There seems to be some sort of magical effect in operation at The Duke of Wellington: Whenever a…read moreseat is opened up, whether at a table or at the bar, it is instantly filled, and yet one never can tell from whence the people come -- the place never seems to be crowded, and no one ever seems to be waiting for a chair. It's almost as if the punters are a liquid, flowing in at the same rate as they flow out, always finding their own level. That said, I found The Duke of Wellington to be pleasant but entirely unexceptional. The interior decor is minimalist to the point of nonexistence; the exterior is unremarkable, and there is nothing to recommend a visit to its Dalston location.

On Sunday I meet a few friends in Hackney for a drink at the Wellington. I had not checked out…read morethis pub before but really enjoyed it. The pub feels part of the neighbourhood and I noticed people taking advantage of the comfy chairs and reading the paper while sipping a pint. The pub is not overbearing and has a low key vibe that I really enjoyed. There is outdoor seating and despite the chill people were taking advantage of that space as well. As far as pubs go, this was a great place to grab a drink and chat with friends. The prices were great and the drinks flowing. I'm not sure if they offer pub grub, I was happy with a few drinks, especially since, as we sat chatting there was talk about turning our get together into a pub crawl. To be honest, I had to nix that idea because after a few minutes in this comfy friendly pub, I was perfectly happy enjoying the Wellington for the evening!

We only had drinks here but this was a great little dive (ish) bar close to Dalston…read more It's got an eclectic mix of decor and spaces. Enough tables to seat most on all but he busiest of nights. It has that comfy at your childhood home welcoming feel and I imagine would be even more cozy and fun in the winter. Fun, kind staff. Nice go to pub. 5 star please

Love this pub that reopened about a year ago, just off Dalston high street and the Balls Pond Road…read more Quite a rough place previously (apparently) it is now a lovely beer filled pub, serving Thai food. Owned by the same guys who have brought us the awesome Pineapple in Kentish Town. The young landlord is a good bloke and offers about half a dozen ales. In a couple of visits this selection (for example Redemption Big Chief, Brewdog 5am Saint and Purity UBU) has kept me from just staying for just one as I had intended. As have random conversations with other people enjoying the place. How easily a quick pint can lead to an evening pleasantly wasted.

I am so fortunate to have this as my local pub. It's truly a gastro pub as the food is absolutely…read moredelicious. I had the rump of lamb with kale, walnuts and celriac grastin. Followed up with the toffee apple crumble with cream. The ambience is warm, mature and comforting. People playing games, nice conversations over wine, wait staff are nice and friendly.

I have no idea what the prior incarnation of this pub was like, but the current one certainly ticks…read moreall the boxes for me: kitschy taxidermy, spectacular ceiling metalwork and chandelier, absurd art in the toilets, and one of the better Sunday roasts I've had in London. Oh, and they have a television, which I probably wouldn't have noticed except for the fact that Murray/Federer match was on and everyone was enthralled. On one hand, my lamb roast was absolutely beautiful. At about £14 (if memory serves), it was the right amount of food to be heartily satisfying. The meat was perfectly tender and kicked up a notch by the mint sauce which came with it. I also sampled some of my tablemates' horseradish sauce and was impressed by the kick - they don't mess around! Meanwhile, I made the mistake of ordering the gazpacho. I really couldn't distinguish it much from just straight-up tomato juice with some salt in it. I'm used to my gazpacho having some consistency and thickness to it. This was watery and unexciting. Even throwing all of the garnishes in (diced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers) didn't help that much. I probably shouldn't have ended my meal with this, as it was utterly underwhelming. At this point, I was far too full to consider actually enjoying a dessert, but they do offer a cheese board that caught my eye. Another time - definitely glad to have this joint as a wonderful Sunday roast alternative after climbing at The Castle!

Loved it. Great room. The Sunday roast was good. The Art was saucy. The service could have been…read morebetter. But I work in a fancy Canadian restaurant so I don't know what's expected here.

This pub is very much a locals pub and they range from the unfriendly (I'm sure we were told to 'f…read moreoff' at some point and as we were leaving were sent off with a 'go on then') to the friendly (the bartender and one local at the bar who greeted us and had a bit of a chat with us). I'd probably stay away to be honest, based on the 'bad eggs' especially as drinkswise there was little to interest me (went for Bulmers on draught just as I'd only had it from a bottle before). Does show live football at 3pm on a Saturday though, which very few places do. I thought Army & Navy were sweets?

very clean pub,very roomy and as nice staff and and customers music on saturday nights althought no…read morereal ales,but very clean and tidy pub,only serviving pub out of 4 nearby.

I have found it. The pub of my dreams. Movie themed, reasonably priced drinks AND board games. What…read moremore could you want in a pub?! Literally I could spend hours and hours walking round this pub looking at all the posters and quotes layering the walls. Highlights are definitely the Marvel wall and don't even get me started on the Elvis toilet and the female icon wall in the toilet (yey). Sadly, we didn't have a full meal but we did try the chips and cheese and the apple crumble which we're both good. Shout out to their creamy homemade mayonnaise, seriously give it a try! I will be back to try their roast and spend another merry Sunday afternoon here.

