As you gaze across the river and soak up the stunning panorama of St Paul’s and The City you're sure to ponder that views such as this usually come at a price. Not at the Founders Arms. Comforting, relaxing and the ideal spot to marvel at the beauty of our fair capital.

The Venue
Strolling along the South Bank can make you feel flustered as you elbow your way past hordes of tourists and street entertainers. The Founders Arms sits invitingly beside the Tate Modern with its extensive terrace overlooking the river and enviable views of St Paul’s and The City. It’s certainly a pleasant spot to unwind.

A classic pub in every sense of the word, the venue’s pull is definitely the terrace and people sprawl themselves anywhere they can find a spot. Even on dark winter nights, glowing heat lamps and blankets are provided so that punters can continue to appreciate the view, which is particularly spectacular at night.

Inside, you’ll find plenty of wooden seating and a large stretch of bar that wraps around the length of the interior to keep the thirsty throngs of people happy. There’s plenty of seating either on high stools or tables by the windows.

The Atmosphere
As it occupies a stretch of one of London’s busiest walkways, the Founders Arms is never short of customers, whether it’s tourists, groups of colleagues, friends gossiping or couples cosying up. It can get particularly busy at lunchtime and after 6pm when local office workers from surrounding Southwark and London Bridge descend upon it in their droves.

The staff are friendly enough although they don’t need to rely too much on repeat business thanks to the continuous floods of tourists and this is reflected in the service, which can be impersonal. You also need to be prepared to wait at peak times, when the queues at the bar can be lengthy.

The Food
As a traditional British pub, you can expect pub grub from generously filled sandwiches and platters for sharing to hearty mains, including beef and ale pie, bangers and mash and fish and chips. The moules and frites comes highly recommended – forget small measly mussels often found in classic pubs, these are plump, delicious and plentiful. Prices at the Founders Arms aren’t cheap, but they do fit in with the tourist-filled area. If you’re after something smaller, there’s a good selection of light bites.

The Drink
A good selection of wine starts at £14.95 for a bottle, whilst any self-styled beer connoisseur has their fair share of bottled and draught beer to choose from, together with a selection of Young's ales. Prices for a pint of Heineken or Fosters start from £3.60 a pint, and the selection is bolstered by bottles of Budweiser, Corona and Becks.

A nice touch is the Pimms (£3.80) on draught, proving to be a very popular tipple on hot summer days. The bar isn't short of other premium spirits either, with enough gin, vodka, rum and whisky to satisfy the fussiest of customers.

The Last Word
The Founders Arms is a good antidote for weary tourists and workers, offering beautiful views of London and a feel good atmosphere, however frantic it may get on a Friday evening.

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