Unless you’ve been lost at sea for months without a calendar and no broadband connection, you may have noticed that yesterday was the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, an event that has been causing high excitement in nautical quarters. Chief among these is Greenwich, where the tourist trade is enjoying a surge in sales of commemorative cannonballs, eye patches and bits of old rope, and where the largely mediocre drinkeries are fuller than usual of visitors trying not to look disappointed with their taste of traditional English hospitality. Luckily, there’s one pub in Greenwich that doesn’t provide conditions and beer that would have had Nelson’s toughest tars going for a coffee instead.

What’s it like? The only pub owned by the nearby Meantime brewery, the Greenwich Union is a lighthouse of well-made, flavoursome beers in a sea of dross, with an atmosphere to match. With a flagstone floor, zinc bar top and chunky wooden tables, the combination of great beer, a youngish crowd and a management and staff that actually care about the place sets it apart from the neighbouring chains and sticky-carpeted tourist-entrapment zones, creating a buzzing environment that draws all manner of punters. There’s a leafy garden if you want a faint tang of the Thames, but no seafaring references here, which, after the cornucopia of saltiness down the road, makes a nice change.

What to drink? Even without the prospect of viewing Nelson’s bloodstained undergarments, Greenwich is worth a visit simply to sample Meantime’s excellent range of award-winning beers. Up to ten Meantime brews are on offer, from a matured Pilsener to a complex chocolate beer, plus a variety of good foreign bottles including Anchor Steam from the US and Cooper’s from Australia. Even the most committed admirer of the naval tradition would have to admit that a selection of these, helped along by some of the pub’s very good food, beats rum, sodomy and the lash every time.

The Greenwich Union, 56 Royal Hill, London SE10 (020-8692 6258)

Explore Food & Drink

• Gordon Ramsay

• Heston Blumenthal

• Recipes

• Wine

• Real Food

• Drinks

• Anjum Anand

• Eating Out

• Video Recipes

Times Recommends

• Champagne cocktail
• Food that's good for body and soul
• Joe McCanta’s never-fail hangover-relief shake