please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5) Real Ale pubs are gaining a ground in popularity and are moving away from the old school image of men in sweaters smoking pipes etc…the model now is the curious youngster, and the diet conscious: ales are far less money, gassy and burpy than traditional lagers and the difference in weight loss is almost immediate for those that make the switch. The Daniel Defoe in Stoke Newington is a real ale pub with prices that are competitive in a really expensive environment
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The Defoe is a Charles Wells house and the beers were Bombardier, and Eagle and then a couple of others like Youngs Bitter and St Austell Tribute.
It's actually a decent pub for the area and doesn't deserve this type of garbage posted against its name..
So come on B.I.T.E. sort it out..
You have serious competition now from the likes of Pubs Galore and your lack of interest in maintaining this site almost feels like you don't care if people jump ship and go to other sites...
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Day after day after day after day this sort of stuff is posted onto BITE.
No point in reporting it, BITE do bog all.
Maybe the site will soon become BRIDALWEAR IN THE EVENING [you read it here first]
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Standard kind of a pub. Not really the kind of place you could endear yourself to. Has a chain pub feel to it, a little bit Wetherspoonsy. Perfectly good ale and the staff were very friendly. Just a little uninspirational inside. Relatively spacious inside however.
Ultimately there are better places to drink nearby.
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well what can you say but the place looks amazing and has real warmth and character the staff are inviting and friendly and the standard of service is second to none. now the food is something else even though the menu is limited the food is so flavoursome and well presented again the service is fantastic. The manager Eamonn keeps standard high and hats off to him he succeeds without compromise
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Yep the decor inside doesn't work but at least it's something to talk about. There's nothing else really mentioning about this place.
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what a crap pub, with one of the most rudest managers ever, shit food for people who dont like fresh food i suppose, i mean its probably all bought in ready made crap. Ill stick to my own local in future.
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not liking the recent makover!....sorry Eamon, youre as pleasant as ever and the (limited) range of ales (please please please get some more interesting guestales in!!!) is still well kept, but jesus man what were you thinking!....that carpet/curtain/wall paper combo makes me feel nauseos!...yuck!....shouldve sanded the floorboards, stuck summat refined and simple on the walls and BOSH!...done.................sorry mate,looks like a blind tarts boudoir!
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I highly recommend popping in on a Sunday for their nut roast - absolutely gorgeous!
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Above average I suppose. Why?
1). Its on Church Street.
2). Decent decour.
3). Good range of ales.
Nothing special though, not much atmosphere no live music, no pool table. Best for a quiet pint on a Sunday.
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Popped in here on a Tuesday night. Whilst fairly quiet, the interior is reasonably pleasant and the service was friendly. Directors, Bombardier, Tribute and Broadside were the 4 real ales on handpull.
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Nice pub now it has a decent and friendly chef/manager! Beer is good with a cracking menu too. Haven't been for a while, hope they still do the Rubarb crumble with custard...
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Very good pub overall - well kept beer, traditional d�cor, good staff. They recently got a new chef (good riddance to his predecessor!) who has improved the quality of the food a great deal. The Sunday lunch is a little pricey, but worth every penny - I really can't recommend the roast pork high enough.
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Really do like this place. Not overly excited about the decour, but it's nice to have a beer garden. Great bar staff. Love the Tribute ale, and having not intended to eat there, liked the look of the menu so much the other day that I did, and had some teriffic liver and bacon, which was a really nice surprise. Good place. If they spruced up the decour a bit, I'd give it more than 8.
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Popped in on a Bank holiday Monday to shelter from the rain. Left an hour and a half later with a belly full of some of the nicest food i've eaten in ages. Pub food has never tased nicer, and reasonably priced too.
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Me and my mate always used to visit the Defoe on a Sunday when I lived in Stokey, simply as they were the only place in the area that served roasts later in the afternoon. We could, therefore, go and giggle at the cruisers in Abney Park and then go for a Guiness and some food. After a lull, we went back there after Xmas for more of the same. What happened to the food?? After a spell of fairly mediocre Sunday fare that, usually by 4pm was starting to deplete in freshness, on this occassion was melt in the mouth beef, home made Yorkshires, juicy gravy, exotic veg and a decent portion to. I didn't want it to end. Absolutely delicious. The price had also remained unchanged since we used to frequent three months previously. Very impressed. Pub is also a simply furnished, old style boozer with friendly staff and a nice stretch of decking out back. Perfect for a proper Stokey Sunday, I miss it!!
