please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Patrons should proceed across the threshold with caution. Liars, rogues and cutpurses await. But the bar staff alone should not of upmost concern. Legions of ruffians fill out the floors and pour themselves into every recess of this godforsaken Crucible of Desperados. Clint Eastwood's steely countenance in A Few Dollars More would soon crumble when facing down the locals in here.
You'll meet The Joker, whos chilling laugh can be heard the length and breadth of the place. Kleinfeld, Sean Penn's amoral lawyer from Carlito's Way exists in the real-life form of 'Ronnie', clad in 80s casual wear and ready to pounce and club the unsuspecting drinker into submission with cockney trivia and a relentless stream-of- consiousness patter.
Classic Rock Fans - You won't believe your eyes when the old man off the cover of the Led Zeppelin IV album totters past you with a cup of tea. And you'll double take when he pulls out a laptop and starts doing tax returns.
As policeman scoop out their fruit-machine winnings with their helmets, the bar itself remains a service-free zone. There's always ever more inventive excuses found by the staff to be doing anything except serving drinks. I've never seen a set of beer pumps absorb so much Brasso, or a fridge that has been opened more times in order to do a peak-time stock-take. Trying to catch a particular ale or beer that apears to be available proves maddeningly elusive - like a bad dream in a Franz Kafka tale.
Tim Martin, Chairman of the Board, book yourself in to the local hotel for a long stretch if you ever visit here for a spot-check!
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Probably the best of the crop around here apart from The North Star round the corner. The area is full of odd balls wherever you drink around here so you may as well get the benefit of cheap beer and an edible value for money meal, the beer just over £2 which is third cheaper at least compared to the competition in the area. You do have to put up with the usual terrible Wetherspoon service and the lunatics these places attract and Incan say you have a fair share of them in here especially weekends.
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Theres so much I love about this pub. They have a huge variety of spirits, lager, ale, and cider. The barstaff have great banter. Its cheap. Theres always a table. The list goes on.
However, like every wetherspoons, it lacks atmosphere and that sort of homey feeling you get at a great local. And it also takes forever for staff to clear glasses away so every time I go in there I end up doing it myself. But overall a great pub.
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I would rate this as a slightly above average Spoons. It's a typical large open-plan layout with a few booths. The clientele is also similar to that all over the land. Father Christmas even made an appearance. Although his beard was a little matted and could have done with a good spruce up! The beer range was what I appreciated the most - East London Brewery Foundation Bitter & Night Watchman, Orkney Clootie Dumpling, Banks & Taylor Santa's Slayer, Courage Directors, Greene King Abbot & Ruddles Best, Adnams Shingle Bells, Fullers London Pride & Stonehenge Rudolph. Ciders were Sandford Orchards Strawberry Lane & Mr Whiteheads Festival Special Perry. Worth a visit in tandem with the Red Lion, just a few minutes walk down the High Road.
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Typical outer London Spoons, very busy mid-afternoon weekday and with decent beer quality and choice.
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This place does seem to be getting better, but ultimately it's a weatherspoons, so you know what you are going to get - good selection of beer, cheap food, but lacking a bit of soul. The Red lion and the north star are better options unless you are really broke.
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I forgot my keys the other day, so while I waited for Mrs Campion to rescue me I thought I'd give this place another go.
Quite a transformation - beer was spot on, tables were cleared and staff were friendly and attentive. I even braved the food - 'gourmet' chicken burger - and y'know what? It was lovely. I don't want to get carried away, but I've had worse at some of those upmarket burger chains in the West End.
Punters were the usual Leytonstone mix of Polish labourers, students and the social group that E11 specialises in - middle class academics/librarians/social workers in woolly jumpers and corduroy.
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I really like this Wetherspoons. The staff are always polite and friendly and there's always a good choice of drinks and food.
