Latest reviews from Stoke Newington

“A theme of that Friday's pub crawl was walking past venues. I had the location on google maps but it seemed to in fact be a second-hand car sales place. After looking a brief walk up and down I then realised that the tap is tucked in beside the other premises. The guy (Macintosh himself) agreed that they needed a bigger sign. One other customer who was obviously a regular. I ended up sat at the bar and found myself talking nonsense after a few strong beers. Interestingly the intention is to only ever brew a few beers so once you have ticked the bitter and pale, you're going to have to wait until he gets around to brewing a porter or suchlike. If you want to go to a small tap that just has two beers on tap then fill yer boots.“

BeardedAvenger 154 days ago

“I nearly walked past Red Hand and this place also nearly got a mass. No signs and from across the road it appeared to be unlit inside. However once I crossed and took a look inside a window there was life. 10 or so other customers. The three staff were talking to each other. Then sorted some stuff out,. And then finally one of them came over to serve me. A bit too cool for school. Range of beers was decent but narrower than Red Hand. Would return if passing but not a venue I would particularly plan to head to.“

BeardedAvenger 154 days ago

“Decent shop with an eclectic assortment of beers. Some stuff that I haven't seen in other shops around London, for example breweries from Belgium and Czech. Also has local London breweries, UK breweries. Prices are reasonable, service is fine. Lots of wine and spirits as well. Not a destination beer shop but worth popping in when in the area.“

Leighton 1109 days ago

“Wide selection of Real Ales and Craft Beers in many styles & decent food too. Always been busy when I've been in there so that speaks volumes for it. Decent place!“

FACambridge 1493 days ago

“a must visit pub with very good selection of real ales and craft beers, mostly english, also some belgiums.“

darkbeerlover85 1954 days ago

“Five minutes walk west of Stoke Newington's 'Mother Kelly's', and on the same road, the selection here isn't quite on the same par, but it's decent enough and surprisingly extensive given the majority of this corner shop unit is given over to wines. The mix of bottles and cans are on shelves towards the front of this bright and airy shop. Beer from the capital dominate, but there's a few from further afield here too.“

ManVsBeer 1981 days ago

“Visited on 6th August 2017. Large pub in Stoke Newington and not far from the station with a bus stop practically outside so it's well connected. The look is very similar to that of the Kings Head which I believe is a sister pub, the decor is a little shabby chic but is modern and tidy. Stopped by as had a tap takeover by Other Half so the place was rammed but did manage to find a table. Beer range looked pretty good anyway with 18 taps and a solid looking bottle list, food looked decent value but didn't sample any. Service was pretty good and managed to cope with the mob. Definitely one to visit in the area. Decent venue.“

WingmanWillis 2419 days ago

“Visited on 6th August 2017. Large off licence on Church St. Focus is on local London breweries for the beer range which is small but OK, there's a large selection of wine and spirits too. Prices and service were OK, not one I'd dash back to but if I was wandering past I might look in as the beer range isn't all that exciting.“

WingmanWillis 2419 days ago

“An OK shop. The focus is wine, but they also have some beer, including London mainstays like Beavertown, Five Points, etc. The selection here pales compared to Mother Kelly’s just down the street, although Clissold did have two London breweries on offer that MK did not: Brewheadz and Bianca Road. Decent prices. I didn’t really engage the lady behind the counter except during checkout, and that service fine. This place is certainly not a destination bottle shop, and wouldn’t be my first port of call on this street, but it’s worth a quick visit in case they might have an obscure or new London brewery.“

Leighton 2609 days ago

“Visited last on 22nd Feb 2014. Large single roomed pub in Stoke Newington. There’s a definite focus on food and have eaten here a couple of times and it is excellent. It was popular on the times I’ve visited. The decor is modern and and looks good. A good mix of cask and keg beers were on, prices good. Picked up a couple of new ticks so happy. Nice pub, just a bit of a pain to get to.“

WingmanWillis 2853 days ago

“This is a very promising pub. Selection is well above average, while not the greatest in London. But when put to context that the selection is in pub that has decent looking food (I only saw other tables eating), enough room for 100+ customers, and quite attractive looks, I do not have difficulties to believe someday this pub is world class.“

kerolasa 3979 days ago

“Drank in here a lot when I lived in hackney it is the only beer bar in stokey. Good food nicely decorated. Worth it if in the area Sunday roasts and fish and chips are amazing“

