Goddards at Greenwich is a traditional pie & mash restaurant that opened in London, England in 1890. It was founded by Alfred Goddard. 'Pie and mash' is a traditional English meal that became popular in the 1800s. The pies are actually savory and filled with minced meat such as beef, chicken or lamb. The pies originated in the 1700s as eel pies. The Thames River was once heavily populated with eels. They would be spiced, stewed in stock, and placed in the pies as a filling. These pies were often sold as a street food. By the 1800s, the price of eels has gone up so the pie filling was replaced with minced meat. Several pie shops began to appear and served pies with 'mash' (mashed potatoes). Alfred Goddard successfully ran his pie shop in Deptford for several years before passing it on to his sons Robert and George in 1936. A second shop was opened in Greenwich in 1952 and each brother managed one of the two locations. The Goddard Family still runs the business today, although only the Greenwich location remains. In addition to the restaurant, they also opened a factory which produces and distributes savory pies around England. I visited Goddards in April 2019. My wife visited there when she studied abroad and wanted me to experience traditional English pies and mash for myself. We stopped there for lunch after visiting the Royal Museums of Greenwich. After looking over the menu, I decided to order the Traditional Minced Beef Pie with Mash and my wife had the Chicken and Mushroom Pie. She told me to get gravy on everything, but we noticed that the menu listed gravy and 'liquor' as dressings. We wondered what exactly this 'liquor' was; was it alcoholic? Two locals overheard us and explained that the 'liquor' wasn't actually alcohol but rather a parsley cream sauce. They also explained that this is the more traditional dressing, not gravy. We decided to take their word for it and order liquor. Although eels are no longer stuffed into the pies, they are still a popular side dish so I ordered some eels as well. Everything was delicious and we ordered some local hard ciders to wash it down. It was so cool to have a traditional English dining experience and we will definitely go back the next time we visit London! read more

See all

Interesting place... I think it is very local, but they seem to tolerate tourists! The menu is small, focused on meat pies and desserts. They do have some bottles of beer, but this is not a bar. The food was good, but honestly nothing special. read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Lamb meat pie - British Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Came to Greenwich on a boat tour. Hadn't had anything to eat all day and it was 430 so I was looking for some little snack. I wandered into Goddard's and oh my there aren't any little snacks. Even though the prices are incredibly reasonable - you can get a beef pie and mash for 6.9 pounds, they are not small. My dining companion got the lamb and rosemary pie with gravy and I got a sticky toffee pudding with custard. You walk up to the counter for service, and the team behind the counter whips up your food right then. People in the queue with me were advising me on my choices because you could get the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream or custard. They all recommended custard since obviously they could tell by the way I was acting, I've never had it before. The pie and mash come with either liquor or gravy and again people were advising us to try the gravy. We were not steered wrong. The lamb pie was excellent. I don't know how they keep these crusts from getting soggy because the pies are already made but somehow they do and it was really tasty. The sticky toffee pudding was a little sweet for me and actually I think I would've liked it better with ice cream. I think it might've cut the sweetness a little bit but all in all it was an excellent experience. The weight staff were helpful and efficient. So this place is not a white tablecloth place. It is just a little hole in the wall bar, but it was exactly what we were looking for. read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Sticky toffee pudding - British Near Me - London, XGL

Goddards is a traditional British Meat Pie and Mash spot, adjacent to the Greenwich Market. It's a cool old school place. Service was very good. The pies had good color and texture. Taste-wise, the food was pretty good. I would recommend the chili vinegar for the lamb pie. It definitely improved the flavor. In general, I thought the food would have benefited from more seasoning. 3.5 Stars for the food. 4 Stars overall. read more

See all

I had Goddard's at Greenwich on my list before going to London, and I'm glad we had that experience. Their menu is very straight forward, they offer different types of pot pies with mashed potatoes & gravy. My husband and I dined in here. I got the chicken pot pie and he got the traditional pie. Definitely one of the best pot pies I've had personally! Mashed potatoes were very basic but the gravy was good. It was pretty hearty portion of food. You order at the counter, pay, grab the food, and bring everything to your table. They have a decent amount of seating. It was busy at the time we went but we were able to get everything quickly and find a table. If you're in the area visiting the Maritime Museum or going to the Royal Observatory, I'd recommend making a lunch pit stop here! read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Chicken pot pie + mashed potatoes & gravy. - British Near Me - London, XGL

Great for a quick bite to eat. Meat pie tasted great! Service was very quick. Well worth a stop on the way to the observatory.

