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The Castle, E1

44 Commercial Road
E1
E1 1LN

Phone: 02074812361

Correct details

Served areas

Whitechapel, Aldgate

Reviews of The Castle (Average Rating: 5 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Tris C left this review about The Castle

This has existed in some form since the late 18th century (the Dover Castle), being rebuilt in the late 19th. It's in a rather godforsaken part of the world, full of faceless high-rise developments and student facilities, but is a short walk from the nightlife of Brick Lane. The place has certainly changed quite a bit in recent years. It used to look scruffy and displayed a large Stella banner around the top of the parapet. There were two projecting red and gold illuminated Courage box signs as well as a gold Courage cockerel. As a result of a refurbishment in 2015, sadly they've now gone and all that remains is a late-model Courage sign bracket. The grim colour scheme has also gone, to be replaced by one that's dark grey with the name picked out in gold lettering to the fascia.
Inside, and I was really quite impressed. You enter through one of two opposing entrances, both with semi-circular curtain rails suspending full length teal curtains. It's also here that you really notice the curved end with its banquette seating upholstered in violet leatherette. Furniture is a mixture of larger traditional tables or small marble topped tables, both home to tea lights in tumblers; thereafter seating is in the form of café-style chairs to the front room with more comfy seating to the rear. The floor is parquet, walls are white Anaglypta and the ceiling is unusual white matchboard. There's a very attractive barback with some plain and cut-glass mirrors along with an integrated clock and possibly some inlaid polychromatic tiling; there's also a little bare brick too. Above, there are three rather lovely hanging pineapple-shaped lanterns with etched glass. The walls sport simple shaded sconce lights. There's a rear room which features more bare brick and a fireplace; up top there's a beautiful festoon cornice. Décor is simple with just a few small, framed pop art prints. There are no TVs and music was muted. The lavs though let the place down a bit with some grafitti and just one tiny basin, with a large chunk of porcelain missing from the side. Unsurprisingly, customers were youngish and probably live in the high-rise blocks.
Unfortunately, there's neither real ale nor even any pumps, so I had to plump for a pint of 40 Ft Brewery's Dalston Sunrise at a gloomy £5.50; it wasn’t bad as far a keg stuff goes.
On balance I thought that this was a really nice pub, certainly not something I was expecting. I'd certainly return here if in the vicinity, but only really if the place were to start selling real ale which would get the score up by at least a point; the East End has no shortage of quality breweries.

On 29^th September 2020 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2209 recommendations about 2166 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

custodian 42 left this review about The Castle

Standard corner pub with bar to the rear. No real ales - just keg rubbish.

On 17^th September 2018 - rating: 3
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Castle

Refurbished wedge-shaped pub with a rounded end, which certainly looks much more appealing than it used to. The bar benefits from a huge amount of window space on three sides, albeit partly offset by the dark-wood furniture and counter. Attractive bar-back and old clock, behind which there is another room that is more of a lounge. Clientele mostly young professionals. No real ale, unfortunately, with keg offerings including London Pale Ale and Yakima Red (£4.90) from Meantime and 40 Ft pale ale.

On 5^th March 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]

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