Visit the Pilot Inn, North Greenwich

If you've ever visited the Millennium Dome in North Greenwich, you will probably be aware that there is not a lot else in the area except car parks and wasteland. If you look a little closer, though, here are some exceptions, particularly in the form of the David Beckham Football Academy, some new-build flats, and a grade II listed terrace of original houses with an excellent pub at one end.


This pub is the Pilot Inn. The terrace and the pub are the oldest remaining buildings on the Greenwich Peninsula and are a bit isolated but when you're inside the pub is a gem and it has a lovely little garden at the back which is a perfect spot for a summer afternoon (so keep this one in mind!).

Your author has only ever visited as he has friends who live nearby but it is a great stopping-off point if you're on a bike ride out that way and is also a perfect alternative to the Dome, which seems to pride itself on being home to every known chain-bar and restaurant.

The pub interior reflects a lot of the character of the area with nautical features and plenty of Charlton Athletic memorabilia on the walls. Whilst it's a genuinely local pub, with a weekly quiz and loyal regulars, you can also stay here if you are so inclined. For more information, have a look at the Time Out website, which pleasingly refers to the local area as 'tumbleweed town', at http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/reviews/13382.html.

_{^Picture from Flickr courtesy of Ewan Munro^}