I did wonder when a friend suggested this as a meeting place ... all the reviews on Yelp were from two years or longer ago. The walk down Lower Marsh was a bit depressing with a lot of the shops and bars closed down. An area earmarked for development and gentrification, me thinks ... But why destroy a perfectly good pub?! Apparently the current management took over a year ago, ripped out all the old furniture and replaced it with the worst type of cheapo fake light wooden tables and chairs that would be more suitable for a cheap takeaway, for waiting rather than lingering. I didn't stay long but counted at least three TV screens, but noone watching. Such a cool name, and the place still looks inviting enough from the outside. Luckily its antidote, the Vaulty Towers, is just a short walk away - you've been warned ... Oh, and the coke my friend ordered while waiting was flat! read more

The Camel & Artichoke - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Camel and Artichoke, eh? The old name of Reluctant Camel probably had to go, because of the obvious reference to 'bricking the camel' which is probably inappropriate in a well-made over and diversity friendly venue. I was along for the London Bloggers Meetup which was in the upstairs part of the pub, nicely laid out with sofas, tables and little leather seats. Friendly, vibrant, good beer from the bar with good staff. Already several groups in the downstairs area seemed to be in for a sensibly chilled session. Our upstairs area was vibrant with conversations in what is an attractive venue great for maybe an informal group up to around 40 people. Will definitely return and its useful to know its only about five minutes from Waterloo if you use the exit by the cashpoints and cut down the steps to Lower Marsh. A useful haven from the train station bustle. rashbre (http://rashbre2.blogspot.com) read more

The Camel & Artichoke - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Rude bar tender. The men's room was out of soap and when we asked nicely her response was "I can't go in there" and she walked away. Not even an apology. Since the cook was a man it makes the food suspect.....how does he was his hands when handling food. read more

Nice pub for a beer, great garden and just a nice, real neighbourhood pub kind of atmosphere. Nice ale. But the food... general pub grub but straight from the microwave. Had sausage and mash, sausage bits were like cardboard. Partner had the steak and ale pie, which was great tastewise, but clearly zapped too. Food does not get that hot so fast and meat does nog dry out like that in the middle of the plate, unless... Big no, can't do that. So have a beer there and skip the food. read more

Surprised in all my London pub explorations I'd never discovered this pub before. It's rather nice looking and the food menu was quite tempting. The beer range wasn't really that noteworthy, but they do have four ales and GK St Edmunds Ale is one I'm always happy to find! read more

Was here for a few drinks weekend just gone and while there's nothing particularly pulling my rating down there's also nothing particularly bringing it up either. It's a pub. It sells drinks. They're medium priced. There's a medium amount of seating. The selection is okay. There is a garden, that's quite nice I guess. I'd go back, but wouldn't chose it as a venue I suppose. read more

LOVE this bar!! We went on a Sunday, so it was nice and quiet, how we like. Weeknights are very busy. Lovely outdoor area for smokers or al fresco diners. They even have umbrellas over the tables, which is perfect for London. The food was pretty good, not spectacular. I suspect microwaves were involved. Good enough if you're in need of a buzz reduction. GREAT bartenders and a lovely selection of beers. I'd go back in a heartbeat. read more

I visited in December and opened a tab. There were two staff on, and one seemed pretty inexperienced - she got our food order wrong (only delivered one burger when two had been ordered), and when ordering a second round of drinks both staff seemed to be trying to enter it onto the tab through the till. When I left I was in a bit of a rush to go to the theatre, and didn't check the bill carefully enough - we were charged for 5 drinks when we only had 3. I accept I should have checked at the time, but an e-mail afterwards wasn't even responded to. read more

If you have ever taken the train out of Waterloo station and wondered why on earth a building has a Camal on its roof now you know the answer. This pub is located a short walk from Waterloo station very close to Ian Allen bookshop. Inside it's split on two levels with upstairs a bit quieter. It's a good place to meet a group of friends and whilst I didn't try it the food looked okay. The beer selection is quite boring though (just 3 real ales). read more

Lovely pub. Standard drinks but nice and chilled. I look very young so the staff were me within seconds for an I.D check. (Which Is always nice!) and glad they were doing their job. Nice drinks chilled atmosphere nice to venture upstairs and although I didn't venture into the garden it looked just as chilled in such a buzzing place. P.S check out the camel on the back of the pub if you can! Out of place and quirky but cool. read more

