The Windsor Castle, E5

This pub is essentially unchanged since the previous reviewer's visit. The glazed panels he mentions are probably the best feature, but my guess is that they have been relocated from elsewhere as they don't look to be in situ, and feature a falcon rather than a castle. Anyway, the ale choice is still as good, with Doom Bar, Truman's Swift, Hop & Kettle Heather Beehaving Badly, Five Points Hook Island Red, and the London Fields pair of Shoreditch Triangle and Love Not War all on. I had a pint of the Love Not War (served in a dimple jug with no choice offered) which was £3.90, and while not cheap is not exhorbitant for these sort of gastrofied places. The quality was fine. Single sheet menus were on all the tables, but I didn't get to scrutinise one. As others have intimated, this is a somewhat formulaic and characterless pub that has an excellent beer selection. Not all bad then. It now opens at midday only at weekends - see their website for details. I would visit again, as I enjoy the beers produced by East London's breweries, but it's not the sort of comfortable and "pubby" place in which I would prefer to spend time. I might stay for the beer though.

This newly re-opened pub has a traditional U shaped layout with what appears to be an extension along the right hand side. The interior is quite formulaic, with bare floorboards and white walls with very little of interest on them, save for a large boar’s head at the end of the servery. There is standard chair and low stool seating throughout the pub and the lack of soft furnishings has left the place very loud and echoey once there are a few punters in making a bit of noise. The left hand side of the room is perhaps as cosy as it gets, with a few seats arranged around a badly damaged fireplace, with a few old photos on the back wall. There are several coloured glass screens throughout the pub, including above both entrances and over another fireplace on the right hand wall opposite the bar. The room widens down the right hand side, into the extended space at the rear, where additional seating can be accommodated alongside an upright piano. This area gives way to an ivy covered garden with a good amount of bench seating. Music played throughout my stay, but it didn’t seem too loud compared to the noise being generated by the customers. Six hand pumps were in operation, dispensing Adnams Broadside, Taylor Landlord, Five Points Pale Ale (£4.20) and Red Rye and Truman’s Swallow and Swift and Runner. I tried the Pale Ale, which was in fairly good shape, and like the previous reviewer, thought the service left a bit to be desired. Keg options included Meantime Pale and Blue Moon. I thought this was a pretty drab pub, redeemed by a decent ale selection. It may well be early days for this place and a few small changes could make a big difference. I’d give this place another try if I was passing and it’s certainly a decent spot to break up the walk between the Clapton Hart and Cock Tavern/Pembury Tavern.

After Steve C's rather scary review from over four years ago I think I can safely say that the only criminal thing here now is the beer prices, which I will come to shortly. This was a Watney's pub back in the day. It closed last year and re-opened in May 2013. It was taken over by people associated with a trendy bar / club in Dalston called Birthdays. It doesn't look that big from the outside, but stretches back a long way and includes a garden that I didn't get to see. The interior does not have the Antic style "Squalid Chic" but much of the furniture looks like it's come from a junk shop or a skip. I counted eight pumps, some of which were unused and recall three Five Points brews, Adnam's Broadside and the incredibly boring Doombar. I had to ask for a straight glass to avoid the curse of the dimple jug and had a pint of Five Points Pale which was a colossal £4.20. This beer is only 4.4%, and is brewed a short walk from here, so how they can justify that price is beyond me. It was not completely clear but did taste OK. For some reason it took ages to get served, despite the fact that there were several staff doing "things" behind the bar. It was like being in a Spoons on a very bad day. I get the impression that this place is trying too hard to be cool and trendy and losing sight of what it should be doing. Next time I'll stay on the bus and go to the Cock Tavern instead. It opens daily at 12:00.

Randomness Guide to London - Windsor Castle entry

Randomness Guide to London - Windsor Castle entry

On the face of it you'd think that this would be a half decent pub as it has a couple of pool tables, numerous TVs and a huge projector screen at the back, but alas it is not. I think that its major downfall is the clientele who think nothing of openly skinning up whilst there is a young child present and think it is ok to do tricks on their BMX in the middle of the pub. The barmaid was quite miserable, but then so would I be if I was confronted with this madness everyday when I went to work. Funnily there was no real ale so I plumped for the Guinness which was thoughtfully served up in a Kronenburg glass. I managed to find a table as far from the locals as possible and watch the last 15 minutes of the Liverpool game on Sky, sorry did I say Sky, I meant to say Nova Sports. I was relieved once I had passed the group of people generating the purple haze by the entrance and turned the corner up the road. This is a pub with management that have totally lost control and I wouldn't step foot in here again if it was the last pub standing.