The Alma is the kind of pub which puts the other, more mediocre locals to shame. Even from the…read moreoutside it is easy to appreciate the atmosphere the owners have cleverly created as large round windows are filled with candles and framed by purple velvet drapes. Inside this great style is continued as The Alma makes a use of its cavernous structure to create several distinct seating areas littered with sofa's and old wooden tables. A walled patio area outside offers even more seating as well as a bit of comfort for smokers. The Alma also fancies itself a bit 'gastro' and has a great food menu which changes regularly. Though I found it a bit expensive for breakfast, my Eggs Benedict were lovely. With food like this and such a buzzing atmosphere The Alma is a must try for everyone!

Lovely pub. Great for a chilled out drink with a couple of mates as it has a relaxed vibe and…read moreplenty of seating available. The open kitchen instantly attracted me as you can watch an endless parade of goodies on their way to food heaven. So when I arrived, I had great expectations for the Snooty fox Sunday roast, unfortunately this meal looked better than it tasted. I had 'the full Biffter', a Sunday lunch with a slice of everything. I found the meat to be a bit bland but plentiful although extremely fatty. It would have been nice to have more veg to balance it out (you only get one roast potato and one Yorkshire pudding to accompany a small square of cauliflower cheese and greens). Customer service on this day was also a little bit of a let down. Our server was rather brusque with us on a number of instances and when we asked for some extra horseradish sauce, brought us a half used individual portion pot from another table rather than refilling the one from our table. Luck of the draw? Maybe. But I'm not sure I'll be returning to find out.

This pub has been kind of sort of my local for a while, despite being between 15-30 minutes walk…read morefrom where I have been living the last 9 years. It is certainly the pub I have visited most often, so I am delighted that is finally a geographical local, not just a sentimental one. The beer festivals they hold every few months are the highlights from a beer point of view, but they are a reliable source of quality ale all year around. Otter Ale, a favourite of mine from Devon, is their regular ale (house ale). Their other ales are ever changing, including one specified guest which carries a 20p reduction for CAMRA members. They also serve proper cider. Keen interest in music from the pictures adorning the walls to the juke box to the, at times unusual, DJs that perform. People are occasionally foxy but never snooty at the Snooty Fox!

One of my favorite dining experiences on a recent trip to London. The food is excellent and the…read morevibe is just lovely. Highly recommended.

Considered a favorite among my friends, we made it a point to head to this neighborhood watering…read morehole almost immediately after we landed in London. Friendly (also full of banter) staff helped me decide on the Scolt Head Lager (not fully pictured), which paired nicely with my fish and chips. I was, however, a bit disappointed that the meal did not come with mushy peas, but instead, a small salad. So just a heads up if you expected the former with this English staple. Ample outdoor seating is readily available if it's packed inside. The door to the toilets is neatly labeled with a giant "T", so you shouldn't have a hard time finding it.

First time having a proper Sunday roast in London, and this place really set the bar HIGH…read more Such an incredible environment, first off. The owners are extremely friendly and they helped me pick the best dish for my first experience. I couldn't be more happy with my experience. The waitstaff made sure I was happy and taken care of the entirety of my visit. The Cellars can take ALL of my money any day of the week. 10/10 for me.

Mmmmm ROAST. Having heard lots about the Cellars from many people I finally took the journey across…read moretown to give it a try and it was well worth the journey. It was a lovely sunny day so we decided to sit outside on one of the benches (yes this was in October!) we did venture inside too and they have a huge dining room area and bar with plenty of room for seating and standing on a busier night. The waiters and owner were very friendly guiding us through the menu and prompting us that there was a large table of 24 nearly ready to order and we should get in quickly. Luckily we knew exactly what we wanted: ROAST, so we ordered the beef with a side of wine and a beer. Yum. The food came very quickly and piping hot through. Our beef was cooked to perfection - medium rare and the veg to compliment was delicious. Especially the roasties. I did have to ask for extra gravy but that's just me. The only think I will say is I felt the roast was a bit lacking in size but you really couldn't argue with the quality of what was served so I was happy to pay the price of £14.50. Overall we had a lovely afternoon and I will definitely be back to try more of their menu.

My family and I came here for Christmas Eve dinner and it was a great experience! The food was…read moredelicious although there were not many options for the main course. My sister had made a reservation but I can see how this restaurant gets busy - especially for big events. I hear they host large weddings often. The atmosphere was cozy and the staff was very friendly. They had a wide selection of beers and wines. The best part of the meal was the dessert afterwards. We ordered 5 different puddings to share and they were all amazing. I liked that it was in a quiet neighborhood but could see how some people may not stumble upon it since it is not on the main Church Street where most of the other pubs are in the area. Overall, it was the perfect meal to put us all in the Christmas spirit!

The Londesborough has some really good drinks available, pretty good food and nicely done…read moreinteriors. However, for a local pub on the inner lanes of Stoke Newington, its pretty pricey. Admittedly its on one of the prettier streets of the northern suburbs, but its not quite in the West End, is it?! The food is pretty good though, even on the pricey side. Some of the cocktails are good too, and you can chill out to DJ music on Friday and Saturday. The yummy mummys that take over Stoke Newington have adapted this pub as a local hangout on Sundays - why only Sunday?! So although the Sunday roast is good, its best to carry earplugs to protect your hearing and enjoy your meal. If you choose the right time to visit however, you will find a great atmosphere, especially during the late evening on the weekend.