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A little unsure after the first few visits the defoe does a (mostly) cracking ateak night on a friday - its always full and has some atmosphere. The staff are always differant and a little slow. All in all one of my stokie favourites.
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lets keep it simple, good beer, good pub.
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On a cold, wet Sunday afternoon, it's very difficult to beat the Defoe for a warm, cosy environment to pass the day in.
I was in there yesterday for food and drink -0 for some reason it's a place that always makes me want to drink real ale.
The menu's improved recently since Alistair took over and put his name on everything - the main courses are lovely (albeit a little small), and the cheese platter is tremendous and excellent value.
The bar staff are still clueless mind, but that's always been part of the charm of the place.
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food is good again, staff are still rubbish
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A very nice pub. Some nice wines and beers. However, I ordered fish and chips last week and I got 9 chips, stacked Jenga style. I felt a little bit jibbed.
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Good food (pies, sausages), good beer, friendly, pleasantly incompetent staff. No complaints.
benko - 19 Aug 2007 12:21 |
After my awful Sunday Roast which I wrote about in January, I can report its much better now. New Menu, slightly more expensive (surprise, surprise) but actually worth eating now.
Incidentally, I never got the feeling this pub thought it was "slick" or "cool". Saying its a place for "urban slumming", is an accusation better thrown and the nearby Prince, rather than the Defoe, which has more or less been the same since before Church Street became "cool".
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Ummm....a mixed bunch of reviews thus far.
Went here on Saturday night for a few ales. All in all, OK in that 'urban slumming' it kind of way, but generally speaking, the beer is too expensive. �3 Fosters isn't funny, particularly as all your hand-pull (there was only one) was off, and while your music was nice (James Brown is always a good choice), there was little to suggest any ambience. I guess this place is now a typical Hackney boozer thinking it's cool and slick, like it's Islington urban slum dwellings - however since I like neither place you'vce lost my custom. And stop putting candles ont he tables - I don't want to feel like I'm on a date with my mates
anonymous - 24 Jul 2007 13:56 |
Ducked in here to get out of the rain.
Had a great pint. Chatted with local dandy and barstaff.All good. Food looked great.
Am I easily pleased?
Yes
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Was there last week. They have a new menu and I have to say the food was v. nice.
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lovely place in the depths of winter - although they could do with turning off the chart music as it is like going to the Louvre listening to NOW 66 on your headphones....not quite right.
anonymous - 24 Apr 2007 15:06 |
Had some food there yesterday and it was delicious (although the roasted veg did taste greasy). Beer was nice, and the staff and new landlord were friendly (landlord tells me that it'll be closing for a few weeks soon for a tidy-up).
Had a Sunday roast a few weeks back - wouldn't call it horrific but it wasn't anything special.
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One of the best pubs in Stoke Newington, on a really nice part of Church street by Abney Road cemetary. Traditional old boozer, well kept - with Japanese beer on tap!
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Truly one of the worst pubs in Stokie... but hey, at least the beer is expensive and the service is rubbish!
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I used to like it here, but the recent Sunday Roast I had was truly horiffic. And for God sake can someone stop putting on the worst piped music I've ever heard in a pub - unironic 80s power ballads, usually.
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Went there yesterday. The staff were useless; none could use the till or PDQ, and none spoke very good english so they couldn't understand the orders, so it was very very slow going.
By the time they'd sorted out one guy's request for a reciept between all of them, I was getting a bit fed up and a huge queue at the bar had formed behind me. When the next free barstaff member then totally ignored me and went to serve someone who had just turned up, I had to leave; I was fuming by then.
Not going back until the manager can be bothered to train the barstaff.
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Went in there recently and the food has gone downhill. Everything tasted of old cooking oil. Really disappointed because the last time I was there the food was amazing.
