History

The history of the tavern goes back hundreds of years. Early records show that there has been a tavern on Ballast Quay since at least 1743. In those days the tavern was known as 'the Green Man'.

The current building was built in the reign of George III and dates back to circa 1810. From 1810 the tavern was named 'the Union Tavern' – a mark of the patriotic fervour following the union of England and Ireland by an Act of Parliament in 1801. The tavern changed its name again in the 1950s following the arrival of the famous tea clipper in Greenwich in the early 1950s. Interestingly, for a reason lost in history the clipper was named after the beautiful witch in Robert Burn's famous epic poem "Tam O'Shanter". For further details of the history of the tavern, please see the history section of our menu.