Joyau, E7

I had no intention of visiting this railway arch-based wine bar, but ended up spending time here having popped in under the mistaken impression that it was the Wanstead Tap micropub, which is actually a few meters further down the road. I think I was thrown by the large number of people enjoying a drink on the large pavement seating area outside – a nice set up mainly comprising decent garden furniture along the front wall and across a slightly raised platform that spills over the edge of the pavement. With no sign of any al fresco punters beyond this point, I ventured into this spacious arch in good faith, discovering a surprisingly empty space with a bare concrete floor and metal clad arched walls and ceiling. A servery stands to the right, surrounded by a huge amount of wine bottles across numerous sets of shelves, which should’ve given the game away. One very long high table with stools stands opposite the bar, whilst benches and chairs offer limited additional seating down the left-hand wall and a few more high stools run along a drinking ledge at the front. There were just two craft keg beers on tap and no sign of any handpulls – a fact that finally alerted me to the fact that I was probably in the wrong place, but by that point, the barmaid was already with me and I ended up ordering a pint of Pressure Drop Pale Fire, which was actually a pretty good drop that went down nicely on one of the outdoor tables. This seemed like a decent enough wine bar that was clearly popular with the locals and offers something a little different from the micropubs and brewery taprooms that occupy other arches along this stretch of track. I found the interior a little too empty and bland to merit a longer stay and the focus on wine rather than beer would also likely inhibit a longer session and overall I think it’s not really the sort of place I’d be likely to revisit. To add insult to injury, I finished my pint here and walked the extra ten metres to the Wanstead Tap, only to find that they’d closed shop early for the day, so I’m going to have to traipse back out here again to check it out some other day. Date of visit – 14th May 2023

A wine bar under the railway arches, confusingly situated right next door to The Wanstead Tap, hence the (unplanned) visit. They, naturally, get a few slightly-lost souls hoping for craft beer, for whom a keg lager & pale are on offer. Seating is inside or out, where the view is of a quiet suburban street and the soundtrack is trains rumbling overhead.

Official site of Joyau - joyau.co

Official site of Joyau - joyau.co