The selection of books on the bookshelves are quite interesting reads. 1920's law books and loads of books from the 70's. And Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations. (oops, sorry, I stole that one for my Mum). But I've spent a lot of money in here over the years so I hope they treat it like a Christmas present to me.
Sometimes I go in here at 9am for a pint cos I work night shifts. It's good that no one gives you weird looks in here if you're drinking alcohol at that time. There's always a few old men drinking too and I've had many an interesting conversation with the locals in here.
I agree with the last person though, they could clean the tables more often but this seems to be an ongoing problem with all Wetherspoons pubs. Service is sometimes slow but that's more of a Wetherspoons on the whole thing as well.
Other than that, great for a cheap pint and I do like the booths at the back of the pub so you can just sit quietly if you don't want anyone talking to you.
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Back again, twice in one day. Sunday afternoon - as pleasant as before.
Sunday evening - uncleared tables, floor so sticky by the bar that my feet stuck to it and a group of men in vests loudly arguing with their women and pausing only to go outside and vomit.
Seriously, sort it out.
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I hadn't been in for months, my last couple of visits reinforcing my opinions about most 'spoons. However, decided to give it another try to see if anything had improved. Well, it had - there seemed to be far fewer oddball solitary men nursing flat pints while re-reading the Daily Star. Punters last night seemed to be mainly the middle-aged, university lecturer types that abound in Leytonstone, but usually spend their time in the Singburi or the North Star. The tables weren't sticky and empties were whisked away swiftly by the staff, who actually seemed to be enjoying their jobs. Beer was in excellent condition - seven winter warmers - with the Moorhouse 'Mistletoe Madness' in particularly good nick. A good night, and proof that bad Wetherspoons can be turned around.
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Visited on a quiet wednesday evening. Spacious and clean, staff were friendly and quick to serve. Four guest ales, all in good nick, including a very nice mild (ummm, extent of consumption has erased its exact identity from my mind). Would definitely go back if I'm in the area.
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this place is fine
beer is splendid - kept well and pipes clean
plenty of hand pull beer - real ale rules
friendly and can be served after a short wait
even on Friday night
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As Wetherspoons pubs go this is above average. You will get served, you get the correct change and it's open til 12/1 when it needs to be. You'll not get the creme de la creme of society but the beer is cheap and I think the locals are reasonably friendly, if a little salt of the earth types. It's not as minty as, say, the one in Barking and the service is miles better than the one in East Ham. It serves a decent pint of real beer cheaply. It ain't the Ritz.
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This is a typical Spoons with six ales on and a standard selection of draught. Even though the staff looked like they were longing to be somewhere else they were nice enough, which cannot be said about the other customers.
The tennis on BBC was being shown on the two small plasmas, but there was no satellite TV sport being advertised, which is no surprise.
I wouldn�t go back here again.
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I think when you go to a Whetherspoons you have to expect that it is never going to be more than an average experience, otherwise you would be paying more for your beer. I quite enjoy Wetherspoons food and on occasion may even brave the Walnut Tree to sit in the back corner and have a meal with a friend.
But other than that I can't stand going into this pub and watching tracksuit clad derolicts walk around like they own the place, clearly coked up and ready for a fight after a few lagers. As a female I don't feel comfortable being constantly asked 'alright, swee'heart?' and as an adult I can't stand being surrounded by yobs that look (and act) about 14.
I know one member of staff who genuinely makes an effort but the rest of them should be taught a bit of customer service - and how to smile.
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This place has the usual 'Spoons problem of understaffing, but apart from that its fine. While not denying that some of the more 'colourful' locals
do pop in its really a bit of a haven from our lovely East End reality show going on outside. Ive never found the staff a problem - most have been fine -
..and I love their microwaved roasts - a bargain
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Oh dear Sir Henry was in a bad mood wasnt he.I can only assume he has never been to a Wetherspoons before;The Walnut Tree is no worse, and a little bit better than, most of them.I have never had a bad pint there, and the majority of the staff are splendid.I wouldnt particularly want to be in there at 10pm on a Friday night but then that goes for a lot of high street pubs.Cheers!
