

I really like the ambiance and location, with a cute balcony overlooking the river. That is about where the liking stops, I'm afraid. I went yesterday with group of colleagues. Service quite slow and quite non-descript. I ordered a 'sour dough' pizza margarita. What I got was a supermarket basic cheese and tomato pizza (the kind that you give children for their tea), with a few cherry tomatoes sliced on top. It wasn't even properly cooked! My colleagues who ordered pizzas were equally disappointed. The fish and chips looked good.

🚇 Cannon Street 🍺 £6.30 Spitfire Lager The Samuel Pepys is located just off Upper Thames Street on Stew Lane next to Queenhithe Dock on the banks of the Thames in the City of London. The pub is situated in a 19th-century former Thameside tea warehouse which was transformed into a pub in the 1970’s. When visiting the pub, be sure to check out the Queenhithe Mosaic and Queenhithe Dock, the only remaining Anglo Saxon dock in the world. This is a one bar pub that is traditionally decorated with a modern stylish feel. The main bar area is long and fairly spacious with the servery stretching down the right hand side. At the end of the bar is a low level seating area with windows looking out over the Thames. At the back of the main bar is a comfortable dining area. The star of the show is the balcony with views across the river to Shakespeare’s Globe and the Tate Modern. The decor consists of wooden floorboards, full-height windows,, mixed seating, exposed brickwork, an impressive staircase and a shuffleboard. This @shepherdneame pub has a good selection of beers that included, familiar favourites, brewery brews that included three cask ales. I decided on a Spitfire Lager, my pint was excellent, price point was a smidge above average. The food menu consists of classic pub dishes, Fish & Chips costs £17.95. We arrived around 2.30pm on a drizzly Thursday afternoon in February. I was with fellow pub enthusiast @pintandanotherone having a couple of beers and a catch up. The pub was fairly busy with a post work punters and a few tourists. The atmosphere was convivial and relaxing with a welcoming feel. The service was first class, we were served by a warm and friendly member of the team who was lovely natured. This pub was a great find, it felt like you were away from all the hustle and bustle of the City, in a place that those who know, know. The beer was great, the surroundings comfortable, the service was superb and the views across the river were the icing on the cake. Loved it here, next time you’re in the city, make sure you pay a visit to the @samuelpepyslondon 📅 20th February 2025 More London Pub info @londonpubmap 🍻

Very quiet when we visited and we were surprised when they closed at 6pm

Lovely pub right on the banks of the Thames with a lovely view of the shard. Great ambience, I throughly enjoyed my visit.

Even Samuel Pepys—famous for chronicling disasters—would have struggled to put this fiasco into words. Though, given his love of good food and drink, I imagine he’d have slammed shut his diary in disgust and marched off to find a proper meal—probably with a much quicker service, even in the 1600s. We had a perfectly planned day out with family visiting, but this place clearly had a different vision: one where we spent most of it waiting, wondering if we’d ever eat again. My partner had been before and recommended it—he’s now questioning all of his life choices. Let’s start with the service, or rather, the complete lack of it. There was one girl behind the bar who seemed to be operating in a parallel universe where time moves at half-speed and customer service is just a vague concept. She took orders with the enthusiasm of someone reading tax legislation, then disappeared at random intervals, presumably to reflect on how little she cared. It took 15 minutes just to get a round of drinks, which is impressive considering the bar wasn’t exactly bustling—unless you count the growing queue of confused, thirsty customers. Now, the food. Oh, the food. We waited an hour for the first dish to appear, and another 20 minutes for the rest to trickle out, making this less of a meal and more of an endurance challenge. By this point, we were starving and already running late for our plans, but at least we got to experience the fascinating spectacle of a wedding party working out how to use the coffee machine because a staff member—one of the two people who appeared to be on shift—handed them a 2-litre bottle of milk to do it themselves. When they asked if there was anything to froth it with, he simply shrugged and walked off. Inspirational leadership. When our food finally arrived, the fish and chips were so undercooked that I considered releasing them back into the Thames. Not wanting to risk food poisoning as an added bonus to our already ruined day, we asked for a refund—only to find we were in good company. A queue had formed at the bar, full of people asking for their money back, wondering where their food was, or just looking for someone—anyone—who might care. One poor kid had even fallen asleep waiting for his meal, which really says it all. The one person vaguely acting as a manager was desperately issuing refunds and apologies, he was fighting a losing battle and I did feel sorry for him. But if he was the manager. Why was he taking bookings with no staff and a wedding on. Those poor wedding guest! With no time left to go anywhere else, we ended up grabbing an emergency sandwich from Pret instead—because that’s exactly the kind of special meal you hope to share with visiting family. A word of advice to management: maybe consider hiring more than two people, training them in the revolutionary concept of doing their job, and possibly avoiding situations where customers have to make their own drinks. As for the bar staff member? If there’s an award for “most disinterested person to ever work in hospitality,” she’s got it in the bag. The only redeeming feature? The view. But since you can’t eat scenery, I wouldn’t risk coming back unless they start offering actual service.

