London’s Best Beer, Pubs and Bars updates
North London: Canonbury and Barnsbury
Graffiti art at the Railway Tavern, London N16
Contemporary pub (Pineapple)
2-4 St Jude Street N16 8JT
T 020 0011 1195 f RailwayTavernAleHouse
Open 1200-2300 (2400 Fri-Sat, 2230 Sun). Children welcome until 1900.
Cask beer 6 (unusual often local guests), Other beer 3 keg, 15-20 bottles (mainly British, many local), Also 3+ real ciders/perries, a few wines
Food Thai menu, Wifi. Disabled toilet .
Mon chess club, Tue quiz, film nights, beer festivals, functions.
With a Stoke Newington postcode but closer to Dalston’s various arts venues and the well known Duke of Wellington (p145) on Balls Pond Road, this was another failing backstreet pub reopened in 2011 in splendid style by Kirk McGrath of Pineapple fame. It’s an L-shaped space preserving some original Victorian features like multiple street doors, a carved fireplace with floral tiling and pillars with elaborate gilt capitals. But otherwise this is sofa and floorboards territory. Two handpumps are dedicated to Adnams beers, while the others often feature local brewers like East London and Redemption. Black Isle Porter, Licher Weizen and Meantime London Lager stand out from the keg offering, while an excellent range of bottled beers includes an extensive selection from Kernel plus Adnams (the fine barley wine Tally-Ho), Camden Town, Dark Star and Otley. Decent Thai food is served at very reasonable prices. A full activities programme completes the offer at this friendly place that easily matches the quality of sister venues the Pineapple (p156) and Tapping the Admiral.
Visitor note. Take care – this is a different Railway Tavern to the one next to Dalston Kingsland station. A former owner tried to mitigate possible confusion by renaming this one the Old Henry, but have a look high up on the blank wall at the back of the pub and you’ll see why the decision to revive the original name was a wise one.
Overground Dalston Junction, Dalston Kingsland Cycling LCN+ 10, link to 2012 Games Hackney Parks route Walking Link to 2012 Games Hackney Parks route
Leave a Reply