Nice pub with a decent selection of beer (I stuck with Peroni and Budvar). The Camel & Artichoke's upstairs was a perfect spot for last week's London Bloggers Meetup and I look forward to next one in February. Also, it was good to see Lower Marsh still retains a bit of quirkiness and originality (I hadn't ambled down that street in ages). read more

I don't mind this pub at all. I don't think I've spent enough itme there and as I too was at the bloggers meet-up, I don't think I got to experience it full. A return trip may be in order. The things I did notice? The food looked great and I should have eaten some. The bar is also very tall. I find this strange. But It feels about 6 inches higher than it should be. I'm apparently pretty short so I could not have stood at the bar comfortably with my rather enjoyable pint. It's the strangest thing I've ever had to say about a pub. read more

If you're walking to the Camel & Artichoke at 7pm on a Tuesday night, you'd be forgiven for wondering if you're going the right way. Lower Marsh may be busy at weekends, but walking down the nearly empty street at mid-week might make you doubt the little Google map clutched in your hand. The firm of purpose are rewarded with an open, friendly pub, however. And, if you're a blogger attending a Qype-sponsored meetup, you might be rewarded with a couple of pints. As you enter the pub it feels surprisingly roomy, probably because of the high ceiling. They've got some outdoor tables in a garden at the back too, though I've not tried them out yet. It's a comfortable-feeling pub. Last night it was busy downstairs, with plenty of the after-work crowd enjoying some tasty-looking food. However, when I stopped to remark to one young lady about the apparent quality of her meal by telling her that I'd never seen tastier morsels than hers, I got such a negative reaction that I wondered if the food really is up to par. Drinks worked out better, though. I've been very pleased on both my visits here that they've got proper ales here (Abbot! yes!), as well as a decent selection of spirits. The bar staff are always up for a laugh here, too, I've noticed. The room upstairs is perfect for events like our Blogger Meetup: we got the privacy to geek out on our own, and we were completely segregated from Ordinary Humans. Once again, Andy did a bang-up job organising it all. And thanks have to go to Qype for buying us each a couple of drinks. Whether you're meeting friends near Waterloo and want a friendly pub that's a few steps away from the heaving ones just outside the station doors, or you're trying to get ideas on how to monetise your Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons collectibles blog, the Camel & Artichoke is the place to do it. read more

Despite its place on a slightly scary street, especially if you don't know which exit to use from Waterloo station, the bar is quite bright and friendly, with plenty of seating downstairs by the bar, outside on the enclosed patio (which has heat lamps) and upstairs in the more comfortable lounge area, which has couches, leather chairs and tables of varying height. The food looked good, though I didn't have any -- I did stare enviously at a plate of nachos being devoured by a group of friends -- and there was a decent selection of drinks. I decided to be a bit girly and bypassed the beer for wine, which although there was only a small selection, was quite decent. The bar staff was friendly and the service was fast, and when it was time to leave, I made sure I wasn't walking alone and was shown the closer entrance to the train station. Definitely a nice place to have an informal event, if only to have your attendees have to tell people they're going to such an absurdly named establishment. And don't be scared by all the bloggers. They're only there once a month. read more

I love this place. Been holding the regular London Bloggers meetup here since November last year but we've had to move on as the function room isn't wheelchair friendly. None the less, it has a great bar, good food at reasonable prices and a good outdoor patio for you smokers (and everyone else in the summer). Add all that to the fact is it hidden away behind Waterloo means you can normally get a seat and served fairly quickly. read more

A gem of a pub, just a stones throw from Waterloo, the Southbank and the cut. Service is great, efficient, heplful and friendly. Good range of food including huge burgers, yummy nachos, proper English pies and lots more. Always a good choice of specials to tempt me when I don't know what I want (the chorizo and halloumi salad is my favourite not-so-healthy but delish dish). Nice upstairs area can be reserved for gatherings, a few TV's showing sport if that's your thing and a secluded beer garden is a surprising extra and a great find for a sunny lunchtime or a summer evening. read more

Embiance is amazing. The couches upstairs are great and the Beatles pics. Watched the Liverpool game while I ate a lamb Sunday roast. They were out of beef. My friend got the chicken roast. The lamb was terrible and the gravy not nearly thick enough but the service was great and the vibes in the place we're awesome. Felt like a local. Definately come back. And hope the beef isn't sold out ;). read more

The Camel & Artichoke - Lamb roast. Was ok. Hope the beef isn't sold out next time. . - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

