After a £300,000 refurb in 2022, The Lighterman became the kind of neighbourhood pub that makes you wish you lived on Bastable Avenue. Think timber floors, leather banquettes, heritage colours, old photos on the walls, and a traditional snug for when you want a quiet one. It's not trying to be a gastropub — it's a proper community boozer with a darts board, big-screen sport, quiz nights, and staff who know your order by the second visit. If you're in Thames View, this is your local.
A £300k refurb turned this Bastable Avenue corner pub into Thames View's go-to for big-screen sport, darts, and a pint where the staff know your order.
Get there early on match days — the lounge fills up fast when TNT or the big games are on, and the best snug seats go first.
Thames View's refurbished community pub done right
The Lighterman is what every neighbourhood pub should aspire to be. Since its £300,000 refurbishment in 2022, this Bastable Avenue corner spot has been transformed into a warm, properly looked-after space — timber flooring, leather seating, heritage colours, and old photos lining the walls that nod to the area's history without feeling like a museum. There's a traditional snug if you fancy a quiet pint, and a lounge that opens into a spacious dining area with a darts board and a high-spec AV system showing TNT and the big matches. It's the sort of place where the staff know your usual by the second visit.
Reviewers are unanimous about the welcome — one Google reviewer called it "un véritable petit bijou" (a real little gem), praising the friendly staff and the varied drinks list. With a 4.7 rating across 92 Google reviews and a PubScore of 90/100, it's clearly hitting the mark with the Thames View crowd. The menu leans on proper pub classics — hearty crowd-pleasers at fair prices, with veggie and vegan options and award-winning kids' dishes, so it works for a family lunch as well as a match-day session.
It's not pretending to be a gastropub or a cocktail bar, and that's exactly its strength. You come for the big-screen sport, stay for the darts and the friendly local crowd, and leave feeling like you've been somewhere that actually cares about its community. If you live nearby, this is your local — and if you don't, it's worth the detour to see what a well-run neighbourhood pub looks like in 2025.