I had a wonderful experience here at Samuel Pepys, thanks to our amazing waiter, Aaron.It was very busy with a christening and he still gave great customer service always smiling and made the event 10 x better gave us a great laugh as well as amazing service. Was very helpful and polite with everything and didnt make anyone feel rushed even with the large party of prople whilst getting our drinks and food out in good time

Rude bar staff, slow poor service, food came out all at different times with large gaps in between and the food was barely edible, chip that were burnt on the outside, raw in the middle, scotch egg was missing the yolk from one half. Not apologetic at all. All round awful service, would avoid at all costs.

Nice place and very good food, BUT so disorganized and the service is very bad: too much waiting time…

Un momento muy agradable. Cuatro de nosotros pasamos unas dos horas y media aquí. llegamos alrededor de las 7. 45 - estaba lleno y estábamos a punto de irnos, pero uno de los empleados, Tara, hizo una consulta y nos llamó, ya que estaba saliendo una mesa libre que había encontrado al preguntar. Teníamos una mesa preciosa con vistas al río. Tanto ella como su colega Ahktar eran encantadores - gente agradable. Hice la noche. Cervezas bastante estándar pero muy decente variedad de vino. La comida era buena, bien hecha, sabrosa, comida honesta del pub. Buena relación calidad-precio. Suelos de madera. Es más fácil escucharse mientras la noche pasaba. Definitivamente volvería.

Good place, quite cosy, although off the beaten track.

Thank you to Rebecca and the team at The Samuel Pepys who hosted a wonderful Christmas dinner for our orchestra group! They accommodated various allergies and changes on the day which we greatly appreciated. The food was delicious and venue has great views over the Thames. We will definitely be back! Thanks again and happy new year. Emma & the City Showtunes Orchestra

We cannot thank Samuel Pepys enough for making our wedding day the most magical and unforgettable experience. From start to finish, the team went above and beyond, exceeding every expectation we had. The staff were incredibly polite, professional, and genuinely caring – nothing was ever too much trouble, and they made us feel so special throughout the entire day. The venue itself was absolutely perfect, with a stunning atmosphere that created the ideal setting for our celebration. Every detail was taken care of with such precision, and the team worked tirelessly to ensure everything ran smoothly, allowing us to truly relax and enjoy every moment. Thanks to Samuel Pepys, we have the most incredible memories that we will cherish forever. This venue will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we cannot recommend it highly enough for anyone planning their special day. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! With love, Rosie and Ben

Este es un bar inteligente, espacioso ( en los años 70 era un pub ) , gran ubicación y un montón de asientos. El personal es generalmente servicial y amable. Es generalmente cómodo y no demasiado ocupado a la hora del almuerzo (frecuentado por mangueras que saben o aquellos que han investigado en lugar de pasar el comercio debido a su ubicación. Sin embargo, he descubierto que la fiabilidad del menú puede llevarte a una elección de Hobson & tener que conformarte con aperitivos de bar (huevo escocés o una pizza tibia ) en lugar de un almuerzo adecuado que aparece en su menú. Esto es particularmente molesto cuando un grupo grande reserva para el almuerzo y resulta ser un día de promoción para la cervecería. Para añadir insulto a la lesión, no todos los barriles estaban disponibles, ya que habían tenido unos días ocupados y la cerveza no se había establecido - ¿no es esto parte de estar preparado como publicista, especialmente cuando tienes un día de promoción?

Loved it, great location and friendly staff. I will be back when back in London.

The pub with the best views of the river. Friendly staff, good beer.

Amazing views of london from this pub. Couple of mistakes with the food order but food was very nice.

Cosy pub with great views over the Thames

Nice pub with reasonable prices. Great views. Pretty kid friendly, even at 1900h on a Monday. Very much enjoyed the shuffleboard.

