The Dog & Bell

I love coming to the Dog and Bell for a crisp Murphy’s or Guinness. The pub is always busy but they have plenty of staff working so you don’t have to wait long to be served. There is ample seating inside and out so you can usually get somewhere to sit down. The pub is nicely decorated with a hearty fire so feels especially cosy on a winters evening. They have a bar billiards table which is rare in London and makes for a fun game!! 10/10 recommend here for a beer or for one of their many events.

🚇 Deptford 🍺 £7.00 Guinness Merry Christmas. 🎅🏻 The Dog & Bell is tucked away on a quiet side street close to the River Thames in Deptford, South East London. The nearest station is Deptford. With a history dating back to the 18th century, The Dog & Bell was long a watering hole for the Royal Navy and workers at the nearby Deptford shipyards. Known as The Royal Marine in the late 19th century—a nod to the barracks just down the road—the pub you see today was built around 1910. Its name reverted to The Dog & Bell in the late 1970s and, after a brief spell in the early 1980s as a bit of a villain’s pub, new owners changed its fortunes by inviting Morris dancers to perform, prompting the less savoury regulars to move on. Today, this is a traditional pub with two adjoining bars. The bar to the left has a good-sized servery, a comfy banquette, a bar billiards table and a Joanna. The bar to the right is split-level, with an inviting seating area featuring pews and a period fireplace. At the rear is a covered outdoor space with benches and heaters, with plenty of benches at the front as well. The decor is simply marvellous. I visited at this time of year as I wanted to check out the Christmas decorations and have to say, “Wow.” From Santa on his sleigh at the front to the foliage and fairy lights inside, it is definitely Christmastime at The Dog & Bell. There are also some lovely features throughout, such as the Celtic knot-work stained glass, the back-lit Murphy’s signage, beautiful woodwork and a proper pub carpet! The beer selection is excellent and offers a broad range of premium lagers, local brews, familiar favourites and cask ales. I decided on a Guinness; my pint was top drawer, price point was a tad high. Food-wise, it’s pub classics: fish and chips cost £16.50, breakfasts are available from 10am at weekends, and roasts are served on Sundays. We arrived at 10am as we wanted to check out the pub in all its glory and had a great chat and a pint with one of the guv’nors, who was an absolute gentleman. We finished our pints, visited several other fine Deptford establishments, and came back at 6pm. By then, the pub was packed to the rafters and buzzing. There was a brass band playing outside, which set a lovely Christmassy tone. The service was amazing, and the team on duty were warm and friendly. The pub hosts live music, trad Irish sessions, Jazz nights and a quiz on a Sunday. Is there such thing as the perfect pub, well The Dog & Bell could be it. I absolutely loved everything about the pub. The beer, the decor, the atmosphere and the amazing hospitality were all of the highest order. If you get a chance over Christmas to visit, it is most definitely worth it, if not you have something special to look forward to. Follow @the_dog_and_bell for updates. 📅 20th December 2025 If you want to see all my pub reviews in one place, head to @londonpubmap on Instagram or Facebook. 🍻

Busy Saturday night. First time in my life a bartender has spotted me waiting from the far side of a busy bar 😊 good prices, stunningly decorated pub, great live band, beautiful vibe and lovely crowd. Honestly one of the best pubs I've been to in London.

Fabulous cosy pub which iz situated off the beaten track. Friendly young crowd. Very charming and friendly bar staff. very busy for a Tuesday evening. The 🐶 & 🔔 is one of my favourite pubs in my area ( numero uno being THE ANGEL..just because of it's Thameside location ).

We went there for a beer. Friendly staff, great space outdoors and indoors. After a certain hour you can only be indoors but it’s very pleasant. We did not try the food but looking forward to go back to this place

Great pub in the east of London. I'd consider the area a bit sketchy if I was walking around at night, but it's nice during the day. Cool interior design and a great covered patio. Limited food menu, but the mac and cheese and toads in a hole were both good. Lots of drink options.

Great pub....massive amounts of atmosphere and character. Quick and good service at the bar. Really good Guinness or Stout, but loads of ales and lagers to choose from. Food is simple pub food..but done really well If you want an example of what makes a great pub...it's all here.

Finally found this hidden gem in Deptford. Great atmosphere, big selection of beers. 🍺 Nice outside seating and a back covered seating. Full of character. My partner said it’s one of the most amazing beer he has tasted. 👍. Need to check out weekend live music and food next time.

This pub is a diamond in the rough of the neighborhood of Deptford. Serving up a variety of beers on tap, I had one of the most satisfying frothy pints of Guinness of my life after a long chunnel ride into the city. My boyfriend and I split a plate of bangers of mash and it wasn't hard to see why it's an English favorite. Deliciously seared bangers (sausages for us Americans) served over the most creamy buttery mashed potatoes slathered in scaldingly hot gravy. The next day, after being so pleasantly surprised by how good the food was, we returned for dinner and ordered buffalo wings, a cheeseburger, and chilli con carne. All I have to say is I never knew pub food could taste so flavorful and refined. *Plus if you're a fan of drinking games/ boardgames this place seems to have it all.

