Hole in the Wall

The Hole in the Wall is exactly what it says on the tin! It is situated opposite Waterloo railway station, or to be more precise under it! It is built into the arches of the station, hence the rumbling of trains audible from inside! It is hardly the most salubrious of locations!
The décor is as low key, basic and as spartan as you can get; there are no pretensions here!
There is a small outside area beyond the toilets, and food is available. I cannot comment on the food as I have never tried it.
The Hole in the Wall is an alternative type of pub for a quick pint before you catch the train, but that’s about as far as it goes.

Very lowkey pub, very alternative feel and music! Really cool spot just to hang out, definitely recommend the traditional fish and chips they were amazing. Bring a pen because people write on the bathroom stall walls lol, also good prices I purchased 2 beers a soda and two dishes of fish and chips and it came out to 28 pounds, only downside is now and then there’s a rumble from the trains that pass by

It’s a dive bar with an average selection of beers and food. I subtracted a star due to the fact that one of the bar tenders had the worst BO I have ever smelled. I was so repulsed that I didn’t finish my lunch.

This place is vast. The front is a quieter setting but my group sat in the back to watch soccer on their large TV mounts. Bar service is quick and efficient. The bartender messed up a couple of beer orders from our group but it was New Years Day so I can understand being tired and a bit out of it after celebrating, especially in London. Bangers and Mash and their Fish and Chips were delicious.

I stopped in when in London for the day recently. I saw a sign from the back, and when I walked around to the entrance, I could see an escalator in the Waterloo Station through a window across the street.
In addition to a handy and interesting location, the Hole in the Wall has a cozy interior with copper table tops (I’m a sucker for copper table tops in a pub). It was a quiet, drizzly afternoon when I stopped in, and there was just one other customer in the front bar where I sat. When I ordered a pint, I didn’t have anything specific in mind because I don’t really know much about beers or ales. The bar mistress thought about my description (something kind of light), and came back with two samples for me to try. How thoughtful! She was extremely gracious serving someone who really didn’t mind what I was given, and that made her attempt to find just the right ale for me even nicer.
Because they had WiFi and because the rain picked up, I stayed for awhile and let my tired feet rest. It was the perfect break, and I have a very nice memory of my visit to the Hole in the Wall.

On a recent trip to London, this place had been recommended to my friend who studies in Kingston so we decided to give it a go based on its proximity to Waterloo station. Events from the previous night resulted in us being stranded in Camden for about 2 hours, so this particular night was dedicated to not straying too far away from somewhere that could get us back.
Tucked away under the railway and literally a stone’s throw from the entrance to Waterloo, it has the look of a cheap and cheerful watering hole. The options available in the way of beers are much the same in most pubs that haven’t sold their souls to three lagers who vary only in name, so I was pleased. In terms of cost, it was one of the more reasonably priced pints I had over the weekend and the layout of the place was quite cool.
It does have a feel that not much has changed in the last 50 years there, but then I like that. Try coming from a city where pretty much every pub is now being marketed as a hang for students or is taking a change of direction to «focus on the food». Throw in the fact that every now and again the whole place gets a rumble with the trains going by overhead, it all comes together nicely.
When we first walked in, we had a look at the front bar which was a bit empty and filled with those of an elder age. The back bar was pretty busy with a varying range of ages — even with a good crowd in there, there was plenty of room to sit and/​or stand, plus there’s a decent size smoking area out back.
This place does what it says on the proverbial tin; it’s not the most upmarket of places, but then it’s not trying to be. There was a good atmosphere in there, the locals were talkative and if you get into it you’ll have as good a time as they are.

Terrible news to hear this pub has been sold to Youngs, all this pub needs is a decent manager who can keep the tables clean and a refitted toilet. Real ale and real cider choice v good.

When trains pass overhead it sounds like thunder. This place is like a storm cloud made of cider and cigarette smoke.
It’s not great. The beer doesn’t go down smooth, the bathrooms are tiny and filthy and the decoration is a mix of old newspaper clippings and general tat that probably hasn’t been moved in 10 years.
But in the end, you do get what you pay for. If you want elegance then go to the Ritz. If you want to roll around in newspaper and watery lager then crawl under a railway arch.
This place gives you that option.

Good meeting spot for a few before going out. Nice friendly staff. I go here often whilst waiting for train too. Any excuse lol

The name friggin fits.
You know when you walk into a local pub and there’s the local men hangin about but it’s quaint and you can still grab a seat next to them and watch the game?
Yeah no this place was not like that at all. Not even bad good, just bad bad.
Oddly decent sized back garden space but with angry clientele who did not like sharing lighters, grrrrr. sheesh.
We were looking to grab one more drink before all jumping on the train at Waterloo station. This place is right next door.
Haha my friend was warning people on the street not to go in as we were exiting.