Where do I even begin? We were lucky enough to hold and share our wedding reception with Dave, Toby and the Samuel Pepys team and it was THE most amazing day. I will be forever grateful to the team for making it such a relaxed and utterly fabulous day. 6 months on and our guests are still raving about it as one of the best wedding receptions they’ve been to and it really was! As a venue Samuel Pepys is an absolute hidden gem, tucked away down a Harry Potteresque alleyway - it’s such a stunning venue. A wonderful space, spacious, light with a gorgeous balcony overlooking the Thames, stunning views of London and exceptional value for money. I’d looked at other options in the area and it was a ridiculous amount of money, with only shared or sectioned off spaces but you get the entire venue to yourselves at Samuel Pepys and the teams attention to detail and constant help and support throughout the wedding planning made for such a stress free, fun and perfect day. Caters for both sit down and buffet options, with gorgeous choices and variety. We had buffet lunch followed by the most amazing cheese boards and pizzas - the quality and quantities of the food was above and beyond and we had very happy guests able to take the additional pizzas all boxed up back to their hotels! Honestly can’t recommend enough and how lucky for us that we get to go back to celebrate our anniversary there from now on. Such a special and unique place with amazing food, staff and value for money. Easily one of the best choicest we made for our wedding and all credit and thanks go to Dave, Toby and the team!!! Exceptional from start to finish. We love you guys! 💕

Tucked away, hard to find and worth it

Lovely balcony to watch the mudlarkers

Nice and close to the river with great views. Staff friendly. Service a bit slow but never messed up the order in the private section

Went to a private party. Food selection was amazing and really well presented. Super sandwiches made with doorstep sliced bread, generous fillings, lots of other things like sausages, chips, savoury bites. Staff really good too.

Waiting half an hour for a sourdough sausage roll with chips. 🤔😧 I was so hungry Was told everyone waits least 20mins. Got a free shandy while I was waiting. I worked in that field before, I can serve 100 people with full breakfast in half an HR by myself. Should never wait that long. 1st time there. Not eating and waiting that long again 😔 Tiny balcony about a foot to step out And about 8ft long Not bad view. Chef needs to pull his finger out and make sandwiches in speed. Thanks for free shandy and I ate most of it.

The nite experience is so calming and inviting. And the staff are very endearing.

We had a team dinner here. There were 24 of us. We pre-ordered our food. They were short on servers but you would not have known it. They were absolutely brilliant and it all went smoothly. Everyone received exactly what they ordered and it all came out of the kitchen quickly. Food was good too! Highly recommend.

Relaxed and calm vibe, with great views of the river Thames.

We came here for a networking group social event and it was fantastic! The service was incredible and the atmosphere was perfect. Such a great place.

Great pub with wonderful waterfront views. The steak sandwich was divine, and the outdoor Thames seating could not be beat. Highly recommend

Nice pub on the north bank of London in a small alley. Nice experience.

If you are lucky enough to get a seat on the outside balcony then you are in for a treat as the views are awesome. It would be great if they could find a way to extend the balcony as it is very small so space is at a premium. Nice pub overall. Would happily return

I really enjoyed my impromptu visit, with a glass of wine on the balcony looking across to the south side of the river. The pub has obviously had a modern refit, which isn't always a good thing, but this one is very classy and appealing inside. Good selection of drinks with three nice ones on cask. One to look out for if you're enjoying a walk on the north side river path.

There are plenty of pubs in this area of the City, but my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our meals at The Samuel Pepys. It’s tucked away on Stew Ln off of South Thames Rd, so it takes a bit of effort to find. The ambiance is casual and welcoming, and because it was the late afternoon before many of the workers in the area descended on the pubs, it was very quiet and relaxed. My wife had a chicken and bacon sandwich which she said was "perfect," and I had the haddock and chips, which were delicious. This is an excellent choice for food and drinks if you're in the area.

River views from the North bank of the Thames, looking across to Bankside and Tate Modern

Your classic pub, but with views of the Thames. Iconic location and views, and great history behind the name - but no sense of it being a tourist trap despite this. Food was standard pub fare, a number of your classic British dishes - fish & chips, steak & ale pie, ham egg & chips. No complaints on the food or booze. Service is the classic order-at-the-bar and all dishes arrive together (regardless of starter vs main). Very nice pub.

A cool pub with a magical view. The beer here was very good and the typical pub food served in sufficient portions.

Nice upstairs boozer on the banks of the Thames. Decent pint selection also.

