A brand-new Wetherspoons pub, The Sun Wharf, is set to open in summer 2025, bringing a new drinking and dining spot to one of London’s most popular areas. Development work has
officially begun this week, with doors expected to open on August 26, 2025.
The pub will take over the former London Dungeon site at 50 Tooley Street, located within the historic arches near London Bridge. The space has remained vacant since the Dungeon moved to County Hall in 2013, as part of the area’s redevelopment.
A new chapter for Tooley Street
The venue’s transformation was approved by Southwark Council after plans were first submitted in September 2024. The new Wetherspoons will be open seven days a week, from 6:30 AM to 12:30 AM, offering food, drinks, and the familiar pub atmosphere the chain is known for.
An artist’s impression of the site features a bold, neon-lit sign reading "The Sun Wharf Wetherspoon." The name is thought to reference a historic wharf east of London Bridge, once a bustling hub for ships importing goods from Australia.
A £20 million transformation
The former London Dungeon was known for its eerie, immersive attractions, but Network Rail, which owns the building, had previously noted that the space’s dark and damp environment made it challenging to lease.
In 2017, the company stated that “the residual premises provide a very poor-quality environment,” noting that the Dungeon’s former presence was an exception because its theme thrived in such conditions.
Since relocating to South Bank, the new £20 million London Dungeon now welcomes over 700,000 visitors annually.
Expanding the Wetherspoons portfolio
The Sun Wharf will be the second Wetherspoons pub in the London Bridge area, joining The Pommelers Rest near Tower Bridge. It is part of a larger expansion plan, with 11 new Wetherspoons pubs set to open across England in 2025.
- New locations will include:
- London Bridge station
- Fulham Broadway Underground station
- Manchester Airport Terminal 2
- Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
- Wetherby, West Yorkshire
- Bath, Somerset
- Fareham, Hampshire
Additionally, four new Wetherspoons pubs will be launched at Haven holiday parks in:
- Devon Cliffs, Exmouth
- Kent Coast, Allhallows
- Cleethorpes Beach, Lincolnshire
- Haggerston Castle, Northumberland
The company is also eyeing a new location in Farnham, Surrey, after acquiring a former Slug & Lettuce site, though no official opening date has been announced.
Challenges and calls for tax reform
Despite its expansion, Wetherspoons faces rising costs, with chairman Sir Tim Martin highlighting a £60 million increase in labour-related expenses due to higher minimum wages and national insurance contributions.
Speaking on the issue, Martin renewed his call for the government to equalize VAT on pub and supermarket food. He argued that the 20% VAT rate on pub food, compared to zero VAT on most supermarket food, gives retailers an unfair advantage.
“The VAT distortions that exist today will inevitably create more supermarkets and fewer pubs,” he said, urging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to “strike a blow for tax equality and end discrimination in favor of dull dinner parties.” Photo by © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA-4.0.