The Tattershall Castle

Beautiful ship docked on the Thames river in London. Good music, drinks and good «English» food, of course, fish and chips.

It’s a ye olde British pub… on a boat!
When we first got on board, there was a moment where I stupidly wondered whether the floor was moving or if it was just me. In hindsight, of course the floor is moving… but I just didn’t believe that it was a real boat and a real bar. But it totally is.
We headed below deck (check me out with my boat vocab!) and entered a very traditional pub. Wildly patterned carpet, dark wood furniture, panelled walls. The whole lot. It’s pretty surreal. The views though, are out of this world. The whole of the Southbank and London Eye over a stretch of gently moving water… bliss.
We ordered drinks, sat down and had a chat. After one — I repeat, ONE — drink, we stood up to head on deck and felt absolutely hammered. The combination of alcohol and a gently swaying boat leaves you unable to walk in a straight line so you’re crawling along the walls and trying to stare at your feet to keep track of everything. Hilarious!
The reason I’m not giving this place a full five stars is the price. For three Moat ciders and a pint of Heineken it came to £28. Ridiculous. Talk about boat tax or what.
Nevertheless, it’s well worth a visit, even for just the one. Perfect summer hideaway!

Great views of the River Thames and perfect outdoor seating for a sunny day. Standard pub food, priced in for the area and location. But you don’t come here for the food. Or the drinks. So the premium is expected.

Party on Wayne! Party on Garth! Originally we came to sit on the outside but it closed. So we went to the downstairs bar but it was closed. So came into the disco. We’re not much of partiers in our geriatrics, but wanted a cold brew. So we sat at the edge and felt a good vibe and super good music! They even played pump up the jam by tecnotronics.
A+ london gets down

DRINK. ENJOY THE VIEW. DON’T EAT.
After a day of exploring, we came upon this old moored boat on the Thames that has an amazing view of the London Eye, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament, among other things.
ATMOSPHERE: We sat outside on the upper deck, which was lovely as the weather was a bit breezy, but sunny. Folks seemed local. The boat rocks a bit, so if you get seasick, this might be a deterrent for you.
DRINKS: We eat had a Guinness. It was great.
FOOD: We just wanted a snack, so we split the Prime Beef Burger. It was terrible. Even my human garbage disposal husband didn’t like it. Now, that’s saying something. It was served with flavorless skinny fries.
PRICE: About £24 all in.

We booked a table here for Bank Holiday Monday drinks after hearing about the recent refurb. In truth, I struggled to imagine what the boat looked like before it was done up because other than the toilets being pretty damn clean (a real feat for a bar in Central over any weekend) there was nothing about the interior or the exterior that was notable.
There are certainly plenty of waiting staff on board and they all seemed pleasant enough but getting served wasn’t easy. After being seated, we flagged down various waiters and were finally allowed to order food after three knock backs and a 45 minute wait. Apparently, it had already been far too busy in the kitchen — hard to believe when there were still empty tables and the restaurant itself was only 2 hours or so into it’s 9 hour serving period. The food itself was fine but ordering drinks was a tad tricky. After ordering a dark rum, the waitress — who was lovely but seemed to have limited English — struggled to recall which rums they stocked and offered «pussy». Queue agog expressions from my table as the waitress blushed to death in front of us.
On several occasions, drink orders were accidentally duplicated causing much confusion for the waiting staff — this also happened with my friend’s request for ketchup which left the second waitress staring at us with an expression that translated to «BUT NOW YOU HAVE TOO MUCH KETCHUP!!!».
Despite being dodgy, the service came with a smile. We were in good spirits and the weather was mild so no major harm done. Although I do wonder how things got so complicated considering it was relatively quiet on board. I’m not sure I’d have found the whole thing quite so charming if it has been genuinely busy.
The real downside of this place is that it lacks atmosphere, which is a shame considering it has rather splendid views of Westminster and London Eye. They are in dire need of a decent sound system to knock out some tunes, or maybe even an old Sean Connery-​alike with a pack of cards or pulling a rabbit out of a top hat.
I probably wouldn’t go again, unless I could take my own sandwiches.

Great food, beer, and view of the London Eye… what more can first time visitor to London ask for!!! We stopped here after spending most of the day walking around the city. We found a table outside on the deck and sat there and looked over the menu. You have to order downstairs at the bar and you give them your table number and they come bring you the food.
The bartenders were very helpful and patient with all my questions. I wanted to go all British, so I went with fish and chips and mushy peas and an English beer. When the food came it looked great and tasted even better. The fish was fried perfectly… crispy outside and tasty inside. The mushy peas even tasted really good.
The atmosphere of this place is great. It’s right on the river and there is a great view of the London Eye. It was a nice day out, so it felt great sitting outside and enjoying the sites. The boat sometimes rocks which can sometimes be a bit much, but it wasn’t too bad and we got used to it pretty quickly.