After living in Greenwich and Blackheath for well over a decade, why had I not found this place earlier?! Five mins walk from Deptford train station. If the road you're going on feels a bit quiet (New King Street), keep on going! I went there 3 times in 7 days, so I think that makes it worth the 20 min bus journey. Small, nice & cosy Victorian pub, standing a bit marooned on a quiet street, but the place packs a punch inside with an amazing selection of different draft beers, darks beers and ciders. The stout I drank was so strong, it was only served in halves. I've not tried the famous bottle collection, it's on the list to do. A Friday evening and Saturday lunchtime felt nice and busy, but there were plenty of seats, and you could just as easy grab a newspaper and while away an hour. Very inviting place, it feels like you could watch the word go buy here. Definitely a place to go back to. This has to be a decent and well run place and this is a place worth supporting.

First time visit for Sunday lunchtime beers and food. Fabulous range of well kept ales and good value roast lunch, served by friendly landlord and staff. Nice and busy with a great atmosphere, looks well supported by locals. Highly recommended if you're in the area.

The Dog and Bell was my local pub for over a decade and I honestly struggle to find a bad thing to say about it. First off, the beer. You'd be hard pushed to find a greater collection of well-managed beers anywhere in South London, and the situation's not much better in North London either. The pub has a good Fullers selection but has three guest beers each week which showcase some of the best of British brewers. This is a proper pub, no jukebox, a TV that only comes on for serious sporting events and Charlie, the landlord, is a model of the craft. Locals love the place, and are accepting of newcomers. It has a traditional pub quiz on Sunday nights (warning - two professional quiz teams usually scoop the prizes). There's even a bar billiards table that is a joy to play. Add into the mix free Wi-Fi and a great Sunday roast lunch (and food during the rest of the week) and you have, in my opinion, the perfect pub.

This is a lovely old fashioned award winning proper pub serving an ever changing selection of beers (2 beers ran out while I was in the pub, I liked them and their replacements!). The pub has to be good to survive considering it is a decent distance off the main road. Just try and suppress that uneasy sensation that you are about to be mugged and quicken your pace a little on your way. You'll be fine. It's worth it.

A delightful pub with character, history and a friendly bartender. This is very much a local pub, off the beaten track. The TV was playing Pointless while I was there, and the bartender asked if it was too loud for us, but I said I enjoyed the show and we had a chat. They have such a great variety of real ales and guest beers. I tried a creamy stout called 'Cat's Whiskers' but ended up going for the Weston's cider, which was very refreshing after a long walk on a sunny day. I wish this pub were closer because I really enjoyed it but it's in a part of London I'm unlikely to get to very often. The location given on Yelp is accurate, so when you're wandering down a quiet residential street that appears to be going nowhere, don't despair, you're on the right track.

The dog and bell is quite unusual- you wouldn't actually knew that it existed, we almost went straight past! first impressions- very nice, quite traditional on the outside and inside. this turns out to be a continental type pub- by which i mean they stock a huge range of foreign beers (the raspberry beer is rather nice) The staff and customers a very friendly, and the atmosphere is quite chilled. the best time to visit is during the day, when you can get a proper feel for the place. We also noticed that they did food, unfortunately we have, as yet, not tried it. one day we will! all in all a suprisingl comfortable pub, with some very nice beers!

A great little find that you'd be forgiven for never knowing existed. Being tucked away in the back streets of a residential area in Deptford is not always the best way to be found but this place is a lovely find if you're prepared to make the effort. The staff were very friendly and soon set about helping me find the beer I was after. Myself and a friend whiled away a gentle Sunday afternoon sampling a few of the fine and varied selection of the foreign beers they have in their fridge. The lady behind the bar was kind enough to give us a bowl of grapes and cheese on the house to accompany our drinking. All in all a great little pub that warrants further investigation. Rumour has it that Jules Holland has been known to occasionally frequent this place.

One of the better pubs in SE London and certainbly one of my favourite. I've been drinking here, on and off since 1993, and have to say that the clientele are excellent, as are the Landlords, who always go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Probably the best pint within miles.

My friend and I ended up not even staying for a drink after such a rude encounter with the bartendress. Very disappointing as we walked far from the crowds to enjoy a real pub. Unless you are an elderly white man who knows the woman behind the bar by name ....you may want to enjoy a beer elsewhere

This was the first British pub I ever went to. When I walked in, everyone stared at me because it was a place for all old white British men to sit and talk and play pool/ billiards. I liked the vibe of the place though, and I tried several ales and lagers, and ultimately went with the London Ale, which was my first ale ever.

Great pub, lived near by for years and it's always been a friendly inviting place to sit and drink. Food is great, they really accommodate for any dietary needs.

For conviviality or simple relaxation & an excellent choice of well priced beer this place takes some beating.With considerate & non-imposing landlords & a good fun, yet competitive,Sunday night quiz.Definitely worth going out of your way for ! -jamie john

Best Sunday roast we've had here. Yummy! Should note that they do not take credit cards.

Cosy pub with several well-kept real ales on tap, and a wide selection of bottles as well. The food was not hugely exciting - traditional-ish pub fare of lasagne, sandwiches, stew - but tasty enough. There's interesting photography on the walls, and a bar billiards table.