The Thomas Doggett New Year’s Eve Dinner and Cruise pairs a three-course Greek dinner at The Real Greek, on Southwark Bridge Road from 5pm, with a Thames cruise from Bankside Pier, on the South Bank in front of Tate Modern, on 31 December 2026: boarding at 9:30pm, departure at 9:45pm and return to the same pier at approximately 1:30am, with live music on board and the midnight fireworks watched from the upper deck. From £369.55 per adult and from £360.05 for ages 12 to 17. A cruise-only ticket, without the dinner, is also sold: both fares are in the price table on this page. Ages 12 and up only. Free cancellation until 1 December 2026.
The Thomas Doggett: the boat and the optional Greek dinner
The boat carries the name of Thomas Doggett, the actor who in 1715 founded Doggett’s Coat and Badge, the race for young Thames watermen that is still rowed every year, the oldest rowing race in the world. On the last night of the year it leaves from the same stretch of river, with live music, a bar and London lit up on both banks.
If you choose the dinner, the evening starts at 5pm at The Real Greek on Southwark Bridge Road, with a cocktail or mocktail and three courses: a trio of Greek dips with warm flatbread, then lamb kleftiko or, for vegetarians, a moussaka made with soya mince, and loukoumades or ice cream to finish. Afterwards an escort walks the group to Bankside Pier, about five minutes away. That night the riverbank is crowded; on the Thomas Doggett the fireworks are watched from the upper deck.
See the New Year’s Eve menu at The Real Greek (PDF, indicative)
How the night unfolds
5:00pm — The Real Greek (dinner option)
Riverside House, 2A Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 9HA, a few minutes from Bankside Pier. Be there at 5pm for a welcome cocktail or mocktail and three Greek courses.
9:30pm — Bankside Pier
Diners are walked to the pier by an escort, about five minutes. With the cruise-only ticket you make your own way there: arrive by 9:15pm, 30 minutes before departure. Boarding is at 9:30pm and the boat leaves at 9:45pm sharp; latecomers cannot be accommodated.
On board — live music and a cash bar
Live music to dance to as the boat sails through central London, past the landmarks lit up on both banks. Drinks are bought at the bar.
Midnight — the fireworks from the upper deck, then music until about 1:30am
The countdown on the river and the display watched from the upper deck. The music then carries on into 2027 until the return to Bankside Pier at approximately 1:30am.
Before you book
This cruise is for ages 12 and up: guests aged 12 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult, and children under 12 cannot board. Bring cash for the bar. Luggage and large bags of any kind are not allowed on board, and your e-ticket on your phone is enough.
Roads across central London may close early for the fireworks, so check Transport for London before you travel. As on every Thames cruise that night, the final position for the display depends on river traffic and weather and cannot be guaranteed. Cancellation is free until 5:00pm on Tuesday 1 December 2026, 30 days before the cruise.
Not to be confused with the Sapele, which also leaves Bankside Pier at 9:45pm: its dinner is served at Doggett’s Coat and Badge, a pub by Blackfriars Bridge named after the same race, and it welcomes all ages, so it is the one to choose with children under 12. The Thomas Doggett is the boat: 12 and up, with a Greek dinner or the cruise on its own.
The same Greek menu is also served before the Silver Sockeye cruise, but at The Real Greek – Tower Bridge, not on Southwark Bridge Road. That cruise includes Prosecco on boarding and at midnight and is open from age 13; it is sold only with the dinner.