Just happened along this bar after walking around the water’s edge with a co-​worker on the last evening of a business trip. We were looking for a cab or a pub, whichever came first (the cab would be for getting to a pub, as finding a place to grab a drink didn’t seem promising). I really wanted a beer and this boat-​bar was like a mirage in the desert.
First, I think I am far too accustomed to local brews in the US. There was nothing interesting on tap at this floating bar. Fortunately, the view more than made up for the shit beer. Ok, kind of made up for it. At first glance, I thought this was a major tourist joint, but everyone around me seemed to be local. I’m not really sure what this place is, but I do know one thing: the gentle rocking from the Thames makes you feel drunk on your first sip.

Its an average pub on a fairly run down boat — don’t get me wrong when the sun is shining and you fancy something different than the local beer garden head on down but don’t expect anything outstanding. Average central London prices, get ready to depart with £5+ for most drinks available. Fairly grim toilet facilities. All in all good if you want the Thames breeze — if not head back inland.

To me the Tattershall Castle is somewhat of an anomaly when it comes to bars in London, one in that it’s actually a moored boat and two that it doesn’t seem to really know what it is. Neither of those qualities are faults in my eyes, it’s the tings it should do well that it doesn’t that lets it down ever so slightly.
When I say it doesn’t know what it is I mean that it’s about 5 things in 1. It has about ¾ different bars, there’s a comedy club downstairs that does good shows on a Friday evening that then turns into the 3 a. m close nightclub (which I haven’t been to but by all accounts would not be to my tastes). Along with the BBQ shack in the summer, which is just burger and chips in reality, the place really is a mixed bag and does cater to all, which I applaud it for.
So what’s the catch? Well the pints for one are awful, this may well be due to attempting to house a keg room on a boat which can’t have been a simple logistical feat. Never the less it does not make for producing good tasting pints and selection itself isn’t overly impressive.
Dare I say (and hating to sound like a snob) but it has the dreaded tourist/​stag-​night aura about it which is a major turn-​off but does make for a good spot for a group get together if your into that atmosphere.
Price wise you’re paying what you’d expect to have the privilege of a cracking view of the Eye and Big Ben from the river, but as I said sadly the quality doesn’t match the price — stick to the bottles.
My advice is use it as a meeting point for after work drinks when
the weather is good on occasion but move on once everyone has had their one or two. If you’re going for the comedy night (which I recommend) then that’s a different story, but I wouldn’t be arriving too early.

Beer on a boat is quite a nice novelty. The Tattershall castle seems to be one of those places people come to when they first move to London but then not so much. Most of us had stories of coming here once or twice way back.
Kozel is better than a lot of lagers… you do pay a bit more for location here though!

Pricey pub on a boat. Benefits are the novelty of being on the boat and the great views up and down the Thames. In warm weather it gets very busy and so getting served takes a while. Despite being moored it moves around a fair bit so avoid if you get seasick.

Normally those who haven’t heard of this floating bar spend some time perplexed beforehand.
«Have you been to the Tattershall Castle?»
«No. Where is it?»
«Opposite the London Eye.»
«I didn’t know there was a castle opposite the London Eye.»
«It’s not a castle, it’s a boat. That’s a pub.»
«A boat? So it sails up and down the Thames?»
«No, it stays in one place.»
«…Are you making this up?»
A surprising number of my conversations go like this. However, once you discover it, the confusion will clear and you’ll keep coming back again and again. In summer, the outside area is great — there’s a couple of bars at either end of the boat upstairs and plenty of seating (although it does get very busy). Inside is cosy, and still offers a very decent view of the Eye and the river. I’ve never seen the comedy here but I hear great things.
If it wasn’t a boat on the river, the pub itself would be pretty bog standard — good food, normal selection of drinks, average prices for Central London. However, it doesn’t seem to be particularly well known to tourists, so that’s perhaps another bonus compared to the rest of the pubs around here.
It’s novelty, has a large outdoor area, and a great view. If you can handle a tiny amount of rocking whilst onboard, go ahead and try it out!

Bar/​Restaurant sur une péniche. Un peu deçu par le bar en haut (on dit sur le pont il me semble?) qui avait très peu de choix de soft.
En revanche la partie restaurant en bas (cale du bateau?) était sympathique. Il y avait peu de monde c’était donc très calme et nous avons mangé face à la tamise avec vu sur le london eye.
La nourriture était vraiment très bonne. Le meilleur fish and chips de ce voyage londonien.
Les tarifs sont un peu élevés par contre mais bon on paye la qualité des plats et de l’environnement donc je conseille fortement.