Very cozy spot with excellent & friendly counter service and lots of space to sit. We both had the beef pie - we should have changed it up a little. Really wanted to try eels, but I was too afraid of trying and not liking it and then===food waste. Would definitely come again. read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Steak n ale - British Near Me - London, XGL

Basically the most British experience you can have: Mince meat beef pies, mash and gravy, fun and welcoming staff, and an unfussy space in which to dine, Goddards is probably only tasty to the locals but the experience is an inexpensive peak into some local history. Food here isn't great. Like a lot of local cuisine the ingredients aren't top notch and seasoning is an unheard of mythical technique. The mince meat beef pies have an approach to the meat that is so mushy that it is borderline liquidy. The steak and ale pies are much better as the booze adds the very welcome aspect of flavor to the meal. But as an experience, it's pretty fun and a relatively cheap expense to check out some local life. Avoid the eels even if you're normally ok with them as they are beyond fishy. read more

Location: Very close to Greenwich Market, Greenwich Park, Cutty Sark, Maritime museum etc. Food: Hearty meat pie and mashed potatoes. Tasted good and wasn't pricey. Service: They prefer cash but will take a credit card no problem. This is a counter service restaurant so don't expect to be served. Prices are very reasonable. Ambiance: Tables are first come first served. I think I saw 3 eating areas. Main area, rear area beyond stairs and upper level. They have some bottled beers and ciders. read more

See all

If you want an authentic experience, checkout Goddard's at Greenwich. It's extremely busy, but the staff is efficient. I chose the gravy instead of the liquor. It was good, but after seeing other people's plates with the liquor, I had extreme FOMO. read more

Goddards at Greenwich - steak and ale pie - British Near Me - London, XGL

The ladies here serving you are the friendliest. You walk up to the counter and place your order. We got the double beef minced pie and mashed with the brown gravy. Seating is downstairs or upstairs (where the restrooms are). Very old decor. The beef pie was very runny with not a lot of flavor to it. The mashed were decent. The brown gravy was good. Prices are reasonable. read more

So when you walk up the line looks insane buts it moves and is quick serve. You take your tray and go upstairs where there in tons of seating. We got traditional pie and mash (one liquor and one gravy) liquor was good but probably would have liked gravy better. We also got the sticky toffee pudding with warm custard in too and it was stunning. Highly recommend for a dose of British warm comfort food. And very filming read more

See all

An old fashioned pie shop great pies and mash and easy on the wallet. I recommend the lamb and rosemary

Absolutely loved this place. I got lamb and rosemary pie and mash. Affordable price and delicious. They also have amazing AC, so it's such a refreshing stop on a hot day. Highly recommend. read more

First time having traditional "pie and mash" in London. I had chicken and mushroom pie with "liquor" sauce instead of the "gravy" option. It was outstanding! Comfort food at its best. read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Chicken and mushroom pie and mash with traditional liquor sauce - British Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Okay, so as I say this, please bare in mind I am American. The place was cute, not bad pricing, and a decent amount of space to find seating. I got the Original Pie and Mash from the menu with gravy and the Rhubarb Crumble. Personally, the Pie & Mash were just okay, but I'm used to a range of spices added usually. All in all, it was a plain. However, the Rhubarb Crumble was really good and can easily be split between 2-3 ppl like we did. Got the custard with it - again plain so I might opt for the ice cream (? I think it was). Service was polite and no issues. Food came out decently fast too. Again, I found the food plain BUT I think from my gatherings of being in London for about 3 weeks, British food tends to come across that way. So, it was worth 4 stars in British food terms if that makes sense (?) read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Rhubarb Crumble with custard - British Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Looks a little scary outside but great pies and amazing desserts as well. An authentic English pie shop that has best pies!

