Ye Olde Rose & Crown, Walthamstow, E17

I dropped in here yesterday for day 1 of their beer festival. The only other time I had been here was when it was a keg only Truman's pub. The festival beers were served straight from the cask from somewhere round the back of the pub, so this may not have been the best test for the beer quality, but luckily it was a cold day and the pint of Dark Star Winter Meltdown was well kept. I thought it had a slightly sour note but discovered from the web site that it has spices in the recipe which would account for it. I would liked to have stopped for a second but was put off by the price. £3.30 is steep when you're used to Spoons prices. It has been said that this is the best pub in Walthamstow, and it probably is, but at the moment there isn't much competition. The Nag's Head is not that far away but the Coppermill is a mile or so away. This may change when the Bell just up the road re-opens, but I'm not expecting it to be at all cheap. It is advertised as a Theatre pub, which hopefully attracts extra custom but holds no appeal for me.

Mr Fastard nails the details below. It's a very large boozer this and it feels it although not in a negative sense. The welcome was warm and the clientele is mixed with a generally friendly and chatty atmosphere. Beers on four handpumps were Hoggleys Resevoir Hogs, Old Mill Winter Warmer, Triple fff Pressed Rat and Warthog and Windsor and Eton Windsor Knot. The Winter Warmer was in good nick but as all four were rotating guests it's a lottery as to what you'll find. I wouldn't necessarily make a big detour to return but it'd be my first stop if in Walthamstow.

Randomness Guide to London - Olde Rose And Crown entry

Randomness Guide to London - Olde Rose And Crown entry