The Last Rounds Project - The Gate Clock Wetherspoons in Greenwich Review

The Gate Clock Wetherspoons in Greenwich Review Hot

Pub and Bar Reviews Greenwich

Editor's rating

3.1

out of 5

Reviewed by:

Chris
#1 Reviewer
Wednesday, 22 August 2007

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210 Creek Road, Greenwich, London, SE10 9RB

Editor review : The Gate Clock in Greenwich Review

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful


Overall rating		3.1
Pride		3.0
Gluttony		3.0
Sloth		2.0
Greed		5.0
Lust		2.0
Wrath		3.0
Envy		4.0

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Wetherspoons brings a much needed Cheap 'n Cheerful drinking spot to the generally overpriced area of Maritime Greenwich. Situated just outside the entrance of the Docklands Light Railway and just around the corner from the Cutty Sark, it's certainly in a good spot to attract business and attract business it does. The Gate Clock pulls in not only serious drinkers and tourists but also local students and residents of nearby places such as Deptford and Bermondsey. One curious thing about this is that each of these groups have their own separate areas.

The pub is spread over two floors, with a bar on each. The ground floor is almost always segmented into three sections.
-The "lads" and locals around the side entrance and bottom of the stairwell
-The old guys that spend their entire days in here in the middle area and around the downstairs bar (for easy access)
-The tourists, families, and people that have never been to the place before in the “dining” area.
The smaller upstairs area is mostly filled by Students from Greenwich University, with married couples in their midst.
This has been the general setup for a good while now, only recently changing to accommodate the new smoking regulations.

There’s a small semi-sheltered outdoor smoking area along Creek Road, but most of the smoking punters (mainly the downstairs bar clingers) seem to prefer staying inside for their drinking and popping out of the side entrance to huddle around for a quick smoke, often creating an obstacle which I would imagine puts many first-timers off navigating their way in.

The food is okay to Wetherspoons standards and the prices float at the lower end of the Wetherspoons price range. However, there always seem to be mixups of orders and a lack of vital ingredients in the kitchen resulting in the diner being offered their second or third choice rather than what they initially picked from the menu. Furthermore, the Wetherspoons promotions that frequently feature on the pub's windows and toilet walls are often not even available when you ask a member of staff about them.

The male toilets are fine and spacious with cubicles that look suspiciously gas chamberish. I have no first-hand experience on their female counterparts but hear it's not such a pleasant place to be (mainly due to overuse and a lack of space).

At weekends, the pub positively fills up. Without any music, the only sounds to be heard are those of chatter and laughter, giving the pub a kind of school dinner hall atmosphere, albeit a school dinner hall with a busy well-stocked bar. The only previous escape from the crowds would have been the consistently tame (downstairs) no smoking area, but since the new legislation came into place, so that small haven has been assimilated into the throbbing crowds.

Despite the lack of product knowledge that's displayed by the staff and the rudeness of the weekend doormen (which I won’t go into here), this is a Wetherspoons pub and does exactly what it says on the tin. There aren't any places I can think of in the Central Greenwich area that offer such a large range of drinks and food at such reasonable prices, and for that reason alone, it’s worth at least one visit.

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