Finsbury Park
The Bank of Friendship has been a Highbury local since 1881, a small independent pub on Blackstock Road. It has two open fires for winter and a big garden for...
Finsbury Park / Arsenal · Walk-in
Walk-in
Cover story
Hackney, Islington & Bethnal Green: Pubs Where Nobody Gets the Long Journey
Hackney, Islington & Bethnal Green pubs ranked so nobody gets the long journey.
The little black book
Hackney, Islington & Bethnal Green: Pubs Where Nobody Gets the Long Journey
Hackney, Islington & Bethnal Green pubs ranked so nobody gets the long journey.
North London
Chapter 1 · 16 pubs
Clapton
The Crooked Billet is a Young's pub on Upper Clapton Road with a massive beer garden built for winter as well as summer. It shows live sport on several screens...
Clapton / Lea Bridge · Walk-in
Walk-in
Hackney
The Hand of Glory is a Grade II listed pub on Amhurst Road, by Hackney Downs, run by the Jaguar Shoes group. Long trestle tables give a group room to spread...
Hackney Downs / Rectory Road · Walk-in
Walk-in
White Hart Lane
The Antwerp Arms became north London's first community-owned pub in 2015. Census records show a pub on Church Road by 1851, then called the Hope and Anchor. It...
White Hart Lane / Tottenham Hale · Bookable
Stoke Newington
The Auld Shillelagh is a long, narrow Irish pub on Stoke Newington Church Street, known for its Guinness. It has a beer garden at the back that catches the...
Rectory Road / Stoke Newington · Walk-in
Walk-in
Wood Street
A landmark Walthamstow corner pub with eight handpulls and a changing real-ale list. Big enough for a proper east London turnout without feeling like an...
Wood Street / Walthamstow Central · Walk-in
Walk-in
Manor House
The Brownswood is a Victorian pub on the corner of Green Lanes and Brownswood Road, near Finsbury Park. It is set over two floors with two fireplaces, and its...
Manor House / Finsbury Park · Walk-in
Walk-in
Clapton
The Clapton Hart is a big pub on Lower Clapton Road, with a beer garden and screens for live sport. Sunday roasts and a weekly pub quiz are on. It opens from...
Clapton · Bookable
Angel
The Earl of Essex on Danbury Street has served an ever-changing list of local and international beers since 2012. It has one of Islington's best beer gardens,...
Angel / Highbury & Islington · Walk-in
Walk-in
Angel
The Island Queen is a Victorian pub on Noel Road, a few steps from the Regent's Canal. CAMRA notes its Grade II listed interior. It opens from midday, until...
Angel / Essex Road · Walk-in
Walk-in
Stoke Newington
The Jolly Butchers is a Stoke Newington High Street free house that pairs a long beer and cider list with Indian food from its Booma Kitchen. Groups can...
Rectory Road / Stoke Newington · Walk-in
Walk-in
Chingford
The Larkshall is a Young's pub on Larkshall Road in Chingford, known for its Sunday roasts. Its events include weekly bingo and supper clubs. It opens from...
Chingford / Highams Park · Walk-in
Walk-in
Stoke Newington
The Londesborough on Barbauld Road was built in 1864 as a purpose-built Victorian pub. It is known for its Sunday roasts, so book ahead. The quiz and curry...
Rectory Road / Stoke Newington · Walk-in
Walk-in
Walthamstow Central
The Nag's Head is a cat-friendly pub on Orford Road in Walthamstow Village. It has four handpumps, a covered patio and events from live music to DJ nights. It...
Walthamstow Central · Walk-in
Walk-in
Stoke Newington
The Rose & Crown on Stoke Newington Church Street was rebuilt in the early 1930s for Truman's Brewery by the pub architect A. E. Sewell. The same family has...
Stoke Newington / Rectory Road · Walk-in
Walk-in
Walthamstow Central
The Village is a pub on Orford Road in Walthamstow Village, with a large beer garden. Food is served until 9pm, or 8pm on Sunday. It opens from midday daily,...
Walthamstow Central / Walthamstow Queen's Road · Walk-in
Walk-in
East London
Chapter 2 · 34 pubs
Upton Park
The Boleyn Tavern is a Grade II listed pub on Barking Road, by the old Upton Park ground. It is open from 4pm Monday to Wednesday and from midday Thursday to...