Had the meat pie, peas and mash. Really really good and filling. Thot the gravy was a bit bland but plenty enough to soak the pie. Nicely done! read more

A great spot lunch after exploring Greenwich. Had the steak and ale pie and mash with a bottle of larger. It was only 9.50£ . It was delicious and affordable. Service was good as well. I highly recommend. read more

Our last day in London we took a ride up the river to Greenwich and stopped in here for a traditional British meal. We loved the history of the place and the food and staff were phenomenal. Extremely reasonably priced, we all devoured our meat pies and mash including my 4 year old son who had the kids meal of a mini meat pie, mash and a drink for £3.40!!! Highly highly recommend if you visit Greenwich read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Meat pie (beef) and mash with the traditional parsley gravy - British Near Me - London, XGL

Great food and true British ambiance! First stop after our river tour and the food did not disappoint. Quick service and very people friendly staff. read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Menu - British Near Me - London, XGL

Delicious! Who doesn't like a delicious savory pie on a cold day? The people are friendly. The service is fast. The food is comforting and delicious. Dig in and take the advice from your server. They know! read more

Took the Uber Boat to Greenwich for a the day and consulted Yelp for lunch. Goddards was the place! Get your pie and mash fix here. Comfort food at its finest! Lots of pie options (we did chicken and mushroom). Stand in line at counter. Order your pie which is taken out of oven behind the counter. Then you can opt for 2 scoops of mashed potatoes and one scoop or gravy slathering over the whole shebang. Get your bev here too, pay and take to your table. It was a little hard to manage plate, beverage and grabbing utensils before heading to table. Thank goodness the upstairs was just closed and we were directed to side room on first floor. Sticky toffee pudding has a cream-based sauce and was just OK. The Mayflower sticky toffee pudding is hard to compete with! We came for lunch and was not hungry for dinner. Too full! read more

We went for a visit in Greenwich and stopped in this institution for a quick bite. We ordered the pie and mash with the mushy peas. This hit the spot and allowed us to catch our breath while we planned our next location to hit while in Greenwich. Can't mess with tradition - read more

See all

This place was one of my unforgettable Greenwich experience! Never had traditional English pie before and i loved it. The service was very heartwarming just like how we received our pies. The pricing was inexpensive, if I could eat 2 pies because how cheap they charge each, I will - lol. The serving size was huge but if you are a big eater- a pretty standard size then. The delivery of the food was fast - I was not ready yet as I am too occupied taking photos and my name was called in less than 5 minutes. The taste - bland as how English food is known for but for a change- it was just right for me, besides it is how you want your pie be made - add more sides if needed but the one with parsley sauce was what I enjoyed most. And by the way - their London pride beer was considered one of the best beer my husband has tried. The place is small but the turn around was quick. They have second floor to backed up the number of customers trying to dine in. Tourists - highly recommended when you are in the area. read more

See all

If you're a tourist looking for a traditional/ authentic place to enjoy a hearty meat pie, look no further than Goddards. As cheap as 5 pounds, you can enjoy a delicious pie stuffed with all sorts of deliciousness and mash slathered in gravy. Be sure to try both the chicken and classic beef pie topped with gravy or liquor sauce! (Highly recommend one of each). Also, when it gets to be rich, try one of their homemade condiments such as the chili vinegar! read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Chicken and ham pie with liquor sauce, classic meat pie with gravy - British Near Me - London, XGL

See all

A delight for tourists, this pie and mash restaurant (not pub) has a long history and delivers decent food in minutes. Friendly staff and a fast effective ordering system. Go to the bar, order your food, pay and find a table. Fun, yes. Interesting, definitely. Would I return, probably not, unless I had people from out of town visiting. read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Steak and Ale Pie with Mash - British Near Me - London, XGL

