Grand Union, SE11 6SF
- 111 Kennington Road
Grand Union was a chain bar & grill behind the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth. It has now closed and been replaced by a pub in the Draft House chain, under the name of Tankard (a name which it has had previously).
The information below is retained for historical purposes.
The place is extensive inside, with plenty of space to sit at a variety of tables and banquette seating. The lower floor is rather darker, with polished wood floors and a long bar, the decor pushing an exotic cocktail bar vibe (like the others of this chain, it has a late licence and courts the weekend party crowds). Upstairs is another plushly-decorated room with windows picked out in fairy lights photo, and outside an extensive beer garden roof terrace, which gets plenty of sun in the Summer and has a view across the park behind the Imperial War Museum over towards the London Eye.
The bar itself has a range of lagers, including Staropramen, though Ewan didn't notice if ale was available (probably not). They also have a reasonably sized cocktail list (around £7.50 each).
Food is served noon-3pm and 5-9pm Monday to Saturday, and noon-8pm Sunday. They specialise in burgers, and have plenty of options, including three or four vegetarian ones. Ewan tried the chargrilled aubergine and goat's cheese burger (£6.75), which was presented in a dizzying stack photo, but could just about be squashed small enough to fit in one's mouth (a knife and fork were provided for those preferring to be less messy), and was very tasty. The chips on the side (another £3), though expensive, were a pretty generous portion, chunky and very crispy.