The Ship Inn offers casual dining, British and American pub savories, freshly brewed beer, and live entertainment in a traditional English pub atmosphere. We endeavor to provide simple, honest, home-made food from local and ecologically responsible sources when possible.
We are located at 61 Bridge St. Milford, NJ 08848
The kitchen is open Sunday-Thursday, Noon-9 PM, Friday-Saturday, Noon-9:30 PM.
The bar stays open with the crowd.
For reservations, call (908) 995-0188.
For in-house catering enquiries, use our contact form. Be sure to review our menus and include the date, number of people, and format you would like.
Just 20 minutes from Clinton, Flemington, and Lambertville / New Hope, Easton / Phillipsburg in the stunning Delaware valley, The Ship is an unique place to meet friends, serve as a landing place for clubs, or hold family events.
Philosophy
In recent years we have made a number of efforts to reduce our carbon footprint . This is part of a growing practice and philosophy of restauranteuring on our part that supports a local economy and local agriculture. Where feasible, such practice entails purchasing meats, vegetables, and other ingredients from local farms, obtaining services from local businesses, and co-marketing with local businesses as well. For other ingredients, we attempt to derive them from sustainable sources In this way the fields around us remain green and fertile and people in our community can thrive. Among the benefits are the cultivation of a local flavor in our region’s foods and the growth of a vibrant and interesting local culture. Though typically more costly that traditional practices of “lowest price wins”, we are pleased that there is a growing market for such practices. It is a work in progress for us so please check in with our developments.
Decor
The tin ceiling, beams and handmade brickwork hail are part of the original Victorian era design. The bar top is made of the renovated bowling alley lanes that once were housed in the building years ago. Table tops are rough hewn hatch covers from seafaring ships or laminates of ship building plans. The decor is primarily a nautical theme but now features a wall for our Artist of the Month project
Dining Areas
There are four main dining areas.
The bar is composed of the main bar and surrounding bar tables. Lined with pewter mugs and pub paraphernalia, it is the heart of the restaurant. There are no televisions which makes it an ideal place to have a quiet drink alone, meet friends for a chat, or dine while observing our Tuesday open mic night or Saturday night music performances.
The deck seats thirty and overlooks our beautiful Harehokake Creek. Parties of two, four, and one party of eight can be accommodated. The whole area can be booked if one does not require tables to be adjoining.
The main dining room, with tartan carpet and original brick and beadwork, surrounds the bar. Parties of two to 20 can be accommodated with adjoining tables. Parties of 40 can be booked here.
The brewhouse, with hardwood floor and views of the brewery and the creek, seats twenty five to thirty. Tables can be arranged for parties of four, five or up to a party of thirty. This room is somewhat removed from the main dining area by a curtain, making it ideal for meetings and those who wish to watch “The Game” (pending bartender approval, of course). Our wide screen TV also takes laptop input for presentations.
History
The Ship was opened in May 1985 after extensive renovations to the 1860′s Victorian building. The building, known as The Town Tavern was originally a bakery and then an ice cream parlor with a speak-easy in the back room during the Prohibition Era. In the 1950′s and sixties, the building housed a two lane bowling alley and served employees of the now-defunct paper mill. In 1985, Ann and David Hall purchased The Town Tavern, and transformed it into The Ship Inn, serving Watney’s Red Barrel, John Courage Ale, Guinness, and our renowned fish and chips and shepherd’s pie. The Ship was once again transformed itself in late 1994 to make way for a new 7 barrel British-style brewing system, additional dining adjacent to the brew house, a new kitchen and restrooms, and wheelchair accessibility from Honeysuckle Lane. On January 3rd 1995, The Ship was proud to become the first in New Jersey to brew beer for consumption on premise since the days of Prohibition.
