The Black Lion, Plaistow, E13

Once a coaching inn, this place dates from 1747 and is on CAMRA’s list of pubs with historic interiors, this being of Special National Historic Interest. There are decent pictures of the interior on CAMRA’s site, but of note are the ‘30s’ additions and nods to the ‘70s’. Like Ian, I too had problems negotiating the entrance criteria, but once inside I found myself in a time warp pub which wouldn’t look out of place in a village, with a notionally Irish flavour but with a mixed local crowd and quite a few children. A decent soundtrack played, comprising some cheesy Oirish folk, then homespun Country & Western; pre-recorded horseracing played in silence on an inconspicuous TV and games machines flashed; also of note is that there’s a seafood bar out back in the substantial car park. I also availed myself of the only cask offering that I could see at a crowded bar: a half of Mighty Oak’s Captain Bob (£2.50) in superb shape, served by a friendly old-school landlady; I could have stayed for quite a few if time had permitted. Like chalk and cheese compared to the neighbouring Victoria Tavern and Lord Stanley, this is a very nice pub which would be improved with a wider – or perhaps more visible – cask choice, ditching the electronics and perhaps the kids too; it makes for a great double with the Boleyn Tavern.

Good Beer Guide (2023) brought me here. What an unexpected find. A C18th coaching house, largely unchanged, in Plaistow. Getting in without prior knowledge, was a challenge. Every door seemed to have a sign with an arrow saying use next entrance. When you get to the last door, I found myself in a little unmanned bar. To get to the staffed main bar required going through the serving space. There you find a long thin room, with beamed ceilings, bench seating and a long row of round tables. Drops down to another area with fruit machines. Decor is Irish. Only two real ales on and they were both marked on a chalk board as "guest". I went for a previously untested Captain Bob by Mighty Oak Brewery and it was perfect. Prize winning in the Camra Bitter Category. Impossible not to get into conversations with regulars. A unexpectedly joyful visit.

A pub seemingly at odds with its surroundings nowadays, an authentic, largely unspoilt 18th century former coaching inn. The pub layout is as described by the previous reviewers below, Three cask beers were advertised on a couple of chalk boards, these were Mighty Oak Georgeous George, Dartmoor Jail Ale and Doom Bar, none of which appealed to me, the keg selection normal stuff and premium lagers. The pub itself is an excellent place in a rather unappealing urban setting, but with rather mundane (in my view) beer choices, going on my experience and former writeups, I'll probably not be rushing back given there is little of interest in the immediate area.

A splendidly-idiosyncratic free house with the sort of brewers' Tudor interior dating from decades ago, except it might be even older as the pub is several hundred years old. Sundry bric-a-brac lines the walls and it lacks any form of the corporate design overkill that spoils many pubs. Apparently the Irish landlord has been there for 35 years and keeps it how he likes it. There is a surprisingly-large patio area and function room to the back and a smaller 'quiet' bar, accessed through the servery as others have mentioned. The Mighty Oak Captain Bob still seems to be a favourite and was in good condition; also on pump was Doom Bar with Norfolk Wherry either just coming or just finished. Food is traditional home made pub grub, very good and in large portions. A very nice pub.

Just a short walk from Plaistow station, this is a fine old traditional local’s pub with an almost rural feel to it. You enter to a small lower front room with some limited bench and chair seating under bare brick walls, timber beams and plenty of old black and white photos and brewery mirrors. It’s a pleasant enough space but a couple of steps over to the left lead you up into the public bar. This space is dominated by an unusual, almost wavy shaped bar counter along the back wall with a chunky quarry stone base/foot rest. The counter front has some attractive wood panelling and there is a long, dark wood bar back, all of which fits in nicely with the room’s numerous wooden beams and pillars, most of which are covered in horse brasses or pump clips. The wall opposite the bar has a single long banquette running its full length, serving a row of tables with some low stools in support. The banquette has been divided up with the addition of several surprisingly sturdy makeshift screens to aid with social distancing, resulting in a series of booth-like compartments each facing the bar. The pub seemingly has strong Irish connections, with the room notably decorated with numerous whisky mirrors, Guinness advertisements, an old Irish road sign and other such bits and bobs, whilst TV screens were showing football and live horse racing, with most punters eagerly watching the latter before nipping out to the nearby bookies. The bar counter hatch was open at he far end, allowing customers to pass through the end of the servery to reach a second bar and the beer garden, neither of which were visited due to my decision to claim a table opposite the bar. A friendly barmaid greeted me from behind the plastic cover draped in front of the entire servery and took my track and trace details whilst pouring my pint of Mighty Oak Captain Bob (£4.10), which was one of two cask ales available alongside St Austell Tribute, with a Wychwood Hobgoblin Gold clip recently reversed. The beer was in good shape, befitting the pub’s regular inclusion in the Good Beer Guide and making it a bit of a lone beacon for ale drinkers in a part of the city where a good pint can be hard to come by. I liked this place and thought it was a good example of a well-run local’s pub in a part of London that has seen its pub stock continually diminish over the years. Some of the locals were a bit earthy in their language and the obtrusive sports coverage does detract somewhat from the pleasant traditional interior, but overall I thought this was a nice place to enjoy a pint and seemingly the best option for quite some distance.

Old coaching inn, retaining a surprising amount of character while all around has changed (and is continuing to do so). The main bar is accessed from the side, with the front entrance leading first through a lower small seating area and then a few steps up. However, there is also a separate Quiet Bar accessed via a zig-zag through the end of the servery, and both parts are very traditional in appearance. There are also a few wooden benches out in the cobbled rear yard (with a covered passageway back to the side road), then the Stable Bar / function room and finally a rear patio beer garden beyond. Four real ales available from the various handpumps on the two counters: the regular Captain Bob from Mighty Oak (£4.00), Bombardier, Pride and Tribute. Good Beer Guide listed, and a real oasis in an area with no cask beer in any of the few remaining estate pubs.