WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER SEEN I had booked a table at the barge last night to celebrate my birthday with a group of 12 people. I am afraid my experience there was completely ruined by one of your staff, Niklas. He was tremendously rude to everyone throughout the night, it felt like he was angry at customers, to be honest. The service at the bar by him was horrible, he would look at the people with his hands in his pocket like he was doing thema favor. Later on in the evening, he went to tell my friends that the deck was closed and they could not smoke there anymore, which they could have not known, when I went outside to join them they absolutely shocked from his behaviour and they way they had been kicked off the deck, he didn't even give them time to finish their cigarette, he just stood there staring at them. And again, towards the kitchen was long closed on of my friends ordered a bit of food, which is something that most pubs allow. Instead of telling my friend this was not allowed he waited until we all stepped away from the table to sneak the food away and toss it in the bin, when I asked about it he say "you are not allowed food here and it's gone now", again looking at me like I had run over his dog or something, I don't really see the issue in having food in a pub that is not providing the service anymore, especially co considering the kitchen closed quite early and I spent roughly £500 on pizzas and drinks already, but he could have told my friend and he would have eaten his food outside obviously. I am really sorry about this long email, but there was more. At the end of the night when he tried to kick us off the boat he said we had 5 minutes to finish our drinks which were about done anyway and I told him we were nearly done anyway but I thought the place closed at 1 am, she said there was no fixed closing time on this location, they close when they are ready. After not even 5 minutes he came again to rush us out at, again in the rudest manner possible, at which my friend pointed out how rude he had been all night and if he could please stop being so impolite to everyone, he did not even pretend to care. We left and when my friend thanked the ladies at the bar he mumbled something after her, everyone heard this. I am absolutely shocked by this experience, which has completely ruined the night for everyone and it was not just us he spoke like this to, I saw him address other customersthroughout the night this way, for no obvious reasons. Although the ladies behind the bar were lovely and location was beautiful, I do not feel I can recommend this place, it has horrible. Apologies for the long rant! read more

You know how it is - a slightly dubious summer's evening in London and you wonder if it's the best time to enjoy a party on a boat Well, the heavy showers abated and a happy group of dedicated qypers met-up for an evening of fun. Just along the river bank, between New Covent Garden Market and the long defunct Battersea Power Station, you'll find the eponymous Barge. Tip number one: it helps if, unlike me, you take along the directions, instead of leaving them at home. Tip number two: have a proper think about whether those pink snakeskin high heels are really advisable for scaling a metal ramp - or as some would have it gangplank - to join your fellow party-goers It was an excellent - and different - venue for a party, enjoyed by those living both north and south of the river. There's a decent choice of seating (and standing) areas on the top deck, perfect for chatting, networking and taking-in the glorious panoramic sunset views. Down the spiral stairs (question the necessity of those heels again), you'll find the bar - offering a pretty wide choice of refreshments - with obliging and friendly service. The seating and entertainment areas there probably come more into their own in winter or when the weather is unkind. If you get an invitation to an event here, go along and enjoy a scenic London riverside experience. read more

Battersea Barge - slightly shaky sunset, after a glass of wine (just the one - honest!) - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Terrible location (to get to), but a wonderful little venue. Maybe the former contributes to the latter? Anyway, even though this is actually a boat, don't expect to get a boat trip - it's permanently moored. They have a little stage and do kareoke and have live bands on from time to time. There isn't too much on the drinks menu, but the staff are great and will try their best to find something that'll suit read more

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Apart from the location, this is a fun place for some drinks. Being so far away from well, everywhere, means that you should come here for the night. The staff are great and suprisingly tolerant of drunk people running around doing pirate, titanic and other boat-related impressions. Book a taxi for when you leave though, unlikely there'll be anything driving by at 2am read more

Battersea Barge - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

Ahoy! An events boat permanently docked and available for hire. Although also available for private functions I've only been here for a show but I'd imagine a party would be good fun on Battersea Barge. Not a particularly large boat but split over two levels (above and below deck) I'd estimate about 80 people could be accommodated on board but too many more could become problematic. The bar potentially serves a fairly wide range of beers (some good, most average), wines (about 7-9 different whites, reds and sparklys each as well as a couple of rosés') and spirits (standard ones but plenty of them) but not all are likely to be incorporated at any one time due to space and storage limitations. The prices are pretty reasonable though. Meals can also be served on board. Inside the boat is quite pretty and decorative, my favourite features being the two spiral staircases connecting the upper and lower levels. The only blemish for me is one that is unavoidable considering it's a boat and that's the river. Now the river Thames can serve as an interesting, scenic and even romantic (?) backdrop and would be a large factor as to why a party would be a great event on The Barge. It also causes a hindrance to performances taking place on board. Some gentle swaying is fine and even agreeable given the setting but should the tide be in for whatever one may be seeing on the stage then the rocking of the current can make the show/gig a little awkward. Also, the waves provide quite a distraction as they wash over the portholes, visually and aurally it's hardly ideal - but still watchable. TTFN, Ian read more

