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Detail Pages
The Castle, Walthamstow, E17
E17
E17 9LB
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Tris C left this review about The Castle
Dating from the mid-19th century, this is one of three real pubs in Walthamstow ‘Village’ and this is the trendy one.
The place seems to have been gastrofied since at least Steve’s visit 11 years ago and the interior is very much trendified: the bar is at the far end with obligatory white tiled back. Then it’s a bit by the numbers with the huge IKEA-style bookshelf at left, home to Feng Shui’d lifestyle statement knickknacks. Otherwise, the floor is black lacquered, bare brick or black walls, white Anaglypta ceiling, some vestigial etched glass to the grey painted entrance vestibule. There’s a large bare brick fireplace, home to an upright piano then flanked by two blackboards displaying an extensive wine list. Lighting is a little odd, with reversed spotlights aimed at point blank range at the walls, then chunky candles to the equally chunky tables. Customers were young professional types, many eating and contributing to rather loud acoustics.
At the time of my Saturday 9.35pm visit there was a reversed clip, then just St. Austell Thunder Struck, £2.50 a half, new to me and rather nice, though served by a taciturn barman.
This place isn’t too bad though would benefit from a wider quality cask choice, but I’d prefer the Nags Head round the corner.
On 14th October 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2208 recommendations about 2165 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Castle
A sizable backstreet corner pub, Its a single room with plenty of seating which were all full up with young family's complete with children and pushchairs, oh dear. It is very gastro but a half decent beer selection helped, Purity Mad Goose, ELB Night Watchman and Darkstar Hophead.
Its Ok for a beer here but I'm not likely to rush back too soon.
On 31st December 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Castle
Only a five minute or so walk from the King William 1V and on route to Walthamstow village, so not to be missed. The pub was quiet on our Monday afternoon mini crawl, which was to be expected. This large corner pub was very inviting on approach and once through the doors, we headed to the facing bar, which had a dark blue painted front and a pine counter. I was pleased to see they had four handpumps in operation, so we went for the ELB Foundation Bitter and the New River Brewery London Tap. Both beers were in great shape and tasted superb, so all in all another bonus pub to Walthamstow.
On 20th February 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Castle
Pleasing exterior but a typical gastro makeover internally.Open plan with a wooden floor there is a huge shelving until to the left with a vast array of board games.Most of the tables are large designed for dining and families were much in evidence on a Saturday lunchtime visit.The large plates glass windows give a lot of light inside.There is an upright piano with a sign encouraging anyone to tinkle the ivories if they fancy but a knees up is unlikely to be the outcome given the gentrification of the area.To the side there are a few low tables below slatted blind windows,and you can just drink anywhere around the interior .The muzak was decent ,some classics at decent volume and the food offering seemed sound with burgers from £10 and mains generally £12-£17.
At the bar there were three real ales Dark Star Hophead (decent),ELB Foundation Bitter and Hackney American Pale Ale,so good to see two locales.Friendly services always a bonus.Fine to pop into for a beer or while on a crawl but the presence of dining families and the foody atmosphere would put me off from spending a heavy session within.
On 23rd March 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Castle
The Castle is a decent looking pub that is situated in the posh part of Walthamstow.
Once inside there is a single L shaped room with the bar facing,the room is bare boarded,the seating is normal tables and chairs to the front and leather settees to the rear right.
There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Dark Star Hop head which was a very nice drink,the other beers were Hackney american Pale Ale and ELB Foundation Bitter.
Decent background music was playing and board games are available,food is also available.
I quite liked here even though it is a gastro type pub.
Pub visited 21/3/2015
On 21st March 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Castle
This place is essentially unchanged since the previous reviewer’s visit, and doesn’t need describing again by me. When I was in at Wednesday lunchtime they had on Sambrook Wandle (£3.60 a pint), Jennings Cumberland, Timothy Taylor Landlord, and Adnam’s Broadside. One pump was unclipped, and a sixth offered mulled wine at £2, which was presumably an advert for the contents of the adjacent cauldron. Despite menus on the outside wall and chalkboards inside the pub offering a full range of dishes, the only food available at lunchtime was some parsnip soup and a stew of some kind.
It’s definitely child friendly. When I was in the pub was suffering from an infestation of noisy pre-walking age infants. One the one hand it’s good to see children being inculcated into the pub experience at an early age as it will obviously lead them to be more rounded individuals as they grow up, but on the other it doesn’t offer the quiet and relaxing pint that I prefer. But you can’t blame pubs for grabbing any business they can get to ensure their survival. Unlike most pubs, it may become a more relaxing place in the evenings. My pint of Wandle was in good nick though.
On 29th November 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Castle
From the outside the Castle is a grand Victorian pub situated on an imposing corner plot at the junction of Grosvenor Rise and Eden Road, tucked away behind Walthamstow Village.
Internally it has gone through several incarnations over the last 5 to 7 years as various owners tried to position it and get advantage from the continuing gentrification of the Walthamstow Village and surrounding area. Previous makeovers gave the impression of being done with minimal cost but not this last one that has the Castle being firmly positioned as a Gastro pub. In fact all the advertising, including the information board outside the pub promotes the Castle as “Walthamstow’s first gastro pub”.
Whether this current incarnation and interior in particular appeals, will be down to personal taste. For my personal taste I find these minimal gastro interiors, (stripped wooden floors, sober tables, liberal use of Farrow & Ball pastel paint colours, loaded bookshelves to try and give the place some character, e.t.c.) all a bit sterile and bland. And combined that with the fact that internally, The Castle is one large space with a high ceiling around the central bar area which, when it is not full of people, as it was not on my late evening visit, cuts a pretty boring and frankly depressing atmosphere.
It definitely leads on food, but as we were only here for the beer and you will be better off googling restaurant review sites for how this place performs as a ‘child friendly restaurant’ and it certainly seems to polarise opinions. It really depends whether you are prepared to sit in a pub, order food and drinks at the bar and pay restaurant prices for the privilege. With the very good local restaurants of Eat17 and The Village Kitchen a short walk away on Orford road, I can’t see myself doing that in the near future.
But on the beer front, things have improved and the large wood beamed bar top now supports six real ale pumps which were dispensing TT Landlord, Hook Norton Hooky, Spitfire, London Pride and Brains Reverend James with one reversed, a solid enough if not overly exciting line-up. And here again, with the nearby Nags Head and The Village pubs providing local ales from the increasing number of East London Micro Breweries you just feel The Castle is missing a trick by going with the safe options. But my pint of Reverend James was perfectly fine.
The refurb has also provided a converted designer beer garden at the back but didn’t get a chance to look at this on our late evening visit.
My first visit to the Castle in this current incarnation for an evening pint had me a bit underwhelmed by the experience, but there’s enough here to have me visit again when back in the Village area.
This is a fine Victorian building exterior and I hope it survives as a pub for that reason alone.
On 17th May 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2236 recommendations about 2098 pubs]