All too often we hear of pubs shutting, so when we cycled past a new pub in Greenwich right on the River Thames I made a mental note to visit it at some point. That mental note got lost for a while, but recently one lunchtime by a quirk of coincidence I found myself at leaving drinks in the very same place I'd made a mental note of months before. And wow, what a place The Sail Loft in Greenwich is.
I couldn't help but take a few pictures, and try their lunch menu - although I was too busy eating, as usual, to photograph that! I knew when I walked in and saw the floor, it had potential.
The whole interior has an industrial style to it and some glorious wood too. It has that feel of being well put together and it'll be interesting to see how that develops as it ages. It was one of those places that everywhere you looked there was plenty more to see. And it looks a practical space too, just look those tables are on casters.
The concrete pillars were embraced with ironwork that wasn't only decorative but functional. It housed the lights and yes, they are coat hooks on the bottom of the light too.
It was also interesting to see how such a modern space was decorated for Christmas, and as I was coming to expect it was done with style. These glass orbs were subtle but totally in keeping with the space. There were more decorations - more on those in a bit - and the staff were in Christmas jumpers, but it wasn't overly decorated which worked here. And I bet there was a bit of "we've just decorated so you're not sticking that there" going on, which let's face it is real life in action isn't it? We still don't put things on our 2013-wallpapered walls.
The pub is right on the river so it has good views of the Thames, and there's a fantastic outside space, which no doubt will be well used in warmer weather, and perhaps the not-so-warm too as it's equipped with patio heaters. I've not seen people out there yet, but I expect it'll be hard to find a spot as the word gets out and the temperatures rise.
There's plenty more to discover in the Sail Loft, but as my lunch arrived - a Grilled Brie, Black Cab Stout & fig chutney, roasted cherry tomatoes, ciabatta sandwich arrived, there was much more important things to do. Lunch was good, the sweet potato fries excellent - I *might* have tasted one or two from a colleague, and the pumpkin and chilli soup looked good too.
Back at the bar I had a chance to take in more of the surroundings and decor and spot some more of their Christmas decorations. It'll be interesting to see how this pub adapts with the seasons as it definitely has the potential to become a special place in Greenwich.
I've already been back for an evening visit where we enjoyed a fantastic meal and a bottle of wine while in comfortable leather easy chairs watching the world go by. And I'm certain I'll be back, because there's a whole upstairs area to discover too. The toilets too are likely to feature in a future Loo Series, but I'll have to go back for that as those posts need pictures and I currently don't have any! Did you spot my cunning plan?