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Detail Pages
The Queens Arms, Walthamstow, E17
E17
E17 9NJ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about The Queens Arms
Upmarket gastro pub with a modernised, minimalist interior about five minutes from Walthamstow Central. The large front room features bare boards and a wide, U-shaped bar with an angular counter and a cut-out bar back forming a central island. Seating includes standard tables and chairs, with some padded banquettes along one wall and potted plants by the windows. To the rear right, the space extends into a more formal dining area, where Chesterfield sofas, dark painted walls, and bare brick are offset by fireplaces, mirrors, and scattered art prints. A pump clip display adds some character, but the lighting is quite stark and sound levels were high due to a lack of soft furnishings, drowning out the music playing quietly in the background.
There was just the one cask ale on—Wylde Sky Gold—with Five Points Best having recently been taken off and one other pump left unclipped. The beer was in reasonable shape, but I didn’t notice anyone else drinking it and wonder if ale has started to become a bit of an afterthought here.
I was a bit underwhelmed by this place, which I felt leant too heavily towards a foodie, middle-class clientele, at the expense of providing somewhere pleasant to just sit and enjoy a drink. I guess there are loads of pubs like this through the ever-gentrifying suburbs of the city, and whilst this one at least retained a cask option, I couldn’t really settle down and was happy to drink up and move elsewhere.
Date of visit: 22nd March 2025
On 8th September 2025
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3387 recommendations about 3387 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Queens Arms
This is a mid-19th century pub, situated in the trendy epicentre of Walthamstow ‘Village’ that is Orford Road; you know an area has arrived when it acquires a branch of Gail’s. There’s certainly food here and when I first started visiting friends in the ‘stow back in the late ‘90s, if you went to a pub and asked for burrata with tomato granita & pesto, you’d have got punched in the face.
The place has been heftily made over, with a scruffy and notably undulating bare boarded floor, plain white walls with black reveals; the only item of décor was the plethora of pump clips fixed to an upper wall and above the bar. The rear – which may be a dining area – features bare brick and eclectic prints. Furniture includes dark blue studded peripheral banquettes, then conventional round tables and upholstered stools, all to Pink Floyd’s Money at quite some volume; customers were young professional types, many quite shrill.
Despite the promises alluded to by the pump clips, at the time of my Saturday visit at just gone 10.00pm, there was an unused pump then just Pillars Cold Porter and Proper Job, £2.60 a half, served by an old-school landlady and in good shape.
This place isn’t bad but it’s a little stark, underperforms on the ale front and with the massed ranks of highchairs, offers the kind of child-based entertainment you thankfully won’t find at the neighbouring Nags Head.
On 15th October 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2283 recommendations about 2232 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Queens Arms
A large corner pub on an attractive street, unfortunately another gastro effort with all open space taken up with tables and chairs all occupied with screaming kids and their parents,numerous parked up pushchairs and buggy contraptions had to be negotiated to get to the bar, I'm sure this place serves a purpose in the community and maybe its different in the evening, but this is not for me. That said the Five Points Railway porter was excellent at £4.00 a pint, other beers on were Fullers Wild Holly and Pride plus T.T Landlord.
On 1st January 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2232 recommendations about 2198 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Queens Arms
Yet another decent pub to visit on our mini crawl. There were five handpumps on the bar to greet us on this visit, so we went for the Five Points Brewing Five Points ale and Peerless Triple Blond, both beers were in excellent shape, I have to say. We also had a choice between a straight or dimpled glass. Observing a section of mosaic floor tiles over on the right hand wall also determined some of the original pubs layout. Overall the pub served great beer, service was pleasant and staff helpful.
On 20th February 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3716 recommendations about 3716 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Queens Arms
The Queens Arms is a corner pub that is situated in the posh part of Walthamstow.
Once inside there is a single U shaped room with the bar facing,the floor is bare boarded as you might expect in a gastro type pub,the seating is a mix of bench type and normal tables and chairs.
There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Trumans Swift which went down well,the other beers were Summerskills Westward Ho and Redemption Hotspur.
Fairly loud background music was playing on our Saturday dinner visit.
I was happy enough having a drink in this pub.
Oub visited 21/3/2015
On 5th April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Queens Arms
Another gastro makeover in Walthamstow Village,the vast plate glass windows make you feel very much on display if seated by the bar,but that's the modern vogue.There is a significant dining area as you go back through the building and it was certainly busy at Saturday lunchtime .Wooden floors complete the modern vibe.Three real ales were on during our brief visit,Sumerskills Westward Ho! (fine),Redemption Hotspur and Truman Swift served by default in dimple mugs,it might have been better if the option of a straight was made before pouring.I noticed a lot of craft keg taps ,so drinking in the front part of the pub is probably the norm.
Call in if crawling the area,not enough pub atmosphere for me to consider a longer session.
On 23rd March 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3040 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Queens Arms
This pub has undergone a refurbishment since the last reviewer's visit. It's no longer the sports bar that it apparently was – it’s now been thoroughly “modernised”, and looks for all the world like a gastropub, but I didn’t see any meus when I was in there at Wednesday lunchtime. The exterior is now painted a pastel shade, although it may be an undercoat as some more work is definitely needed on the signage, which is conspicuous by its absence. The ale situation has looked up considerably though. They had on Woodforde Wherry; GKIPA; Old Hooky; and Otter Ale (£1.80 a half and served in a dimpled jug). Old Rosie cider was on pump as well.
The interior still smells of paint, but obviously that will pass, and didn’t bother me. The floor’s bare-boarded of course, with battleship grey predominating the colour scheme and the decor’s typically minimalist. The main bar area at the front is furnished with normal tables and chairs, but an area to the back and right of the bar counter has some sofas, and exposed brick walls. Many (but not all) of the tables were laid for diners, which is the only indication that I got that food was available. Why have tables laid with cutlery etc if you don’t do food? It all looked very gastro.
The pub is bare and minimalist, but obviously intended to look chic. A lot of people seem to like these sorts of places, and good luck to them, but it’s not much like a traditional pub now.
On 29th November 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2610 recommendations about 2524 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Queens Arms
One of three pubs around Walthamstow Village and for the casual visitor the black exterior and dark glass probably makes it the least welcoming.
But it’s decent enough once inside with the main bar area being a bit spartan but clean, light and airy. In the main it appears to be a sports pub with a big pull down screen and advertisements for regular screened football. And there was also indication of regular entertainment from live bands and the dreaded Karaoke nights. And from what I could see, it also did not seem to do food, which makes it a bit unique in this increasingly gentrified area.
There were three hand pumps on the bar but only one operational when I visited which dispensed a very average pint of Doombar. So for the Real Ale drinker this one can probably be passed over in favour of the nearby Village and Nags Head. But for the locals it looks a decent enough venue for watching the footie.
On 11th April 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2287 recommendations about 2139 pubs]