hopbomber 3980 days ago

“Too bad this is located in such an inconvenient spot to get to. The ambiance here is great. It draws a young, hip crowd. The bar was heaving on my Saturday night visit, though I was luckily able to split a table with another group. Non-beery friends would certainly appreciate the fun, boisterous ambiance of this place. The service was acceptable, if somewhat curt and unfriendly. The selection’s pretty good. There were about 6 beers on cask, with another 10 on keg. The keg stuff was actually pretty interesting. I enjoyed halves from Summer Wine and Brodies. The bottles look a bit more pedestrian (think Delerium Tremens etc.). The value was in line with what other specialist bars are charging these days in London. Overall, I’d make this a regular spot if it wasn’t located in Stoke Newington.“

jackl 4100 days ago

“Arrived with bit of a fanfare when it got a makeover and transformed into a specialist beer pub in 2010. From what I’ve seen it has a decent selection of cask beers, with an emphasis on local brews, and some interesting "craft" kegs, plus a fairly small but well chosen selection of bottles. However, most of my visits have been for particular events so I can’t really be certain of the depth of its range at other times. To be honest, it’s not that convenient for me to get to, so there has to be something special to get me to make the trip. More of a place to visit if in the area than a destination in itself for me.“

chriso 4237 days ago

“So, the beer selection is ok, lots of Belgian stuff, so for me not that interesting. :p Staff was not exactly friendly, we had to decide very fast on what we wanted to order, no time for chit chat or asking questions or having a sample or two. Just ordered random stuff, wasn’t terribly good. The place was really crowded, guess this is the local hot spot for hipsters. Music was way too loud, tables a bit dirty. Oh, and the whole place smelled like deep frying fat. Not exactly a good location for trying out new beers and writing down a rating. More like a place to get shitfaced with some friends.“

tderoeck 4392 days ago

“Probably seems more special to the people who live near it as its pretty shocking area for pubs... Its a decent place, beer selection is pretty decent on cask and on keg its on a par with a Draft House i guess so for this area a godsend probably. The beers were little hit and miss in terms of condition I didnt find staff terribly friendly, interested or with much beer knowledge. If i lived near i would probably come back but otherwise i wouldnt make the journey.“

NarkeBoy22 4711 days ago

“Based on a couple of visits on their anniversary fest. Nice selection of beers, many specials. All but one of the beers was in very good condition. Good bottle selection and I was able to take away a few Kernels. Staff were quick to serve (big bonus points for me - can’t stand slovenly service), friendly and helpful. Didn’t try the food but it looked and smelled good and it’s always reassuring to see it cooked in front of you. Could have done without the live jazz band, not because they were bad but because I could not then hear a single word anyone said. Overall a pretty decent pub and I will go back as it’s pretty straightforward to get to from Liverpool Street.“

madmitch76 4739 days ago

“Solid pub overall. I visited on a Friday night and the place was packed. The place was in the midst of a London Beer Week so most of the pumps were occupied by London breweries: Meantime, Camden, Redemption. I tried a few beers. They were each in good shape and the prices were pretty fair. Other draft options included Chimay, BrewDog and Mort Subite, as well as some nice bottles including Kernel Brewery. The decor was hip and clean, as was most of the clientele. Would like to visit this spot again.“

Leighton 4899 days ago

“Enjoyable pub with a good focus on draught beers as well as cask and a solid range to match. Large seating area around the bar with only a few large tables outside. A little out of the way but worth a visit and hope that they can keep up the standards. I’ll be sure to take another look. Great support for London breweries.“

nate2g 5027 days ago

“Visited on 5th May 2010 on a friend’s recommendation. Fairly large corner pub at top of high street. Reopened April 2010. Exterior red, interior maroon walls and green ceiling. Bare floorboards; bar and kitchen at rear maximising space. Tables seat up to four with one or two for larger groups. A few stools around the bar. Exciting and well-kept ale range. Seven ales, one perry and one cider dispensed by handpump; nine European beers also on tap including, quite adventurously, a rauchbier. On my visit there were two Thornbridge, two Brodies and 3 other micros. Cask beers at £3.20 a pint; imports rather more than this although I did not see any actual prices. A fair-priced, no-nonsense food menu is offered with mains ranging from £8.50 to £10.50 apart from a £14.50 rib eye steak. My friend and I enjoyed the German variant of bangers & mash served with sauerkraut and German mustard. Pub is very airy and spacious, and some interesting features have survived its refurbishment – look for the arched, stain-glassed windows and the original if rather battered tiled wall behind the bar. Comfortable lighting; note cut-out faces on the pendant lights over the bar, then see the face collage on the rear wall perpendicular to it. On my visit there was either no music or it was turned very low indeed with conversation ruling the roost. Only "minus" was that I found the seating arrangements rather "gastro" and the building rather large to afford much intimacy. Friendly, keen staff and efficient service. In summary, a splendid beer range,to suit virtually all tastes, a sensible menu and for making the efforts they do they deserve to succeed. Recommended. “

ladnewton 5095 days ago