The Battersea Barge is essentially a little boat on the Thames, close to Vauxhall train / tube station, which hosts private parties, a restaurant, special events and the occasional gig. I came here for a private party once and I was really inspire to have my own party here once day (although the hire fee's a little high as you can imagine). However, I did have a great time, especially as it was summer and you could look out onto the Thames as you were drinking and watching the sun go down, pretty cool. You should come here and check this place out, the gigs aren't all that great but if you fancy a meal or are invited to a party here, it's worth it... read more

Saw a great show here last night and would highly recommend a visit to the barge if Paul: http://www.paullmartin.com/murderonthebatterseabarge.htm has a show there and you can make it there. The food was good, but not great. The prices were not cheap, but affordable. The show was amazing! The location is a bit hard to find, so make sure you do a good recon on Google Maps before you hop in a cab. Our cab driver was very nice, but had no clue how to get to the barge. read more

Wow... Just wow... And not in a good way. I was due to go to some psychedelic acoustic Brazilian night and based on the old reviews and pictures, I was looking forward to it! Needless to say, I was very disappointed straight off the bat. The place itself is in an awesome location but the barge is so run down, dirty and smells pretty bad. The wine we ordered was so old it was practically just a glass of vinegar. But never mind, let's try make a good thing out of a bad situation. So we went upstairs to enjoy our drinks in the sun. The band was there and... Well... For a chill acoustic band.... They were pretty wasted. Both on the drink and on substance which they were happy to use out in public. But never mind. Woosaa lets make it work. Sitting in the sun, they went downstairs to start prepping.... Then came back up for more drinking.... Then back down.... Then back up.... Needless to say we kind of gave up at this point especially as an hour and a half later there was still no band playing.... Based on this I can honestly say I wouldn't return anytime soon. As I said, the location is great but the place is in some serious need of cleaning, redecorating and just getting the place back into tip top shape. read more

Tucked out of the way behind the riverside cement works, the barge, about 5 minutes walk up Nine Elms Lane coming from the Vauxhall end, is a pretty well sorted evening. Particularly as last night it was host to the ever evolving circus that is 'The Qype Party Group'... The venue is available for bookings only - most days of the week I believe - and I'm guessing capacity is probably around the 150 mark. It's a set up that really works; the whole pub-on-a-boat idea lends itself well to theme parties and there's a stage to boot too; perfect if you want to incorporate an intimate gig into your soirée. Friendly staff, some artful exterior lighting and a vaguely jazzy décor made for a damn convivial evening's entertainment, just watch your step as the ramps and spiral staircases can be a little precarious as th evening wears on. They do take card, very handy as the nearest machine is over the horizon somewhere! Not that I needed to reach for it last night all courtesy of Qype. Recommended (both the venue and the party group that is ;) read more

Pretty much has been said about how this place looks like and feels like, so I decided not to repeat the same things in other words. I decided to advise you not to be put off by the fact that this London's worst kept secret is in hideaway on the Thames tideway. It's not so far away, and not so out of the way as believed. Going there you can enjoy a max. 10 min beautiful Riverside Walk from Vauxhall Tube Station, as for the night return the Vauxhall Bus Station offers equally great opportunities of transport to both North and South. Personally I wouldn't move this charming barge anywhere else -the marvellous view from the upper deck is something worth travelling there for. And all the other things mentioned by fellow qypers. I mean some climb high cliffs and put their lives in danger just to be able to collect one tiny edelweiss, because it's special This venue is special. And let me tell you one little secret I managed to find out -they might turn the upstairs into a cocktail bar! Looking forward to it. read more

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Tough to get to, but a great venue. Impressively for a floating bar, it manages to have a selection of drinks on tap, a decently priced wine list, AND a kitchen able to turn out half-decent food. Given the location, it's a place you'd only go to for an event, so it's a good thing they have a calendar of cabaret shows that put the stage to good use (including an annual cabaret panto - don't bring the kids). Or you can hire it for your own do and party on a boat (T-Pain not included). For the lads, make sure you visit the urinal. I pissed myself laughing. read more

