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King's Arms, Waterloo
Our rating: 
User rating: 
(17 reviews)
User rating: (17 reviews)
FancyaPint?'s review...
We've had variable feedback on the King's Arms lately, which is disappointing given it's had a couple of awards from us over the years. To an extent, it's possibly been a victim of its own success, with complaints about crowds and slow service. However, it is still a decent local in quaintly picturesque Waterloo East - especially if you like industrial Victoriana. We're pretty sure we've seen the nearby blackened terraced houses in many a period drama and this pub just fits right in. The beer is pretty decent, with a good choice on the hand pumps and there's Thai food, should you need more solid sustenance. Weekdays finds a mix of office workers and a wide selection of locals and weekends you'll often find it filled with people meeting up for a night out in London.
User reviews
04 Dec 2012
Might be a bit generous with 5 pints, but still really like this pub and was surprised by other reviews.
Went there last week, first time in a year or so. Busy weekday, lots of office workers, quite a few having food which looked fine (I wasn't eating). Had a couple of good pints of Wadworth Swordfish, and then a nice touch from the staff - I wanted to try another of the beers and asked for the Adnams but the bar lady (who hadn't served me previously) somehow knew what I had been drinking and suggested that it might not follow on so well, and would I like to try some first? I did, and she was right, so went onto the TEA instead.
2 more pints and off home thinking I'll definitely be back.
Went there last week, first time in a year or so. Busy weekday, lots of office workers, quite a few having food which looked fine (I wasn't eating). Had a couple of good pints of Wadworth Swordfish, and then a nice touch from the staff - I wanted to try another of the beers and asked for the Adnams but the bar lady (who hadn't served me previously) somehow knew what I had been drinking and suggested that it might not follow on so well, and would I like to try some first? I did, and she was right, so went onto the TEA instead.
2 more pints and off home thinking I'll definitely be back.
17 Jul 2012
Finally, as well as Thai food during the week, this excellent pub is now serving Sunday Roasts on alternate weekends, all is now perfect, great ales, good range of lager & cider, Thai for a weekday & a nice roast in their gorgeous back room on a sunday. Sorted!
07 Oct 2011
Popped in the Kings Arms last night, new manager, new and exciting ales, very clean and tidy. It is a great little pub and well worth stopping by. Eight Real Ales on offer, all the ones I had were clear as a bell! Also 3-4 different ciders available...was spoilt for choice but very much recommend the New Zealand IPA
06 Oct 2011
The kings arms won the best free house London region in September 2011 and went on to the finals at the morning advertiser pub awards. They are now serving 8 ales everyday , ranging from dark star and wandle and junction , wainwright to banks . Don't understand all the comments about staff and beer as I live on roupell street and know the pub very well .follow the kings on twitter to see what's on the pumps @thekingarmsse1
08 Sep 2010
My husband and I used to love this pub - particularly for its Thai food, but it has been a few years since we've eaten here. And it couldn't have been further removed from how it used to be. We had some of the worst Thai food we have ever eaten. I ordered the sliced sirloin steak with lime chilli sauce on a bed of lettuce - after checking that it was lean meat. But it was so fatty and gristly I couldn't even cut some of it, and the sauce was like cheap jam. The waitress agreed the meat was very fatty and said it wasn't usually, so I ordered spicy Thai fish cakes instead. These were like thin slices of tasteless, deep-fried shoe leather and inedible. My husband had the Tiger Roar 'speciality' roast duck red curry. The meat was mostly fat and the sauce tasted like it had come out of a jar. No wonder there were so few diners - the place used to be packed and you'd be lucky to get a table. A real disappointment and a real shame!
13 Mar 2010
Was poured a really dodgy pint of Amstel. Fair enough, that happens. What normally doesn't is being refused a new drink in replacement. The only way would be to buy a new pint. It was the baldy guy who in another review was labelled with "poor service". am definitely of that opinion. What was a good pub is now awful. Not coming back.
07 Aug 2009
Where do these people all eat Thai at? This place serves terrible Thai food!! Its the Mr Wu of Thai food, and not cheap considering the artificial dyed bland commodity food they serve...
Good bar out front though!!
Good bar out front though!!
21 Jul 2009
I've been coming to the KA on and off for at least five years. Last night was a bit of a shock:
1) Haughty bar chappie with a shaven head who treated customers with terse [Gallic?] incivility and exuded angry 'I don't have to be here' vibes all evening.
2) Two out of four beers available and those not particularly well kept.
A pub can survive on surly service with wonderful beer; or average beer with great service. But both together are fatal.
I've never seen the guv'nor behind the bar. Is there one?
1) Haughty bar chappie with a shaven head who treated customers with terse [Gallic?] incivility and exuded angry 'I don't have to be here' vibes all evening.
2) Two out of four beers available and those not particularly well kept.
A pub can survive on surly service with wonderful beer; or average beer with great service. But both together are fatal.
I've never seen the guv'nor behind the bar. Is there one?
02 Apr 2009
What a disgrace. A pub that deserves so much better than its incredibly rude and superior staff. I will never go there again, and have to agree with many other comments here regarding how far the service has slipped. How can any business treat its customers with such contempt and expect to get away with it? A hateful experience.
30 Mar 2009
This pub used to be one of the best. I popped back a couple of weeks ago and was horrified to see how far it had slipped. Only one real ale on offer, and it was so bad (not off, just totally incapable of supporting any froth even with prompting) that I left most of it and moved on to lager (quite an exceptional thing for me to do). And, as others said, variable prices being charged. But, very good Thai food.
Sadly, the food won't be enough to lure me back there and I've switched loyalties for Waterloo-pub to the Fire Station.....
Sadly, the food won't be enough to lure me back there and I've switched loyalties for Waterloo-pub to the Fire Station.....
12 Nov 2008
This used to be easily my favourite pub in London. I'd go at least once a week for the great beer, friendly staff and thai food. Unfortunately a change in staff to the much ruder variety (notably the guy with the shaved head) means I have with sadness had to look elsewhere for my commuting pint
10 Oct 2008
Great pub and setting, shame the bar staff charge variable prices for drinks!
Contact details
25 Roupell Street, Waterloo, London, SE1 8TB
020 7207 0784
Style of pub:
Events:
Comedy night
Cabaret Night
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How to get there
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Door-to-door journey planner
How to find the King's Arms pub
From Waterloo: Take the Waterloo Road exit, cross over and turn left. When you get to Alaska Street, turn right and at the junction, cross over and enter Roupell Street. The pub is just a few metres down on the right. From Southwark: Turn left out of the station into Blackfriars and take the first left into Meymott Street (it's a little way). Follow until it crosses Hatfields and cross into Roupell Street. The pub is about two minutes down on the left hand corner.
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History
04 Dec 12 Updated by kingstonlad
04 Dec 12 Updated by kingstonlad