Upton Park · Walk-in
Walk-in
Homerton
The Chesham Arms is a community-owned Victorian pub on Mehetabel Road in Homerton. It has two fireplaces for winter and a big garden for summer. It does not...
Homerton / Hackney Central · Walk-in
Walk-in
Hackney Wick
Crate Brewery is a canalside taproom in Queens Yard, Hackney Wick, brewing beer on site and serving stone-baked pizza. DJs play on Friday and Saturday. It...
Hackney Wick 1 min · Walk-in
Walk-in
South Woodford
The Crown & Crooked Billet is a traditional pub on Cross Road in Woodford Green, with a beer garden. It is family friendly and dog friendly, and its Sunday...
Woodford 28 min · Walk-in
Walk-in
Forest Gate
The Forest Tavern is a community pub on Forest Lane, by Forest Gate station. Food is served from midday every day, and there is a classic pub quiz every...
Forest Gate · Bookable
Shadwell
The George Tavern on Commercial Road is a historic East End pub and live music venue, with a long creative community around it. A timber pizza shack serves...
Shadwell / Stepney Green · Walk-in
Walk-in
South Woodford
The George is a Stonegate pub on South Woodford High Road, with a beer garden, live sport and real ale. Food is served from midday to 9pm on weekdays. It opens...
South Woodford · Walk-in
Walk-in
Manor Park
The Golden Fleece is a Greene King pub on Capel Road in Manor Park, by Wanstead Flats. It serves Sunday roasts and pub classics. It opens from 11.30am. Manor...
Manor Park / Forest Gate · Walk-in
Walk-in
Aldgate East
The Leman Street Tavern is a Young's pub on Leman Street in Aldgate. It serves British pub classics and Sunday roasts. There is a weekly pub quiz and live...
Aldgate East / Tower Gateway · Walk-in
Walk-in
Leytonstone
The Northcote is a community pub on Grove Green Road in Leyton, at the corner of Francis Road. It runs cask ale Mondays, vinyl nights and seasonal events. It...
Leytonstone / Leyton Midland Road · Walk-in
Walk-in
Cambridge Heath
People's Park Tavern is on Victoria Park Road, with a garden on the edge of the park. Food is served from midday to 10pm, with a Sunday roast from midday to...
Cambridge Heath / Mile End · Bookable
London Fields
Pub on the Park is on Martello Street, overlooking London Fields from its beer garden. It shows plenty of live sport and has function rooms for bigger groups....
London Fields / Hackney Central · Bookable
South Woodford
The Railway Bell is a Greene King pub on George Lane, opposite South Woodford station. It serves pub classics and Sunday roasts. It opens from 11am at weekends...
South Woodford · Walk-in
Walk-in
Hoxton
The Royal Oak is a Young's pub on Columbia Road, home of the Sunday flower market. Its kitchen champions British produce, and Sunday roasts are the weekly...
Hoxton / Bethnal Green · Walk-in
Walk-in
Stratford
Tap East is a brewpub in Westfield Stratford City, opposite Stratford International station. Beer is brewed on site. It is handy before or after an event at...
Stratford · Walk-in
Walk-in
Bethnal Green
The Approach Tavern on Approach Road is a Bethnal Green local with a real fire in winter and a large heated, covered garden. Its kitchen cooks everything in...
Bethnal Green / Cambridge Heath · Bookable
Plaistow
The Black Lion is a historic Plaistow pub listed in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide. It has a beer garden, a car park and a function room in the old stable bar. It...
Plaistow · Walk-in
Walk-in
Mile End
The Coborn is a Young's pub on Coborn Road in Bow, with a darts room and a heated outdoor terrace. The menu leans East End, with pie and mash, liquor and...
Mile End · Walk-in
Walk-in
Hackney Central
The Cock Tavern is an independent pub on Mare Street in Hackney Central. It serves cask ale, real cider and bar snacks. It opens from midday, until 1am on...
Hackney Central / Hackney Downs · Walk-in
Walk-in
Old Street
The Eagle is a corner pub on Shepherdess Walk, the pub named in the rhyme Pop Goes the Weasel. It has a beer garden and serves Sunday roasts. It opens from...