Having been there for the Qype Party I couldn't very well not review it now could I? It IS out of the way, but if public transport is running as it should be then it's not as bad as you'd think. Being overlooked by the amazing Battersea Power Station is cool, and the quietness of the location does make it a superb place for a private party as the other reviewers have mentioned. One of the things I liked was how nearly-seedy it seemed! Red velvety furniture and decor starts things off, closely followed by a sequined curtain that gives way to a doorway leading to the stripper's dressing room. Or at least that's what it feels like it should do. In fact, disappointingly, it leads to the man-folk's toilets - quite a different thing altogether. Downstairs it's much of the same - darker, and with a stage that looks like it could have been lifted straight out of the Casa Rosso in Amsterdam! These are all good things I hasten to add, as it gives the place a different atmosphere to a lot of other bars that just end up trying too hard. The staff were friendly, and they have a great selection of beers/lagers, both bottled and on tap - I was more than happy sipping Corona in the London sunshine. The barge is deceptively spacious too, with the two floors available creating room to move / escape to / relax. The upper outside deck is welcome on a nice evening, although watch out for wet wooden seating and the denim-ripping potential of the nails that hold them down. The only thing lacking is a full size plank to make party-goers walk, although with the absence of water on either side last night that was probably a good thing. read more

I agree with all the other reviewers who say the pub is a bit of a walk from public transport, but on a bright sunny day, it's definitely worth the walk. About a 10 minute walk from Vauxhall station, the pub is hidden away and seems like an oasis amongst the many DHL, FedEx's and soulless office blocks on this stretch of Battersea. On entering you go up a plank (laydeez you might want to remove any heels if you want to make a reasonably dignified entrance) and go into a lovely flower strewn deck. The views both up and down stream are fantastic - you have iconic Battersea Power Station, lots of great views of London's bridges. Downstairs is a bit like a trip back in time to some 1970's/ 1980's night club with red lights highlighting the spiral stairs, big red curtains and a microphone that is crying out for some drunken karaoke nights. Brill place for a party and pray for no rain. read more

Cool riverboat venue in Battersea/Vauxhall with regular events and varied clientele. What makes this place is that unlike many boat-bars, this place still really feels like a boat, from the rickets plank to get on board, to the wooden interior and upper deck, you feel like your mate who owns a boat has invited you over for a few drinks. Also, somehow, they manage to do really good pub grub style food, from pies to burgers to salads, and all at under a tenner. The drinks selection is good too, and there are often gigs and cabaret nights going on, so it's worth checking it out and heading down for some summer-time fun. read more

This is a well-executed bar but its a bit of a trek! Located on the south side of the Thames near Vauxhall station, it takes a long amble along the river path to reach the Barge. The walk is pleasant enough and takes in one of the quieter stretches of the Thames' central section. Not fun getting back home to North London though! Once you get over the travelling this bar is cosy, friendly and hidden away so is great for private parties. The stage is situated on the main floor, which hoasted some great live acts when I was there. The deck is lovely and has a nice view - perfect for those smokers who are typically confined to street corners outside pubs. The upstairs seating area is nicely lit and comfortable. The atmosphere is relaxed and there is a vague feeling of having escaped the bustle of London, even in the shadow of Battersea Power Station. Worth a look... read more

I am not too sure if this works on daily basis or its only available to hire. I visited the Battersea Barge a few days ago, but I expected a bit more. It is very romantic, especially on the deck but it can get a bit stuffy inside especially if there are over 50 people inside. I felt the menu was too little and the food wasn't as great. read more

Cool place. It's a bit of a walk from Vauxhall Station but pleasant enough on a summer's eve and the location right on the river is very impressive with nice views of London (especially the Battersea Powerstation!). They've got a good selection of beer too. Although to be honest, I only drank Budvar on my visit. I'd go back and like ahunter said a few reviews up from this one, it's a great place for a party. read more

nice pub/restaurant,i would recommend it to anyone,for small chops to large family gathering,nice vew over the thames.check it out!!!!!! read more

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I went to this place for a private fundraising event where we watched a variety show. They filled the boat with people (it isnt very big) and the stage hosted the acts very well. They also did food which was very tasty and wholesome. The staff were friendly and everythig was reasonably priced. read more

Our Christmas party was here, amazing place. The ambient is dark downstairs but the view from the upper deck is stunning. I do not have much to say about the food, normal to good, but the atmosphere is worthy. read more

Lovely pub, just lovely. So romantic, my girlfriend brought me here and I immediately like it. Located in the river this place is perfect for a date. Give it a try. read more