Had a 'Homemade Burger and Chips'..the burger was one of those findus steak things (disgusting)..and the 'Homemade' chips tasted and looked like tesco value.
The landlord is a miserable old sod...who doesn't smile, he merely grimaces.
anonymous - 5 Nov 2006 13:34 |
Food is great, well cooked, good portions and sensibly priced - Rose and Crown take note - no TV screen with football blaring out. Overall a nice pub for a Saturday afternoon drink and something to eat. Competent staff and generally a nice atmosphere. Sort of place you can go on Friday night with mates for a few drinks or take your mum for lunch.
anonymous - 16 Oct 2006 11:21 |
Nothing special but not bad for the area. Can get a bit rough at times which is always a worry (but if you live here you get used to it).
anonymous - 13 Sep 2006 17:35 |
Four or five real ales, pleasant staff, veggie options on the menu, plus a book club once a month. The evening I was there the music played was bland pop, which I didn't like. A decent pub.
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very laid back chilled out pub in prime location on the 73 bus route, nice music great food and very good selection of drinks!
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Nice boozer - good ales, and the food's good comfort type grub (sausage and mash, pies etc - but the high-end versions at reasonable enough prices). The bar space is open-plan and pretty trad-looking (ie not a trendy makeover) and there is another area out the back (plus a garden). In fact, its 'old-school' feel, combined with the fact that it is on Stoke Newington Church Street, perhaps explains why it is generally pretty quiet for a pub on a main road known for its food/drinking culture . . . most of the Stokie types probably go somewhere that they think is a bit trendier (which is good news for the rest of us).
Downsides - can get pretty smoky; and one time when I was there til closing time, the chucking out style was completely out of proportion to the number of punters and the generally relaxed atmosphere (think of an uptight sergeant-major screaming at 3 or 4 bemused people already on their way out . . . ). These things aside, a good pub - esp good for a couple of pints if you are on your way to one of the many fine restaurants along this street. Also, the landlord/landlady have two great springer spaniels, which always adds character to a boozer.
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I love the defoe and I love their pies. Proper good.
anonymous - 14 Feb 2006 16:23 |
i like this place. good ale (tribute is ace), good grub too. its a bit quiet but thats not always a bad thing. a good place for a saturday afternoon with mates and the papers.
anonymous - 21 Nov 2005 12:34 |
Shunned by many in Stokey but (sorta) recently started serving great pub food. Nice small beer garden too.
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a bit soulless and nothingy. Great sausages though
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not for everyone, i'd agree, a friendly pub though, if slighty lacking in atmosphere
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Good food, good service and a nice selection of beers. Does have a pool table too and a small beer garden.
Jaysun - 8 Sep 2004 23:20 |
Good for country-style pub food (roasts, great bangers and mash, pies) with a fair selection for veggies.
Unlike most places in Stokie it's not trying too hard to be trendy, no dj's or cocktails. Used to be quiet as hell, but now it's hard to get a table even midweek, full of couples and late 20s+ groups of friends.
Great place for a chat, terrible for a wild night out.
Steve - 24 Aug 2004 16:17 |
Have had the food recommended to me-esp. good for us veggies, I gather. Altogether a v pleasant place and probably the best pub of a slightly iffy bunch in Stokie.
anonymous - 14 Jan 2004 19:28 |
Good ale, friendly people. Don't know if they do bacardi breezers or such swill and there are certainly no naff leather sofas so not for everybody.
anonymous - 26 Nov 2003 14:35 |
With all this sausage talk, I should add they do veggie food, including a nut roast on sundays.
Pauly - 4 Oct 2003 16:26 |
They are indeed a FANTASTIC range of pies and sausages! Some weirder ones too, like Game pie, and I've heard if you ask the right questions you can get a Hedgehog and Papaya sausage... It's a proper old man's pub, without the oldies! It's pretty quiet, but then sometimes that's great.
Brad - 3 Oct 2003 10:33 |
NICE pub, not at all trendy, and quite quiet, but has a pool table and a good range of beers including Speckled Hen and their own "Defoe Ale"
Pauly - 17 Feb 2003 11:40 |
