The pubs along the river

Ever since moving to Putney, we’ve meant try out the pubs which are along the river, on the western side of Putney Bridge. With such beautiful weather this summer, we were hardly begging for opportunities, however we never seemed to make it down there. So on Sunday afternoon, Kristy and I finally decided to go down and check them out.

First up was the Star and Garter. On the upside, it’s a very cool, old looking building, which hides a very freshly done-up interior. They even have their own cheese room, and a massive wine list, which makes me suspect that they’re definitely aiming for an older crowd. Still, the sofa we sat on was extremely comfortable, and the overall atmosphere is very pleasant – a very easy place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

On the downside, they lose points for only having a few beers (three, maybe?) on tap. I decided to be bold and try Guinness for the first time; that’s a mistake that I’ll only make once!

Next, we skipped over to the Duke’s Head, which is clearly aiming for the more casual crowd. The pub is split over three levels, with a restaurant upstairs, the main pub on the middle level, and a basement bar down the bottom.

The real upside of this pub is it’s facing on to the river. There’s a handful of picnic tables at street level, and once they’re all taken, the guests just spill out all over the footpath. We were certainly in this category, and we enjoyed our perry whilst watching the funniest old puppy repeatedly fetch a stick from the river.

Both bars certainly have their charms, and each one would be great for different occasions. Overall though, we found their prices quite expensive, so I suspect that they’re really capitalising on their position. I’d be happy to pay either of them (for) another visit, but for my money, you just can’t beat the Jolly Gardeners!