I'm not really a pie and mash kind of person but I was introduced to this place by a friend from the US on a trip to London. At the time, I didn't live around Greenwich and hadn't heard of it. Rumour had it though that they make really good (and sizeable) pie and mash. This place is historic and you can tell from the moment you step in. The rumour was true and had a nice (and very filling meal) at Goddard's a few years ago when I had the beef pie and mash (first visit). Fast forward 3-4 yeas and I live down the road from this place and it's the go-to pie and mash place or when I'm feeling "very English" and also have friends visiting. The service is fast so don't worry if there's a queue. There are communal seatings upstairs and downstairs and 'serve yourself' cutleries and sauces. On my second visit, I tried a little bit f the Eel pie from a friend and not that it's any Calamari or Octopus, it was quite an interesting and acquired taste. For me, I'll stick to the chicken and mushroom pie and mash with a Diet Coke, thank you! The observation I made however is that over the years, it seems to be that their stuffing of chicken isn't as much and I was left with more pastry than poultry. read more

Good pie and mash. Not the best in London for me but definitely up there. What does make it better than most is there is a lot for seating and variety of pies and drinks. read more

Goddards at Greenwich - British Near Me - London, XGL

See all

We stopped here at a friend's recommendation and loved it. We got beef pies with mash and parsley liquor. Delicious, filling, and cheap! read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Beef pie and mash - British Near Me - London, XGL

Just dined at this joint after getting off the Greenwich observatory hill. The meal includes beef pie, potato mash, and eel pieces that come with bone (rarely anywhere else nowadays), with a cold beer from London local brewer. Price is really humble (11.5 gbp total). It wrapped up my day three tour in London with joy and surprise. The waitress emphasized the classic or local way eating the supper, right sauce to dip, etc. Love her persistence. Btw, the brand of the local beer is called "London Pride". read more

Goddards at Greenwich is famous for serving London's most traditional meal of pie mash and liquor. This meal can be traced back through the 1800's and is an important part of London's food history. Goddards is still a family run business and has been serving pie and mash since 1890. Traditional 'Pie and Mash' really is a London only dish. It's funny, that although I live north of the river Thames, the ones you get in south London, always seem to taste better. Goodards is a good example of where you can get a good traditional 'Pie and Mash'. Although you can get steak, chicken, lamb and vegetarian pies here as an alternative to the traditional pie. If you go for an alternative pie though you are missing the point. Th real pie you have to try is the traditional pie made of 100% minced beef, with mash and liquor. Splash on some malt vinegar to give it that something extra. Don't spoil it by going for gravy, always go for the liquor. It's like a runny parsley sauce, but combined with the vinigar, it's to die for. By the late 19th century, there were over 100 Pie and mash shops in London. Nowdays they are much more difficult to find. I would urge any visitor to London, to try it as it really is a unique London only dish. Probably it's most famous fan is David Beckham, who goes to a Pie & Mash shop when he visits London for his favourite meal. When I host visitors to London, I always take them on the boat from Westminster Pier to Greenwich taking in the best views an commentary along the Thames, followed by a Pie and Mash lunch at Goddards whilst in Greenwich . It really can be the best day out, with a real London feel. For a decent meal for about £5, you can't go wrong!! read more

See all

The Lamb and Rosemary Pie was good. I had the mash and beans on the side and it made for the perfect sized quick lunch.

Pie, glorious pie! If you're in need of a fix of perfectly crisp pie, get yourself down to Goddard's now! Excellent food, low prices, friendly and fast service, this pie shop has it all! I bring all of my foreign guests here for a taste of traditional British pie and they all leave full and satisfied. If you're familiar with traditional brown British gravy, I suggest trying their (non-alcoholic) herb-infused liquor sauce on your pie and mash. The mushy peas were not so mushy the last time I came but I'm glad I gave them another go as they were much better this time around. So happy I saved a little room for dessert as their rhubarb crumble with custard was out if this world!!! The next time I need a fix of pie, you know where to find me! read more

See all

Omg!! This is pie and mash heaven right here. This place is not just a piece of history it's also bang on the money in every way. The vast food choice, service, atmosphere, cleanliness, prices were all brilliant. You can eat cheap and very good here and they have a massive range of pies to choose from so I'm sure any group would be please. We came here to surprise my partner who wanted to try East end pie and mash and his face was a dream the whole time. 10 out of 10!!! read more

Very good. Inexpensive (half the price of pubs selling pies). Very filling. Peas were (thankfully) not mushy and slightly minty. Was in need of a beer and they had lager and cider to drink Would definitely come back read more

