The Grapes

The Grapes is a historic public house at 76 Narrow Street in Limehouse, in the East End of London, overlooking the Thames. Originally known as The Bunch of Grapes, it has stood on the pebbled Limehouse Reach for nearly 500 years, making it one of the oldest pubs in London. The pub occupies a traditional Victorian building with a long bar, wooden panelled dado, warm burgundy walls decorated with oil paintings, and a small heated riverside terrace. Upstairs there is a casual drinking room and a restaurant offering views across the river towards Canary Wharf and the City of London. The Grapes is closely associated with Charles Dickens, who visited Limehouse from 1820 and knew the district for four decades; the pub appears, scarcely disguised, in the opening chapter of his novel Our Mutual Friend. The actor Sir Ian McKellen is the leaseholder and has written a brief history of the pub. The Grapes has been recommended by The Good Pub Guide since 1996. Its menu focuses on traditional British pub food, with fish and chips a particular speciality, served in the downstairs bar, on the riverside deck, or in the upstairs restaurant. The pub also hosts a popular Monday evening quiz and operates a loyalty card scheme. The Grapes is operated by The Pies Pub Ltd., registered in England and Wales. It is a Grade II listed building. Due to licensing restrictions, the premises are open only to guests over the age of 18. The pub does not take reservations for tables in the bar, though bookings are essential for the upstairs restaurant.

The Grapes, originally called The Bunch of Grapes, has stood on the pebbled Limehouse Reach for nearly 500 years, making it one of the oldest pubs in London. Its official address is 76 Narrow Street, London E14 8BP. Limehouse was first settled as one of the few healthy areas of dry land among the riverside marshes. By the time of Queen Elizabeth I, it was at the centre of world trade, and her explorer Sir Humphrey Gilbert lived there. From directly below The Grapes, Sir Walter Raleigh set sail on his third voyage to the New World. In 1661, Samuel Pepys' diary records his trip to the lime kilns at the jetty just along from The Grapes. In 1820 the young Charles Dickens visited his godfather in Limehouse and came to know the district well over the following 40 years. The Grapes appears, scarcely disguised, in the opening chapter of his novel Our Mutual Friend, described as "a tavern of dropsical appearance... long settled down into a state of hale infirmity. It had outlasted many a sprucer public house, indeed the whole house impended over the water but seemed to have got into the condition of a faint-hearted diver, who has paused so long on the brink that he will never go in at all." A complete set of Dickens' works is kept in the back parlour for further reading. Other writers have been fascinated by Limehouse: Oscar Wilde in The Picture of Dorian Gray; Arthur Conan Doyle, who sent Sherlock Holmes in search of opium provided by the local Chinese immigrants; and more recently Peter Ackroyd in Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem. Narrow Street is also associated with distinguished painters: Francis Bacon lived and worked at no. 80, Edward Wolfe at no. 96, and Whistler painted a "nocturne" of Limehouse. On The Grapes' walls hang an oil painting seen from the Thames by the marine artist Napier Hemy, watercolours of Limehouse Reach by Louise Hardy, and a portrait of Dickens. The pub has been recommended by The Good Pub Guide since 1996. The actor Sir Ian McKellen is the leaseholder and has written a brief history of the pub. The Grapes is operated by The Pies Pub Ltd., registered in England and Wales. The building is Grade II listed. The pub features a traditional Victorian long bar with wooden panelled dado and warm burgundy-coloured walls decorated with oil paintings. The main bar leads into The Dickens Snug, where the author himself is reputed to have danced on the tables, and faces a small heated terrace over the Thames. On the first floor is a casual drinking room with views of Canary Wharf to the left and the City of London to the right. The pub hosts a popular Monday evening quiz from 8pm and operates a loyalty card scheme. Due to licensing restrictions, only guests over the age of 18 are admitted.

• 1996

  The Grapes begins to be recommended by The Good Pub Guide.

• 1820

  The young Charles Dickens visits his godfather in Limehouse and comes to know the district well.

• 1661

  Samuel Pepys' diary records a trip to the lime kilns at the jetty near The Grapes.

Historic riverside pub offering traditional British pub food and drink in a heritage setting with literary connections.

• Fish and chips

  The pub's famous signature dish, served in the bar, on the riverside deck, or in the restaurant.

• Traditional British pub food

  A menu of classic pub grub including small plates and main dishes.

1. 1The Grapes, Limehousethegrapes.co.uk
2. 2The Grapes, Limehousethegrapes.co.uk
3. 3The history of The Grapes, Limehousethegrapes.co.uk
4. 4About Us - The Grapes, Limehousethegrapes.co.uk
5. 5The Grapeswikidata.org