Aptly named, Hole in the Wall is pretty much that although quite a large one. It’s a pub (for those of you wondering) with a small front area and bar, a larger (but with deceptively few tables) back area with separate bar, and a medium sized beer garden.
As far as pubs go, it’s about average at best. The menu looked pretty inviting but the kitchen was closed by 7pm so I can’t comment on the food sadly. They are also not very transparent about the timings so that might change day to day.
Not much else to say about this. The path to the beer garden is sadly along the hallway to the bathrooms which emanate a truly sickening urine stench. So I’d vote for staying out of that area if at all possible.
If in the Waterloo area, there are a number of better pubs, my favourite being the Wellington, so overall I wouldn’t recommend going here unless the food turns out to be spectacular.

Nice selection of beer on tap. In a historic old building under the rail way. Very much a hole in the wall. Too bad they stopped serving food at 8 PPM or I would have ordered something.

I’m surprised i’ve not used this pub more. It is so close to the station, usually has good beer selection. There is a big screen in the back room for sport.
It is tucked away under the railway, which gives it a bit of a locals insider vibe. An old school watering hole.

Great grotty simple no frills little bar outside Waterloo Station.
Proper spit and sawdust place with a great atmosphere and a huge room to watch sport in. Has a lounge for a quieter beer.
Beer prices are average for London.

My South Bank local since 1977, although these days I usually only get in once a month (first Wednesday at midday). Scruffy dump really. Management changes regularly, as does the staff, so service can be a bit ‘iffy’. So can the food, for that matter. Always a good selection of real beers though. These days we’re drinking Doom Bar. You’ll usually find us sitting at the front bar, which is supposed to be the posh bit. Big bar at back and small (tiny) courtyard garden for smokers.

A good place to stop at on the way to Twickenham for the rugby.
Lots of atmosphere, plenty of singing, especially when us Welsh are playing.
Even better on the way home after we have beaten England!!!

Ok, so it’s not the most interesting place in the world. It’s fairly dull and uninteresting to look at, despite it’s interesting location. From the outside it looks inviting, but the inside is somewhat stale. The clientelle is mixed, due to it’s proximity to Waterloo. Drinks are cheap and the staff is nice and the food isn’t bad. Alll in all, I wanted so much more. I would have only given it two stars if not for… THE HOT TODDY THAT SAVED MY LIFE.
I had the cold like you wouldn’t believe. I refused to let it get the best of me and tried to carry on by means of DayNurse and Lemsip. (Not really a combo I’d recommend.) I found myself in need of tea or soup and wandered into the HITW on my way home. I asked the bartender what he had for a cold and he made me a hot toddy. The warmth and honey and whiskey was so perfect, it cleared my head and soothed my throat. I had another. After three of them, I felt pretty damn good. I took that opportunity to make my way home and took a nap. I suspected morning would find me sick again, but it didn’t. The magical hot toddy cured me!
To HITW, I want to love you more, but I will always love you for your hot toddy. It earned you another star.

The Hole in the Wall could not be a more befitting name for this two roomed pub situated in an alley behind Waterloo station. If I were a mouse with an entire den to find suitable accommodation for during the cold dark nights of winter, then I would love to call this place my home. But I’m human, unfortunately, and I hate pubs that suck. This pub has super friendly staff and cheap drinks (£1.50 for a half a pint of lager), but it’s banal. Complete and utter boredom incarnate. I fell asleep with my eyes open ten times in this place. Maybe because it was a Sunday afternoon, or maybe because I had no interest in the football match that was playing on the giant flat screened television. Whatever the reason, I’m not impressed. If they hire a transsexual mime to keep their clientele entertained during slow days then I’ll definitely come back to wash down my belly with some brew.

This place is an interesting hole — literally!
It is situated under a train line outside of waterloo station. It is filled with all sorts of people. Locals, tourists, commuters, children and dogs! They have a little outside area with wooden table and benches and big round ashtrays.
Not a place you would probably choose to go — but it is a good meeting spot when people are travelling from all over into Waterloo and trains are delayed and there is a sports game on and people want relatively cheap drinks!
The interior is very basic you almost feel like you are in a school canteen area. Random selection of tables and chairs dotted around. Immature banter and random groups of people scattered in groups!
Check it out if ever waiting for friends! You might meet some interesting people…

A recent return to a pub that was once a very regular venue. Virtually nothing has changed, though we were pleasantly surprised by the state of the beers. The TEA (Hogs Back Brewery) in particular was very fine.
The front bar (if there’s space) is comfortable, the back bar is large and dark — still has a pinball machine which is playable. They’ve moved the smokers out to a room somewhere in the darkest hinterland of the railway arches, so the experience is certainly improved to the smoky remembered days.