I've been packing bags in a Tesco in Lambeth for three years now, and we used to come to the Camel and Artichoke after work if we had a bit of spare change - perhaps a few pounds tip from an old lady we'd helped at the checkout. It's always been a friendly place, not normally too busy in the week, and has a fair range of drinks. Anyway, I was excited to see that they were holding a meeting here especially for 'baggers' tonight, so I came along with some of my colleagues, perhaps hoping to network with others in our line of work, and hopefully landing that elusive job bagging for Waitrose. After a few drinks very kindly sponsored by the Qype reviews site (never heard of 'em), I met lots of interesting people.. well, they seem to think they're interesting, and they write all about their sorry lives on the internet. The Camel has a traditional pub ambiance, but is modern enough that you don't stick to the carpet or worry about the place falling down. Good facilities upstairs for an informal meeting, although the stairs are located in the centre of the space, so not so good if you're making a formal presentation. Many thanks to Andy for organising the evening - he has to be the best-dressed bagger in the business! read more

Looked good walking in, nice little whippet laying on the couch That was about it I don't think the barmaid should be in the hospitality game as there was nothing hospitable about her service maybe she was just having a bad day. She gave the guy before me a spray as well I walked back to the walrus and spent my time there read more

came here for a londonist meetup (well, more like interloped, i guess, but thanks to y'all for making me feel welcome!). long and narrow, the bar is on the lower floor with a couple tables and an upstairs with more seating. the patio with its 8(?) tables, however, is a great outdoor spot for good-weather days, leafy and otherwise quiet (it seems to be hidden away on a not-too-busy street). the food menu seemed to be fairly standard (not like i'm a pub food expert). i got the steak and guinness pie which came drenched in sauce and was a bit too salty (i expected salty but this was a bit much). service was friendly (i heard a chuckle when i left a tip at the bar after i placed my food order lol). if it weren't for the nice outdoor spot, i would have given this place a 3. definitely take advantage of it when it's nice out! easy access from waterloo and lambeth north. read more

This is a locals hang out. We were starving and stumbled in looking for fish and chips and found them but they weren't so great. The fish batter was hard, but the chips were good. They get a star for having WiFi. They also have a nice little patio outside. The staff didn't seem very welcoming and didn't look like they really gave a shit since they didn't know us. read more

Looks nowt from outside, but its a real pub on the inside,selection of lagers,strongbow an what looked like cracking food. Lovely (well for waterloo) courtyard garden + tele's for sporting events. Deffo worth the trot round from waterloo train station to sit in a fairly chilled enviroment. Nice... read more

I truly loved this pub. The service was excellent. Beer selection very good and reasonably priced. Food is about as good as one could get in a pub. read more

Tucked away on the brilliant and unexpected Lower Marsh to one side of Waterloo Station is this place, which you could walk past and miss quite easily. Although small on frontage it's quite big inside and there's a surprising, secluded beer garden out the back if it's sunny. The drinks are quite usual, with some ales and a selection of wines and spirits, and the food is good but pricey. I prefer to find a spot in the upstairs room which has sofas and is much more relaxing than the thin, barn-like downstairs bar. If you're a reader there are loads of free books here too, part of the Bookcrossing project. Not bad at all, you could do much worse in the area, but it can get busy after work and if they are showing the footie. read more

Came here on my first night in London and the service was pretty good. The girl who served us was helpful and patient with us considering we weren't familiar with the menu or the money. Friend and I noticed a pulley system behind the bar that delivers the food from the kitchen. Pretty darn cool! read more

Great service, our bartender was so nice! A+++, food was also amazing. We had a beef pie, Mac and Cheese, and a Big Ben burger with beers/wine. Would eat here again for sure! read more

Friendly service, no nonsense generous helpings of burgers, chips...plus curries, nachos, chilli. Big range of beers and all at a good price, right round the corner from Waterloo station! read more

Nice pub lunch venue with friendly service and reasonable range of food. I would definitely eat there again. Very convenient for Waterloo station. Upstairs is quiet if you want to be able to chat with friends. read more

Interesting pub hidden behind Waterloo station. I would normally never go to a place like this but it was surprisingly large and open. The beer selection was average for a London pub and the bar staff were very friendly. Upstairs is great for larger get togethers of over 25. This place have really comfy couches and the vibe was homely. It had less atmosphere downstairs but if you're with 4-5 friends, its a great spot. I wouldn't go here on a date. read more

I hesitate to review this un-touristy South Bank pub in hopes of keeping it that way. We ate here twice during our 5-day London stay. Nice menu, reasonable prices. Lovely garden in the back. Go for beer and appetizers or dinner. read more