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Visited this pub on Thursday, 16 August 2007 between 12 noon and 5 pm. A large roomy pub with plenty of seating. 4 'guest' ales on plus the usual fall-back ones. Service a little slow, well it is Wetherspoons! Reasonably busy with a mixed range of customers. Staff were very pleasant.
The only drawback was the gents toilets which smelt quite strongly, as the extractors were not working. Also the hourly inspection routine which used to be a feature of the JDW chain seems to have ceased. The floor needed a good wiping as it was fairly wet from those who seem incapable of aiming properly!
In all a better than usual pub for this chain and I would definitely visit again.
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Pleased to see the real ale situation getting back - still some downs but the choice is improving.
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Had its tenth anniversary on April 30 with no beer - all 12 handpumps dry. The barman suggested that "someone" had forgotten to put the order in. This is in the mmiddle of Wetherspoon's "biggest ever" beer festival.
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No atmosphere and staff who try to steal your money.
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One of the better Wetherspoons; good range of beers at very good prices, & decent atmosphere. Even found an interesting book to read on the bookshelves!
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Friendly, if ever-changing, staff, and great food, especially for a Weatherspoons. As with all Weatherspoons, great selection of cheap and unusal beers from all around the world. The beer garden is a real bonus and the seating inside is ample. Even when packed, Ive always got a seat in here. A very mixed bag of characters, but you always feel safe.
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Was in there yesterday (sunday 10/4/06). Not sure exactly what happened but there seemed to be some sort of 'domestic' involving a member of staff and her boyfriend (?). There was some sort of scuffle outside between these two... next thing we know, they are back inside the pub, the lad bleeding from the head, in the company of several members of the public, four policemen and four paramedics! Is this what passes for fun in Leytonstone? I certainly will not be back, ever.
anonymous - 10 Apr 2006 14:09 |
Paid a return visit while waiting for Mrs Campion the other night. I'm happy to relate that the glass cleaner's been fixed. I've surprised myself by actually enjoying visits here more than going to the North Star. Is it age, the prices or the fact that there's no TVs with footy on?
Wetherspoons in general tick off about 80% of the things I hate about chain pubs... but THIS one is actually pretty good.
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Ended up here last night (wasn't my choice). Service was OK, but the glasses were relentlessly dirty. "It's the machine" said the (pleasant) staff. Well, FIX IT. Otherwise, this place is OK for a 'spoon.
Good range of beers, including some unusual bottled continental lagers.
The barstaff should have done something about the chav on the fruit machine. He must have ground out 10 or so fag-ends on the carpet despite being an arm's length from an ashtray.
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Good for a Wetherspoon, but the North Star is just round the corner and is a far, far better option.
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One of the nicer Wetherspoons, without a doubt. Staff are *very* friendly and efficient. Ideal for a cheap mid-week drink. Never seen any trouble there. Frequented by people of every colour and subculture (seems to have a lot of goths, oddly). Great choice of beer. A good spoons...who'd of thunk it?!
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Average Wetherspoon. Mixed client�le. Mostly clean and efficient. Feel quite comfortable here. Good for a cheap meal with a drink.
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Well what can a say, to coin a phrase 'you get what you pay' loads of drink for not a lot, and not a lot of entertainment or service in return, but hey you can always make your own fun and fuelled by cheap drink, it can be a great atmosphere :-)
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Standard Wetherspoons but beer always in good nick.
Loads of space for eating - Id recommend for Sunday lunches if you live local and got kids.
Paul - 20 Apr 2004 12:38 |
If you drink bitter, it's stupidly cheap in here. However, like every other Weatherspoons, I'd beat myself senseless with a glass ashtray if I was forced to stay too long.
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This is a Wetherspoon pub. Not as busy as the George in Wanstead. Its ok for a few drinks.
Chris - 4 Jan 2004 06:43 |
