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Submitted on Sunday, 26^th November 2023
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North Star, Leytonstone, E11

24 Browning Road
E11
E11 3AR

Phone: 02085303197

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Served areas

Leytonstone

Reviews of North Star (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

David Walton left this review about North Star

Visited 08/10/25

Five hand pumps dispensing Oakham JHB, which was in exceptional condition, the Cowcatcher APA from East London Brewing Co, the Plum Porter from Titanic, the Solaris Pale Ale from Big Smoke Brew Co and the Solar Wave hazy IPA from Sharp's. Keg selection was the low ABV Big Drop Citra IPA, Alpacalypse, the Kernel dry stout, the Pale Fire pale ale from Pressure Drop, the hazy pale ale Santiago from Two Flints, Steady Rolling Man from Deya, Wild Wave the blush cider from Addams, Aspall, Madri, Estrella Galicia, the Newbarns Pilsner, Guinness, Paulaner Weissbier, Paulaner lager, Bohemia Regent a Czech premium pilsner, Kutna Hora a premium Czech dark lager and Pravha.

Small seating area out the front with picnic benches on a cobbled floor on quite a quaint thoroughfare. The bar counter is along the left-hand wall of the public bar area, bare boarded with a drinking ledge down the right-hand wall with tall stool seating. There is an attractive leather corner banquette to the left of the entrance. The larger amount of seating in a similarly bare boarded area is accessed either at the rear or through its own front entrance. There is a glass hatch looking into the bar counter but no service from this side. Like the other bar, leather banquette down the left-hand wall serving several regular tables and there is a small identical banquette both to the right of this entrance and at the rear of this room. There is a dartboard just inside the entrance but clearly the furniture needs to be rearranged a little to make it operational. A single TV was switched off on my visit and there a lot of framed pictures etc on the walls. Music soundtrack was varied and very enjoyable during my visit. There is a block paved and covered seating area out the back with picnic benches and they have an on-site pizza operation to the right of the area in its own premises. I believe they also serve a Thai menu in the pub also. This is a top-notch pub, unquestionably the best in the postcode area and takes some beating generally.

On 6^th April 2026 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1590 recommendations about 1565 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Tris C left this review about North Star

This place was established as a beer house in 1858, obtained a wine licence in 1939 to became a full-on pub in 1959, courtesy of Charrington’s. It’s situated in a quiet and attractive backstreet, which estate agents probably market as ‘Leytonstone Village’.
It’s on CAMRA’s inventory of pubs with historic interiors, cited as being of Special National Historic Interest. I arrived yesterday to what was reopening night, so the place has had a makeover since the last review of December. I don’t know what the original looked like, but broadly there’s an aged bare boarded floor, black wainscoting beneath duck egg blue Anaglypa walls and a white ceiling, the combination a little severe. What certainly aren’t original are the bare filament bulbs, suspended from the ceiling by an ugly mess of dangling black electrical flexes. Furniture takes the form of traditional furniture with fluted navy-blue banquettes. Décor comes by way of a multitude of railway-themed prints and there were two TVs, off with a decent soundtrack on the jukebox, including the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan. Customers were mixed in age and me aside, undoubtedly local, making for a good ambience.
Aside from two unused pumps there was a good selection of cask styles, amounting to Oakham’s JHB, Sussex Best, Burning Sky Plateau and Five Points Railway Porter at £2.50 a half, served by a friendly barmaid and in great shape.
Things round here must have changed a fair bit for the worse in the last 13 years if other pubs nearby are 'more essential' – I’ll bet this is probably the best pub in Leytonstone, where it’s a must-visit, but the Red Lion has the wider cask selection.

On 19^th January 2024 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2324 recommendations about 2267 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Quinno _ left this review about North Star

Was here 11 years ago and it's had a tarting-up since then, everything is now very blue. The U-shaped interior has been demarcated with the drinkers on one side (right) and pizza munchers in the other (left). Bit of chat between the barmaids and the locals, which was nice to see. Five cask ales which seemed a little ambitious and indeed mine was the only one poured, an Oakham JHB, which just passed the GBG muster (NBSS 3) as it’s listed in the book. Nice enough, good to see it surviving.

March 2012
A traditional two-roomed backstreet boozer located in a very glamorous ‘village’ part of Leytonstone, a couple of minutes from the main High Street; you could easily forget you’re in the East End. The pub interior retains a number of traditional touches although is quite tired-looking and parts of it have seen better days. The original etched windows in the doors were a nice touch. Three ales were on the go during my visit with a decent selection of Adnams, Hop Back and Doom Bar, with Bombardier turned. The ales we had were in fair condition. Most of the action seemed to be in the right-hand bar (probably because that’s where the football was on), with the left hand bar contained a couple of diners chowing down on the pub grub though I did spot a dart board available. Pictures of old Leytonstone and steam trains festoon the walls. Very much a local’s local but none the worse for that. As pointed out below, this isn’t a destination pub but is worth a visit if you’re in the area. I’d certainly frequent the place if I lived nearby. Rated 7

On 16^th December 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 6004 recommendations about 5984 pubs]

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