Riverside Pub in Docklands: The Gun's Heated Thames Garden

The Gun, at 27 Coldharbour, Docklands, London E14 9NS, opens at 11:30 am every day and closes at 11 pm Monday and Tuesday, at midnight Wednesday to Saturday and at 10:30 pm on Sunday. It is a Grade II listed pub with a riverside terrace and a pub garden looking over the Thames. The pub says it dates to the early 18th century and took its name from the cannon fired to celebrate the opening of the West India Import Docks in 1802.

The pub's history page says that in the late 18th century Lord Horatio Nelson acquired a property just up the road, still known as Nelson's House, and that he regularly visited the docks to inspect the guns until his death at Trafalgar in 1805. According to the pub, Nelson would frequent The Gun and meet Lady Emma Hamilton in an upstairs room, now called The River Room, for their secret assignations.

The pub tells the story with a smile rather than as documented fact, and it is the reason to ask about the upstairs room when you arrive. Come for the anecdote, then stay for the view across the water. Nelson's House, the property he acquired up the road, is the other half of the story, and the pub's history page treats the two as a pair.

The pub also has a long association with smugglers, who the history page says landed contraband on the site and distributed it through a hidden tunnel. To this day there is still a spy-hole in the secret circular staircase, positioned to watch out for the Revenue Men. If you have a few minutes, ask the bar staff to point out the staircase, since it is the physical proof that the story is more than pub talk.

The garden is the main draw. The pub describes it as discreetly tucked away, with stunning views over the Thames, and says it is fully heated and enclosed in the winter, while in summer the marquee is removed. Please note the garden area and the pizza van are closed throughout January and February, so those two months are a time for the indoor bar instead.

Outside those months, a pizza van serves pizzas in the garden on Wednesday and Thursday from 18:00 to 21:30, on Friday from 15:00, and on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 21:00. Tuesday and Monday have no pizza van, so those evenings call for the kitchen. In summer the bar runs a Summer Sipping selection of garden spritzes, G&Ts, rosé and low and no options, which you ask for at the bar.

The kitchen is led by Head Chef Bruno, and the pub's food page describes timeless pub classics with a fresh modern twist, using seasonal ingredients across Sunday roasts, set meals and à la carte. The Sunday roasts are described as ever popular, with giant Yorkshire puddings named as one of the star attractions. Menus are published on the pub's website, though the page does not list prices, so you will read them in the pub.

Kitchen hours are Monday to Friday 12:00 to 15:00 and 18:00 to 21:30, Saturday 12:00 to 16:00 and 18:00 to 21:30, and Sunday 12:00 to 21:00. That means Saturday afternoon between 4 pm and 6 pm is a gap, and a Monday or Tuesday evening kitchen closes at 9:30 pm even though the bar stays open to 11 pm. Plan your meal inside those windows and you will not be disappointed.

The Gun is also a live sport pub. Its live sport page promises football and rugby on big screens, with a calendar of upcoming fixtures on the site, filed by sport and date. On those evenings the bar fills, so if you want a quiet look at the history, choose a weekday afternoon after lunch service and before the kick-off crowd arrives.

Bookings are handled through the Book a table button, which also offers private hire, wedding and event options. For a riverside table on a sunny weekend, booking is sensible. If you arrive without one, ask whether the garden has space before settling indoors, because the garden is the part of this pub you came for.

Coldharbour runs along the river on the Isle of Dogs, and the path past the pub gives a view across the water to the white-roofed O2. After a drink, walk along the riverside and look back at the glass towers of Canary Wharf. The route is mostly about the water, so wander slowly.

If you want a second pub, The Grapes in Limehouse is the next riverside stop on the north bank, and it takes no bookings and admits over-18s only. The Gun's own events calendar changes through the year, so look at the What's on page on its website to see whether live music or a special menu falls on the day you visit. The pub also hosts weddings, celebrations, corporate events and private dining, so a weekend afternoon can be busier than a weekday evening, and it is worth asking at the bar whether a function is using any of the upstairs space before you settle in.

Pub hours are Monday and Tuesday 11:30 am to 11 pm, Wednesday to Saturday 11:30 am to midnight and Sunday 11:30 am to 10:30 pm. Food is served Monday to Friday 12 pm to 3 pm and 6 pm to 9:30 pm, Saturday 12 pm to 4 pm and 6 pm to 9:30 pm, and Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm.

The pub is run by Fuller's and its website is thegundocklands.com. Events and private hire enquiries go to Gun.Docklands-Events@fullers.co.uk. Go on a Wednesday or Thursday evening for the best mix of pizza van and a quieter garden, and avoid January and February if the garden is the point of the trip.