The Pilot Inn
8 River Way, SE10 0BE
Greenwich Millennium Village is a strange place. Despite being the nearest you can get to the tube in this part of town, having the mammoth o2 on its doorstep and being a hefty residential stronghold, it somehow always feels like you’re in the middle of a computer-generated environment, miles from anywhere. The Pilot, GMV’s ‘local’, is much in keeping with its sim-city surroundings and despite being generally ok, it lacks a lot of the character that makes the town pubs successful.
Owned by uber-chain Fullers, the Pilot ticks most of the corporate pub boxes with a wide lager selection, Rosé in bulk and every flavour of j2o you could want. However, there’s a decided mediocrity about the place, with its uninspiring ale selection, forgettable décor and split-level interiors that make it disjointed and a little unwelcoming. The food is rather expensive (£10 for Scampi & Chips), and again, pretty middle of the road. The staff, apart from a standard issue try-hard manager, are a little on the gruff, robotic side – when I asked the barman if I could order food his reply was ‘Yeah why not?’, before taking a good 5 minutes to process my order for one meal. They also had a seafood specials promotion going on, but at 6pm on a Saturday they had crossed 5 out of 7 meals off the list, as they were unavailable.
Despite all this, the Pilot does have one saving grace in its spectacular beer garden. The water features, hanging baskets and ivy fences all look like they’ve been given the creative effort and thought that the rest of the place so conspicuously lacks and it’s a lovely place to sit with your Magners. There’s even a BBQ stand where they apparently cook sausages and burgers in the summer (assuming they have any left). Its only slight drawback is that it being north facing and fully enclosed, it does get rather chilly, but then this is Britain so perhaps I’m expecting too much!
All in all I think the Pilot is trying to be a country pub in a city spot and it’s this air of artifice and sterility that lets it down. It’s certainly not the most terrible pub you’ll ever go to and the garden is definitely worth a look, it’s just that it all left me feeling a bit cold. And not just because I forgot my jacket.
I think you are being overly harsh on GMV and the Pilot. GMV is a little like Hotel California, once yet come you never leave. Well maybe a slight over exaduration but its true. Some may say its “remote” but those that live and work there enjoy the tranquility of the area.
There is also the Ecology Park and Lake plus it location offers excellent transport links speeding you into town in around 10 minutes and theres the Clipper service too whisking you into Greenwich quickly and onto embankment if you so choose avoiding the traffic clogged roads around the village.
As for the pilot, I have found the food to be excellent whenever I have gone there and I enjoy the atmosphere. I can only suggest that Saturday at 6pm may not be the best time for food, however I have never found myself wanting and the price reflects the portion size.
If you are looking for value may I suggest a Mcdonalds happy meal at £1.99.
I disagree with Rosie’s review of this pub. I don’t live in GMV but often go out of my way to visit here. I think it has a lovely atmosphere inside, I like the various nooks and crannies, and the food has been superb on the two occasions I ate there. And there was no mention in this review of the pub’s infamous cheese board counter where you can select 5 or 10 cheeses to make up your cheeseboard! Staff have always been friendly too. This is one of my favourite pubs in Greenwich / Blackheath..
I think “value for money” and “cheap” are being confused. McDonalds isn’t good value, it’s cheap. There can’t be much argument that the best-part-of-a-tenner for “it’ll do” scampi and chips is over priced. Like the review said, great garden and I’ll add that the beer is good but the food is too expensive for the standard.
The PILOT is a loveley pub I worked there when Phil had it but it has always been overpriced
Anybody that uses this pub reguarly, or actually speaks to the bar staff about the fresh fish specials will know that they are fresh on the wednesday, and by saturday are almost always sold out….if not they wouldn’t be so fresh and delicious!
Visited this on Saturday as I refuse to pay the inflated prices at the Dome, was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed the food and drink. Not overly expensive, 2 pints of Pride gratefully received on a warm day and a nice meal to accompany it. Wife decided that we should visit the dome just before the War of The Worlds performance started and have a drink…what a mistake, £3.85 for a pint of Heineken which increased to £4.30 a pint of Becks when in the actual arena. Will also stop off at the Pilot now when next at an event in the Dome.
I could not disagree more with this review. Staff are pleasant and friendly. The cheeseboard is legend. The music they play is stuff that dates back to my yoof, and is a joy. Their Sunday meals are fab, and as such do run out as they are very popular. By the end of the bar is normally a plate of free canapes.
This place oozes character – this was the only building (as well as the line of houses to the side of it) that was saved when the Dome and the area around it was being developed and just gives a much needed contrast to the Millennium development.
As for the beer garden, it is quite a nice space but is not spectacular!
I’ve always enjoyed my trips to the Pilot, too – some of the staff have been there for years and can tell you some good tales; it’s an oasis of sanity in a peninsula that’s gone a bit mad.
Rosie I think you have got things totally wrong, when you say that the Pilot Inn is trying to be a country pub in a city spot, it is over 200 years old. It isn’t like they have just built the place and are trying to make it look old, it is old and historic. Also I love places that have lots of different nooks and crannies, it is called character…
I never had anything to eat, but the prices on the menu were standard London prices I suppose, I wouldn’t exactly call them overpriced, unless the food tastes crap. However the lager tasted good, I have one complaint, I had my first ever pint of Fullers Honey Dew and it is the most over rated drink I have ever had.
I also feel that you need to get out and visit some parks or something, because the beer garden at the Pilot isn’t anything special in my mind.
I completely disagree with the reviewer. I live in GMV and me and my housemates love it there! It’s great having the park, lake and river close by and is only a 10 minute walk to North Greenwich station which you will find is a pretty standard distance in a lot of areas in London. The walk is lovely through the park instead of a noisy, dirty, road clogged with traffic and is an enjoyable way to get home after a day of work.
The pilot itself has been there for over 200 years and therefore is not trying to be old, it is old! It is warm in winter and cool in summer and is always clean. The staff have always been friendly and welcoming to us or any of our friends who have visited. I have always enjoyed the food here and the prices are definitely cheaper than you will get a lot of place in London and the portion size is huge. The cheese board selection is wonderful and even free with selected bottles of red wine. And then there is the garden. I find it a tranquil setting to enjoy a glass or two, with the waterfall in the corner, the flowers all around and the green grass. It is nice to be in a “beer garden” that isn’t just another concrete jungle.
I have never found a pub (or beer garden for that matter) nicer than the Pilot. There is just no pleasing some people!
Fabulous city pub. Convenient to the Dome and Tube. Staff friendly, nice atmosphere. Free canapés are excellent. Just steer clear of the Sunday roast!
Packed mixed frozen vegetables with the roast dinner = poor show. Definitely would not recommend.