Great place for a drink. Excellent ambience, with a great little deck. Great service. Didn’t eat anything.

This place is a slap in the face of common sense of hospitality people, worst service ever

Excellent beer and good fish and chips!

Very nice Pub on the river. Had a Shepherd Neames voucher for lunch

Fabulous central London pub right on the river. Great view across to The Tate. Friendly staff and great pub food at reasonable prices. Quiet in the mid afternoon and then the after work crowd turns up to create a wonderful atmosphere. Delighted to recommend and would certainly return.

Great place tucked away on the bank of the River Thames. Little outdoor area was great for a memorable meal.

Sehr nettes Pub mit toller Aussicht Essen war lecker es gab auch ansprechende vegane Speisen Desserts waren ebenfalls lecker Service an der Bar war nett

Lovely stop next door to our hotel. We arrived after 13 hrs of travel, needed a place to sip beer/cider and watch the water. Seating was a bit tight, as about half the tables were ‘reserved’, but we finally swooped on a couple seats at the balcony overlooking the river. Nice beer/liquor selection, loaded fries were delicious, pizza was so-so. Just the place to stop and wait for your soul to catch up with you.

Lovely food and atmosphere. Staff really nice too will be returning for more drinks soon

I just don’t get this place, why do people come here.

If you want to eat domething good with a perfect view on.the Thames, it is the place to be! Don't hesitate to ask the Haddock & chips!

The perfect location for a Saturday breakfast in Harlow. Food perfectly made. Excellent service. Always busy.

A fabulous pub. Hidden away but my 11 year old daughter found it and she loves it, especially the shuffleboard. Food was amazing too

A great pub tacked away with great views looking over the Thames

Really lovely pub with good atmosphere and great views of the Thames. Good selection of food and beer and great service.

Excellent view, prices to match :). If you want to enjoy a pint with the best view of the Thames, it is the right place.

Quick pint as part of a stroll roundabout. Nice place, friendly and efficient staff, pretty good pint.

Was very impressed with the views of the Thames here

Chill vibe, nice drinks right on the river

A lovely pub that is tucked away down an alley. It has a small outdoor area that overlooks the Thames river.

Nice bar, especially for the views across the Thames. Probably slightly quieter than many places, but sometimes that is what you want. Not cheap, but not overly expensive for the City. Food was nice, if rather pricey. There was a screen or two, but they were not on, so not sure if it is a venue for watching sport. Bar staff were friendly.

Very nice place with view on the Thames, food is good. Staff is helpful and kind.

Great pub with a wonderful view of the Thames.

Lovely location overlooking the Thames River. Polite and friendly service and good food

Went here for after work Christmas drinks! Thoroughly enjoyed it here. Got good beers and ale on tap!

I always love my visits to this pub. It's mostly a local/work crowd, very few tourists. We ordered messy cow loaded fries which were good.

Only had one drink, nice location with great views over the Thames to the globe and Tate, bathrooms all the way back down the stairs, but not a major.

For me, one of the best pubs in London.

Lovely food, great staff, great atmosphere

Very nice pub, not to crowded by the river.

Wir haben die neue Bestellmethode ausgetestet, direkt am Tisch mit der Tischnummer zu bestellen und gleich zu bezahlen. Die Bestellung und das Bezahlen hat gut geklappt, nur hatten wir nach 15 min noch keine Getränke. Ich bin dann an die Bar und hab nachgefragt. Man hatte den Bon nichtmal angeschaut. Ich hab dann die Getränke selber holen müssen. Leider hab ich über die App einen Tip gegeben, den ixh gerne wieder zurückgehabt hätte. Natürlich war das nicht möglich. Ich habe auch keine Entschuldigung bekommen. Sonst ist die Bar sehr in und sehr laut. Alle Cocktails werden genau abgemessen und mit einem Haufen Eis verwässert. Wir hatten einen Elderflower Spritz. Da war fast nichts zu schmecken. Also bitte nur Bier und Cider.

Das Essen war lecker und die Aussicht ist der Hammer

What a fantastic pub, oozing in history and atmosphere. Amazing location right next to the river with wonderful views, good food, good service ... and shuffle board!

Nice late lunch, although they didn't have my 1st menu choice available. Beer was good and they have a nice view of the Thames.

The interior is insanely stylish and beautiful!😊

A hidden gem with stunning views of the Thames. Excellent fish and chips.