This is one of the most unique places to drink in London. Belying its name, the Tattershall Castle is a boat moored on the Thames
There’s a bar on the open deck and what a view you have! Moored between Westminster and Hungerford bridges, you get a grand view of the London Eye, Old County Hall, the houses of parliament and Big Ben, the backs of various Whitehall departments and a little of the South Bank centre peeking over Hungerford Bridge and the Jubilee bridge
Drink prices are high but I suppose quite a lot of it is for that spectacular view. There are only limited bar snacks to nibble on, so I suggest stopping here for a drink to impress the date/​family/​friends before heading off to surrounding areas like Chinatown or Soho for a better meal

Wow! I had an unexpectedly good time on this boat. I embarked on my first voyage here for a friend’s casual birthday drinks. Other reviews say wait until it gets warmer to visit. I don’t agree, as although it is a boat, 80% of the floor space is inside. The main interior deck facing a gorgeous view of the Southbank is pretty darn good for Londoners as well as newbies to London. Regarding reviews that mention the annoying after work crowd: agreed, and suggest people go after 18.30 or so, to avoid that crowd and enjoy what this venue has to offer.
Recommended for a casual group drink or an early date (i., e, someone you are just starting out with). I liked the fact you could feel the boat move now and again. Overall: Very nice staff, ok prices, decent food and spectacular views means I’ll be back.

*I’m reviewing for the Comedy nights, rather than just the bar… as the best thing about this boat is the giggles!!*
I love the boat show! I’ve been a few times, and the comedians have always been fantastic! You need to let them know you’re coming in advance, especially if you want to join them at the weekend. The staff are all complete sweeties… they even gave me a free glass of bubbles last night to celebrate my birthday! (^^)
Food wise: If you’re a lightweight, remember to eat before you get there at the weekend! They only have crisps at the bar, and drinking on an empty tummy in a rocking boat can make you feel tipsy very quickly! However if you don’t mind comedy on a school night, there were some awesome cheese or meat platters on offer on Mondays.
**Oooh plus, if you sign up for their mailing list, you get free chocolate. If you have already signed up, but smile sweetly, they might even give you chocolate anyway — Yay!
Find out more here:

The nice bit: It’s on a boat. With brilliant views of the Thames.
The down side? Expensive, the location means that it’s full of wankers, it’s almost all outdoors so you’ll be in the waft of smoke from every wanker smoking– and the wind eddies pass round and round which make it seem like you’re getting smoke from all sides. It is BLOODY EXPENSIVE and they’ve only Guinness in the ale department — which is not all that well-​kept. It is, indeed, one of London’s lamented Vertical Drinking Establishment, where you stand and drink, and drink faster ‘cos you’re standing.
Don’t come if it’s crowded. Or raining. Or cold. Or windy.
So, umm… maybe just don’t come.

Amarré en face de London Eye, ce bateau vous offre son pont pour un verre, bières et cocktails. Plus un peu de restauration aux heures de repas. Sympa, détendu, pause très agréable

You know you’ve been too long at the Tattershall’s Castle when the little foot bridge leading there from the street has the same slope coming and going ;-)
Even though this place is rather touristy –obviously due to its location just opposite the London Eye– it is one of my all-​time-​favourites in London. No visit to that glorious city without at least a quick pint here! In the afternoon I’ll have it on deck in the sun (in my memory it actually never rained!) with amazing views over the Themse and all those famous adjacent buildings. In the evening it is as nice inside with a constant feeling of being at sea. Next to the full menu of a «normal» pub they also mix rather delicious cocktails. Big thankyou for serving my beloved Snakebite Black!
See you later!

It’s hard to get a better view than a bar on a BOAT! Or, more likely a boat that is an entire BAR! Either way, it rocks… um, literally. Right across the London eye and near Embankment and Westminister tube it’s a perfect location to have a Sunday Funday. Or any day, if you’re a student looking to procrastinate.
Went here twice in one weekend (a very sunny weekend, I might add), enjoyed some delicious Sol, met some great people and had too many bottles of wine (here, the rocking doesn’t help your balance at all).

Pretty good drinking place, well positioned for Whitehall and a great place to go for a few drinks after work on a sunny day in summer.
There are two bars on the top deck (open in nice weather) with plenty of tables and seating, and a couple of bars on the lower levels. Regular London prices can be found here with around £3.40 for a pint of Guinness.