Part of our Best Pubs in London microsite. Is your local listed?
The O2 contains two 'buildings' that might be described as pubs, and both have astronomical names to suit their Greenwich location. The first you'll encounter, if walking widdershins, is the perfectly sound Nicholson's pub called The Observatory. A few paces on, however, brings you to the Wetherspoon offering, The Stargazer.
Despite the unusual location, the Stargazer has all the usual Wetherspoon features: cheap food, extremely cheap beer (under £3 a pint in some cases), a unique carpet, and as many children as adults (if visiting outside school hours). They've even managed to fit in the oppressively low ceiling towards the back. Classic!
Those who want to attempt some actual stargazing might try to do so in the pub's sizeable beer garden. The venue is unusual in that it penetrates the dome's fabric, offering inside-and-out spaces. It's a welcome respite, if you've been stuck inside the vast tent for any length of time.
Our first visit coincided with a thunderstorm. This was magnificent. Half of the beer garden sits under the dome's protective shield, and the pitter-patter you'd expect on tent canvas was more like the sound of war-drums.