A real gem a city bar that doesn't feel like one. Friendly staff, nice relaxed crowd and decent food

It's a great place! My only complaint is that the balcony is for smokers. Non smokers also like open spaces and nice views.

Absolutely great find. Free shuffle board and amazing balcony looking over the Thames

enjoyed a meal here before going to see a show x

A very nice addition to the Shepherd Neame stable of London pubs. The views from the windows are impressive with the Shard, Millennium Bridge and the Globe theatre in clear view. The food was excellent and the choice of beers was top notch. It is certainly one I would revisit

I am a member of the Shepherd Neame birthday club and this entitles you to a free main meal when you purchase a main meal. The voucher is issued around your birthday and is valid for 6 months, so I decided to treat my friend. The person who served me( he had a beard and I think he was the deputy manager) was so welcoming and made us feel right at home. My friend had chicken Caesar salad and I had steak pie and mash. Both dishes were delicious. Wonderful river setting and lovely ambience. Well worth a visit.

Went on a quiet Monday, played shuffle board most of the night. Staff friendly and drink prices not too bad for the city. Great views of the Thames as well.

Lovely pub. Very good club sandwich. Friendly bar staff. Will come again.

Amazing location, definitely a hidden gem worth visiting - Get the fish and chips (haddock) was superb!

Expensive drinks and not great beer on offer, but good atmosphere and great location with views of the river. Small but nice balcony

Great pub by the water! It’s almost a secret location! I had the nachos which were quite good. Also Grouse and coke.

Θαυμάσια pub στην απέναντι όχθη από το μουσείο Tate Modern με ωραία ατμόσφαιρα και θέα στον ποταμό Thames!

It's changed around a bit since my last visit nine years ago; I cycled passed the entrance twice because it's now on the Eastern side of the building! Disappointing selection on handpump, but three of my favourite Shepherd Neame beers available bottles (I already knew this as two of them are clearly visible in one of the website's pictures). Lunch was a sausage & onion baguette; excellent sausage, perfectly cooked in good quality bread accompanied by a decent portion of salad. And very reasonably priced to boot. Definitely worth the visit, won't leave it nine years 'till the next one 😁

Good pub. Tucked away, with a good view looking over the Themes to the south. Went on a company drink and food, both were excellent

Good lunch, and very quiet. Really good salad.

What a great pub. Great location. Well worth a visit and watch the world go by.

Fair prices and a great view of the shard. Perfect for a rainy or cold day.

Staff were friendly and helpful.

Best pizza ever, and sitting on the balcony watching Thames life with a pint is one of the most joyous things in life.

Lovely pub with great friendly staff. Son has been learning about Samuel Pepys and absolutely loved the theme pub

Lovely position overlooking the Thames with small balcony, food was good

Nice pub with nice little balcony looking over the river. However the staff were on the obnoxious side. They seemed unpleased that we were ordering food and drinks even though it was a quiet evening. I came with visiting family and we felt unwelcome.

Nice place with good views over the Thames. Although in an oldish warehouse, a little too done over for us I'm afraid. Food looked good and friendly staff.

Surprisingly big pub tucked away down a little alley by the river, you'd never know it was there! Really nice interior, obviously refurbished relatively recently. Staff were super helpful and friendly. The food was good too, wide range of bar snacks available that were all tasty.

Beautiful pub overlooking the River, food was lovely and staff friendly. Pizzas are massive.

I work just a four-minute walk away from this pub yet have never been until last week, and I fell in love with the place. It was raining and cold outside but the view of the Thames from inside the pub was still amazing. The place was almost empty (7 pm), maybe because there was a Tube strike? The staff were very nice and pleasant; they wait for you to make up your mind what to drink without making you feel that you are wasting their time. Food was lovely; they have the usual pub grub: fish and chips, burgers, pizza and some appetiser-type dishes such as onion rings, chicken wings. My favourite was their loaded chips: imagine french fries with nacho-type toppings. It was so delicious I ordered another one. It's a big place and I like the lighting (not dark). Drink prices are the same as other pubs, which I found surprising given that this is located by the river and has awesome river views. Food prices are reasonable (I would say even cheaper than other pubs in the City of London area). The loaded chips, for example, was less than £6. They accept table reservations, and it was a pleasant surprise to see our table with a pretty printout of our name (other pubs write your name on a white sheet of paper using a black marker); I found it a nice, welcoming touch. I will definitely come back to this pub, and probably not go anywhere else in the area.