Victoria Tavern, Loughtonback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Victoria Tavern is the best centrally located pub in Loughton.
It’s a short walk past the cottages of Forest Road and on the edge of the forest.
Excellent beers, good food and a roaring fire. It’s the pub that the Loughton locals are proud to drink in and thus gets very busy on a Saturday night.
It very much has the feel of a country pub.
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I visited this place a couple of weeks ago and found it lovely and comfortable. Good beer in good condition, charming barmaids and a very comfy-looking interior. It being a sunny day, we sat outside, so I didn't get a chance to give the inside more than a cursory scan. Likewise I didn't see much of the clientele, so can't comment there. The garden seems very acceptable if you have a family: very well laid out. All in all a really nice pub which, though it's quite a way out of my way, I hope to visit again soon.
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An excellent pub; the Timothy Taylor is very moorish.
Friendly staff, comfortable, and cosy setting, down a residential road leading to High Beech.
One does get a bit of attention from the extremely wealthy, former-criminal-turned-property-developer regulars who enter with wideboy son, BNP voting friend, and attractive, reluctantly-ageing wife, but the attention is not hostile, more curious.They all stand in a space 'tween door and bar making it difficult for customers to enter or exit.
For such a picturesque, leafy part of rural London/Essex, Loughton does have a slightly uncomfortable feel to it. The odd gang of teens whom believe themselves to be extras from 'The Football Factory', clad in designer tracksuits and oiled side-partings, walk the street standing at an imposing 6"0+, and all born of stick-thin, perma-tan mothers (whose obsessive gym-routine has given them a dishonest appearance of youth akin to their son's demographic); unnecessary, customised 4x4s selfishly parked on the pavements by attention seeking, Heat-magazine-reading men, before they're driven 50m back to the house and parked on 100ft driveways clad by the owner's tax-evading company; there is a ubiquitous vanity that is worn on the faces of all those that spend their day not engaged in: cultural, emotionally or morally stimulating work, but instead vacuous beauty treatments, such as having fish eat dead skin off their toes...
The Victoria does feel like an oasis in this nouveau riche town, aspiring towards greater, and greater levels of celebrity culture and materialism. Certainly the best pub I've visite don the Lodnon Essex borders.
9/10.
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A lively and welcoming pub serving good quality food and a range of real ales. The poor cider choice certainly needs some attention but the 5 ales (including Youngs, Landlord, Tribute) on tap were very drinkable and well kept.
The interior and decor is a little dated but it's inoffensive all the same. However the staff were warm and chatty and made us feel welcome.
Not sure I'd go out of my way to find this pub again (although the beer garden looks appealing) but it's a very safe bet for a comfortable evening's socialising.
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Fully agree with other reviewers. A "proper" pub with sparkling clean glasses, good staff and excellent beers. Obviously a locals pub but welcoming to strangers as well.
But; they also do excellent food. All good wholesome meals genuinely home - cooked. In my opinion certainly the best pub food in Loughton.
Try it !
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Well worth a visit, Spitfire firing on all cylinders.
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A great pub. Very much a "locals" place, no youngsters, no music, no fruit machines, good beer and good food.
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This must be the BEST pub in Loughton, none of your loud mouth footie fans. 4 quality ales, real staff, not soppy students.A MUST TRY>
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Wonderful little pub. Well kept by a Landlord who takes real pride in the place. Beers & Bitters always immaculate, and the food has always been good. Backs on to Epping Forest, so a good excuse to pop in after that exhausting walk in the Forest.
Quite simply a 'must' if you're in the area.
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This feels like the nicest pub in Loughton, especially in the warm weather sitting in the beer garden- but why do they close in the afternoon?It's like they don't want to make money!
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This is typical of a pub in the back streets of loughton, has its own opening times, closes for lunch, this pub is the best for food in loughton, has spitfire on tap which is nice, nice beer garden. nice pub if you wanna get away from the youngster.
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Very typical of the area - opened out and full of regulars, in a very pleasant semi-rural/suburban setting. Traditional to the core. IPA only OK.
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This is a great old pub. But like a few pubs in Loughton, it's a regulars pub. If you're under 50 and not a regular than sorry you are not welcome at the Victoria Tavern.
Jason Paine - 2 Apr 2004 19:36 |
On the edge of Epping Forest, this is a great old-style pub. We visited last Sunday to find 5 real ales available, nibbles at the bar, and we enjoyed superb meals both in quality and quantity. The place was reasonably busy but not unduly so, and there seemed to be quite a few 'regulars' around so presumably it's OK during the week as well. Must go back sometime to find out.
PedigreeJim - 11 Dec 2003 11:06 |
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