Old Street / Angel · Walk-in
Walk-in
Homerton
The Elderfield is an independent pub on Elderfield Road in Clapton. It serves beer and bar food. It opens from 4pm on weekdays and midday at weekends. Homerton...
Homerton / Clapton · Walk-in
Walk-in
Mile End
The Empress is a Victorian dining pub on Lauriston Road, by Victoria Park. It serves modern British food, wine and local beer from a changing menu. Breakfast...
Mile End / Cambridge Heath · Walk-in
Walk-in
Limehouse
The Grapes on Narrow Street calls itself a traditional London pub since 1583, and Ian McKellen is among its owners. There is pub grub in the bar and a heated...
Limehouse · Walk-in
Walk-in
Blackwall
The Gun is a riverside pub on Coldharbour in Docklands, with a garden overlooking the Thames. A pizza van serves the garden on Wednesday and Thursday evenings,...
Blackwall / East India · Bookable
Forest Gate
The Holly Tree is a Forest Gate pub on Dames Road, by Wanstead Flats, with a huge heated garden kept for walk-ins. An open kitchen was installed in 2019 and...
Forest Gate · Bookable
Leyton Midland Road
The Leyton Engineer is a pub on Leyton High Road, with a British menu cooked in an open kitchen. There is a weekly quiz on Wednesday at 7.30pm and DJs every...
Leyton Midland Road / Leyton · Bookable
Leytonstone
The North Star is an independent local on Browning Road in Leytonstone. It is closed on Monday and opens from 2pm Tuesday to Friday and 1pm on Saturday. It is...
Leytonstone / Leytonstone High Road · Walk-in
Walk-in
Leytonstone High Road
The Old Crown is a sports pub on Leytonstone High Road, with screens for the big games. It hosts karaoke every other Sunday and events through the week. It...
Leytonstone High Road / Leytonstone · Walk-in
Walk-in
Hackney Central
The Old Ship is a Victorian pub on Sylvester Path, a few steps from Hackney Empire and Hackney Central. Upstairs there are boutique hotel rooms, and the...
Hackney Central · Walk-in
Walk-in
Mile End
The Palm Tree is a pub on Grove Road, inside Mile End Park. It hosts free live jazz on weekend evenings from 8pm. It is cash only. Arrive early, as it fills up.
Mile End 12 min · Walk-in
Walk-in
Hackney Downs
The Pembury Tavern by Hackney Downs is the pub of Five Points Brewing, a Hackney brewery that began in a nearby railway arch. ACE Pizza runs the kitchen. It...
Hackney Downs · Bookable
Canning Town
The Princess Alexandra is a traditional two-bar pub on Barking Road in Canning Town, with a historic interior on CAMRA's local inventory. It has an outside...
Canning Town · Walk-in
Walk-in
Leytonstone
The Red Lion is a pub, boutique hotel and events venue on Leytonstone High Road, dating back to 1870. It has a spacious garden, live sport and a ballroom for...
Leytonstone · Bookable
Stratford
Ye Olde Black Bull is a pub on Stratford Broadway dating from 1829. It has a beer garden, cask ale and screens for live sport. It opens from midday, until 7pm...
Stratford · Walk-in
Walk-in
Frequently asked questions
How do we pick a fair East London pub for the whole group?
Hackney, Islington & Bethnal Green: Pubs Where Nobody Gets the Long Journey is a curated East London pub set. Add each person's origin in FairWhere and it ranks the shortlist by journey fairness, so the meet stays in the east without defaulting to whoever shouted loudest.
Can the group vote on the shortlist?
Yes. Start a plan from this Placelist, invite the group, and use FairWhere's share and voting flows to agree on a venue after the fairness ranking.
How does FairWhere rank places on Hackney, Islington & Bethnal Green: Pubs Where Nobody Gets the Long Journey?
FairWhere ranks venues on this Placelist by FairWhere Score: journey fairness for your whole group, not by popularity, sponsorship, or who suggested the place first. Open Plan a fair meet to add origins and see the ranked shortlist.
Do I need everyone in the same area of London?
No. FairWhere is built for groups coming from different zones. Add each person's start location and it ranks venues so the travel burden is as fair as possible across the group.
Is this free to use?
Browsing Placelists and creating a basic plan with estimate-only ranking is free in the London beta. Optional live checks and deeper routing may use credits where offered.