Pretty Decent Beer Co Taproom, E7

This is a small brewery and taproom, located in a railway arch down an unassuming backstreet, just a short walk from Wanstead Flats. The arch has a slightly unusual wide interior but doesn’t stretch back very far – almost the opposite dimensions of most railway arch taprooms I’ve been to – but it does still have the usual concrete floor, plain wall cladding and basic, makeshift-looking servery. The latter can be found along the rear wall, with all the keg taps lined up across the bar back and handy beer manus on the counter. Seating comes in the form of canteen style benches, formed into a couple of rows opposite the bar, whilst a lot of the brewery kit fills the left-hand side of the room. There’s not an extensive amount of space inside and I imagine it would fill up pretty quickly at peak times, so overspill seating can be found in a small, unwelcoming looking space between the front of the arch and the high metal fence that surrounds the premises. Here, rickety high stools have been arranged around a number of filthy upright barrels – it was a beautiful day when we visited so we ended up sat out here, but it was so dirty, I really didn’t feel like staying for long. I think I counted around a dozen home brewed keg beers across the taps, all of which had slightly ridiculous names, which seems to be the brewery’s forte. I plumped for a pint of The Greatest Love Story – probably the most sensibly named beer of the lot, which set me back a fiver and was a decent enough sessionable brew. The barmaid seemed a bit standoffish, so we didn’t feel particularly welcome, but there was a good crowd in when we arrived, which meant the place at least felt a little livelier than it might otherwise have done on a warm afternoon. I was quite looking forward to this place but felt a little let-down by the filthy outdoor drinking space, indifferent service and uninteresting interior. Plus points for the cheery locals and decent pint – these factors did enough to convince me that the place wasn’t a total right off, but it ultimately ranks lower mid-table compared to the many other such taprooms around the capital and given it’s obscure location, I can’t see a repeat visit being on the cards anytime soon. Date of visit – 14th May 2023

I've been to the much bigger brewery and taproom for Pretty Decent on the Blackhorse beer mile, but this was a new bar for me. Sat in a small railway arch on a residential street, this seems to be a strange place for a taproom. Although we enjoyed our extended stay here and found that there are a number of other enterprises springing up in the railway arches in the area. We arrived to find just one other customer and the barman. So, the four of us tripled the occupancy, before another family arrived later. Until that point, we thought they would be closing shortly and would throw us out! Beers are all keg-dispensed. The selection was I Could Get Better At T*sco For A Quid, The Greatest Love Story, My Ex Was In A Band And They Had A Hit Called Sheryl Crow, Triple Fruited Gose, Morning Steve!, The Mess At Fake Stonehenge & Old Scaffold Daze. The space is quite small, with only 5 or 6 tables, a toilet in one corner and a tiny kitchen in the opposite corner. We availed ourselves of the okonomiyaki dish, which accompanied the mostly NEIPA beers quite nicely. Whilst the beers all felt a bit samey here, they were the kind I enjoy. I'm almost certain to make a return visit here, especially with the excellent Holly Tree nearby.

I went about May when it first opened and its just a brewery in an arch with some beers on keg.Basic .Watch you don't trip on a hose or bucket as you make your way up to pay.

Official site of Pretty Decent Beer Co Taproom - www.prettydecentbeer.co

Official site of Pretty Decent Beer Co Taproom - www.prettydecentbeer.co