We walked around and finally decided to eat here. And that may have been the shitties decision we did that day. We ate some kind of steakpie which i usually love but this was so discuting that none of us could finish our meels. (party of 4) We sat uppstairs and i guees the cleaning personal had the day of, it was plates and leavings as all over and rhe table we cleaned our self was really sticky. The only positive thing i can say is that the personal was nice and friendly. But maybe they just had a bad day when we were there... read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Some kind of steak pie.. I guees. - British Near Me - London, XGL

This is one fun British restaurant! Pies are the order of the day here - and their pies are absolutely first rate. However - the sleeper on the menu not to be missed are the eels. Ok - I'm biased. I kill for eels. If this is a Hitchcock thriller and a mysterious stranger needs me to do a dastardly deed - have him give me eels and I might be good for the business. That said - even with the soft spot in my heart for eels - these are very good eels indeed. (and I have been many places like some first rate eel restaurants in New York's Chinatown - where - never mind the reputation - the eels were only ho-hum.) These eels really sing. They have a great fishy taste that stays with you in a nice way even after you have left the restaurant. The eels are served in "liquor" the special green sauce they put on pies and mash and peas and everything else. The combo is killer. One practical note. Here eels are a side dish - usually served along side pies and mash. (and in my humble American what-the-h-do-i-know manner ... i honestly don't see how eels go with a savory beef or kidney pie. Its like serving beef bourguinon with carp. - but its what they do.) since they serve it as a side dish - eel servings are small. If they are going to be your main (and I recommend this) - order a double or triple order. People at Goddards routinely order double or triple pies or double or triple mash - so no one will blink an eye at double or triple eel. Now what about the pies? Fantastic! The key feature of a pie is the crust. They do a suet crust that is knock your socks off addictive. They could a beef and building construction waste pie in that crust and you would eat it happily. The sauces are a deep beef gravy and the aforementioned "liquor". You can't go wrong either way. I sadly was not able to do dessert but I stared longingly longingly at the lovely crumbles and pies all served with one of the most seductive custards I have ever seen. If looks are anything like taste those things would have been dessert paradise. But I DID do the pies and the eels and one thing is certain. This is a restaurant not to be missed. If you are in Greenwich for a limited time and you MUST pick between Goddard's and the Observatory ... Skip the Observatory. Easy call. read more

We brought the kids in after visiting the Prime Meridian just down the way. Of course we ordered the pie, mash, and eels. We're from California. So this was not our typical fare. We got the eels cold, and they we're pretty good but lots of bones, we weren't quite prepared. The mashed potatoes with gravy we're just about as good as you can imagine! The pies we're good, the kids particular liked the chicken. I thought the crust was a bit soggy, but the chicken was tender and flavorful. The kids liked sitting in the booth downstairs watching other people come in to order. I ordered a cider for the drink menu and it was a good choice, I'd recommend it over beer, for sure. read more

Goddards at Greenwich - Pie, mash, and eels. - British Near Me - London, XGL

In all honesty, I was a little disappointed. Firstly, the cleanliness. The place was a little grubby - tables, condiments on the table and chairs felt sticky - but Mr L told me that this was kinda expected. I looked at him dumbfounded, not sure if he was pulling my leg. He was serious. So I decided to ignore that and quickly tuck into my pie and mash, hoping that the food will make up for it. I chose the steak and kidney pie with mash (£4.40), laden with gravy. The kidney taste was strongly present but the filling only consisted of steak and gravy which I find was quite salty. The mashed potatoes and gravy had quite a floury taste and I am not sure what to make of it. Pastry, was a little burnt. Lunch was ok but was very ordinary. Goddard's has a reputation of serving up traditional pie and mash for over 100 years. The setting - nothing deluxe or lavish - also had that traditionalist aspect. It gave quite a nice welcome feeling as you walked in but when you are by the bar to order, make sure you already know what you want. Both the queue and service moves quite fast and while the service was not abrupt, it was not particularly friendly. "Full range" on the menu means pies with mash where prices start from £3.90. Goddard's pies are quite a simple and regular lunch. I do suspect the big play on being traditional helps with their trade among the tourists in Greenwich. read more

See all