Hackney Tap, Hackney, E8

An interesting building, having been Hackney Town Hall (built in 1802) and then a branch of the Midland Bank, it stands next to the Grade 1 Listed St Augustine's Tower, the only remnant of Hackney's oldest building, the parish church (demolished in 1798). All this was of secondary importance when I arrived in Hackney too early for the pubs which I'd planned to visit, neither of which would be open until 4pm, and here I was at 3:30 with a full bladder. Spotting the open door of the Hackney Tap, I made use of the facilities before ordering a half of ELB Phoenix 4%. Looking around, there are some features that deserved a better writer than me to describe, so I took a photo or two. It was quiet mid-afternoon, but I imagine it must get busy, as the bar counter has been designed with self-draining trays built into its steel top, as well as four hand pumps and more keg taps than I could reliably count. The background music met with my approval, according to my notes made at the time, though I can't now remember what was playing. My beer was ok but not to my taste. Still grateful for the open door and functioning wc, I waved a cheery farewell.

Opened by the same people responsible for the popular Euston Tap, this is an interesting addition to the Hackney pub scene, located in a striking former town hall building which retains an interior from its days as a branch of the Midland Bank. The pub has a pretty basic layout, with a roughly square floorplan plus a little panhandle off to the front left. The room is quite nicely appointed, with a high ceiling, smart flooring and a traditional bar counter along the rear wall with a metal top and fancy keg fonts on the bar back, with large arched windows on either side. There are some nice wall panels beneath plain upper sections decorated with a few random paintings and a series of high shelves hold a collection of tankards. Seating is a mix of benches, chairs and high stools, including some of the latter in the narrow strip to the front left that leads to the toilet. A TV behind the bar remained unused and there was a beer boards propped up to the left of the servery, listing the full cask and keg range, with menus on the bar also serving the same purpose. A good amount of seating is available outside, mainly to the right of the building in a paved square fronting the bus station. Three rows of canteen tables and benches plus a few regular tables and chairs provide ample overspill for times when the pub gets particularly busy. A speaker outside was pumping out the same music that could be heard inside the pub. There were three cask ales on when I first visited this place – Anspach & Hobday The Ordinary Bitter and The American Pale plus Redemption Big Chief - although on subsequent visits, this has been reduced to just two. 22 keg lines flesh out the choices, but these aren’t always all in operation and some lines have pretty mainstream brands in amongst the craft stuff. The Big Chief was £4.00 a pint and in good condition and I’ve visited several times since and always found the beer to be well kept, although for some reason the place always seems to be either packed or empty, with no middle ground in between. I had high hopes for this place, having very much enjoyed the beer and ambiance in their Euston venue over the years, but I thought this place fell a little short on a few fronts, not least the limited cask range. It’s still a decent option to have when in the area and it’s already part of my go-to set of venues for whenever I find myself in Hackney.

An interesting conversion of a former free-standing Midland Bank in the pedestrianised area, with a modern feel. The monochromic colour scheme is brightened by by neon lights and there are modern tables, with benches round the outer walls. The steel-topped bar has a clutch of handpumps and a large selection of keg stuff, craft and mainland European. The ales were a very pleasant Redemption Victorian Mild, TT Landlord and TT Landlord Dark. I can't say the place greatly appeals to me but it is a useful watering hole, well-placed for the station.

As mentioned below a former town hall then bookies with quite a plain interior. A large selection of “craft keg” and 2 real ales on my visit with pizza & gyoza available. Toilets must be fun when it’s busy you might be better going across the road to McDonald’s.