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East India Arms, Fenchurch Street, EC3
EC3
EC3M 4BR
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about East India Arms
Dating from at least 1645 and built on the site of the Magpie Ale House, the East India Arms is named after the British East India Company and dates from 1829, but I doubt that the current building dates back that far; it looks a bit 1930s’ to me, but them I’m no expert. I’m also surprised that the name has survived in the current climate, given the British East India Company’s involvement with the slave trade.
The interior is a sort of manifestation of Victorian/Edwardian, with much dark wood panelling, similar to many other Neame pubs, this possibly being a modern yet sympathetic restoration in part, if not in whole. The coloured mirrors to the top of the pot shelf advertising the brewer and its wares looks Ye Olde enough, but then you notice the pub’s postcode included: EC3M 4BR. EC3 didn’t arrive until 1917 and the rest…1980s? Otherwise, there’s off-white paint, a boarded floor and some etched glass, which looks a bit self-adhesive; since when did etching peel off? Décor amounts to a few framed prints, brewers’ mirrors and ceramic jugs. Furniture is conventional, with just tall stools to the bar and peripheral drinking ledge, whilst entertainment came in the form of a TV showing the news with subtitles, then barely audible music. Customers amounted to some very annoying mouthy City types – a couple reminding me of Del Boy – though, most were outside.
Ales offered were just Whitstable Bay and Spitfire at £2.75 a half and fine.
This place is ok, but would I really want to visit a pub for a session in the knowledge that I’m going to have to up sticks and look for somewhere else come 8.00pm? There are better pubs and better beer in EC3…
On 7th May 2022
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about East India Arms
A smallish, single room pub in the shadow of The Gherkin, a sign outside proudly proclaims that this is run by Britain’s oldest brewery, which is apparently Shepherd Neame. It was surprisingly quiet on a recent mid-week lunchtime visit, with only a couple of other punters stood outside.
Inside it’s quite traditional with much dark wood panelling on the walls, etched glass windows and a few gilded mirrors branded with brewery names which included Bass as well as the owners. Flooring was black wood and there were a few strings of hops hung up above the bar. Seating was quite limited, with the majority of the space being given over to vertical drinking, and consisted of a few bar stools around the perimeter and fitted bench in one corner. A TV was showing a news channel, but the volume was off so this was not too intrusive. A few old pictures of the locale were hung on the walls.
Beers on tap were Spitfire, Spitfire Gold and Whitstable Bay, whilst a fourth pump appeared unused. The solitary cider was Symonds Founders Reserve.
On 3rd April 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about East India Arms
Shepherd Neame pub with a characterful brick exterior set amongst the many modern glass/steel buildings in the area. Dark bare boarded interior with some nice mirrors on the far wall.
On 24th November 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about East India Arms
A nice looking Shepherd Neame pub, Its more than adequately described in pubsignMans review below, there is actually seven hand pumps in here with four on the main frontage with a bank of three tucked away around the side, despite this only three of the range were available, Spitfire,Spitfire Gold and Whitstable Bay. Its a nice pub and was fairly busy late on Tuesday afternoon,no doubt in part due to its near proximity to Fenchurch Street station. Its a nice pub but if you dont like Sheps beers maybe its not for you, I can take or leave them and wouldn't be adverse to calling in again.
On 10th August 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about East India Arms
This is a quaint little traditional pub next to Fenchurch Street station, increasingly becoming a novelty among the new office developments in this part of the city. The pub has a single bar, although this appears to have been opened out from an original two bar layout. The room describes a wide U shape around a similarly shaped back wall servery. The whole place has dark floorboards, wall panels and bar fittings, but it was well lit on a Friday evening visit, so that it didn’t feel particularly gloomy. The bar has a part mirrored bar back with some decorative glass pillars supporting the hop lined canopy which had some old Shepherd Neame brewery mirrors incorporated into it. Another impressive Sheps mirror can be found on the left hand wall alongside a similarly sized Bass mirror with what I presumed was the East India Company’s coat of arms also on display. The rest of the room has been decorated with various framed photos, maps, adverts, breweriana and the like, with many of the photos depicting either the pub or various seafaring scenes. The windows have some modern, decorative obscured glass panes and the seating comprises high stools along ledges that skirt the perimeter of the room plus a couple of tables with comfier seats in the rear corners. A shelf to the left was stacked with various leaflets for local events and some vases full of dying flowers. A TV screen to the front right was showing muted rolling news coverage.
This is a Shepherd Neame house and I had hoped, given the pub’s prominent location, that it would be showcasing their full range of beers, but sadly there were only two available on this visit – Whitstable Bay and Spitfire – with two more pumps sporting reversed clips. A more rounded range of Sheps beers could be found in bottled form in the fridges, but seeing as you can buy these in just about any supermarket, this didn’t seem too appealing. My pint of Whitstable Bay was pretty good and the pub has notably appeared in recent editions of the Good Beer Guide.
This is quite a nice little pub of the sort that can be found throughout Central London. The lack of seating makes it a little tricky to make yourself comfortable and the beer range was a bit disappointing, but I still felt this was a good, honest boozer and I’d happily stop off here if I had a wait for a train.
On 21st December 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about East India Arms
A striking looking building on my way along Fenchurch St, heading towards Aldgate Underground, so had to pop in. The pub had a certain charm about it, I really liked the arch windows and door openings. The pub has two entrances, obviously I took the first one, on the side. The bar was on the right hand side and hosted five Shepherd Neame pumps with three in use. So I went for the Spitfire which tasted good and was better than I could have imagined. A good way to finish my City tour, before heading on. The pub was quiet around 4.30, so a comfortable visit.
On 11th February 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about East India Arms
I visited the East India Arms a couple of days before Christmas and found a small Shepherd Neame pub with traditional décor. The usual SN draught was available with the likes of Oranjeboom. I counted five hand pumps, but three of these were unused leaving Spitfire and Whitstable Bay Pale Ale as the cask options.
During my early evening visit a plasma screen was airing a muted 24 hour news channel and there was no background music. I found the service to be polite enough and I would have no problem popping back in if passing.
On 30th December 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about East India Arms
This is a very small single-room corner-site pub, now operated by the Shepherd Neame brewery. It’s so small that there’s no room for any furnishings other than some tall stools at ledges around the sides of the room. There were a couple of nice mirrors on one of the walls, one featuring a regal coat of arms that neither I nor my chum could identify. Looked quite nice though. The bar gantry was festooned with sheaves of dried hops, I guess to identify with a Kent brewery from the traditional home of the country’s hop growing industry. There were just Shep’s beer available of course – Spitfire; Whitstable Bay Pale Ale; Bishop’s Finger; and the seasonal Lat Red (£4.10 a pint)
This struck as a real pub, although during my early evening busy it was absolutely heaving with punters. This is another pub that provides a pit stop for workers on the way home.
On 13th November 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about East India Arms
A proper little boozer located just around the corner from Fenchurch Street station, with its name prominently written between first and second floor level on both facades. The tiny wood-panelled bar has very limited seating, but if you avoid lunchtime or early evening you might find a bar stool to sit on. Once well known locally as a rare Southern outlet for TT Landlord before this became ubiquitous, but it's been a Shepherd Neame house for a few years now. The beer quality remains very good, with Master Brew, Spitfire and Bishops Finger (£3.65) available on my recent visit. Overall, well worth seeking out (but not at the weekend when it is closed).
On 24th November 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about East India Arms
Small Sheps pub on Fenchurch Street.
Though not big it has a nice traditional feel, wood floor, half pannelled walls and a nice London back street pub.
Beer is well kept
On 20th December 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]