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Poll for Lancaster crawl June /July 2026 with Bucking Fastard
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Detail Pages
The Nags Head, Walthamstow, E17
E17
E17 9LP
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about The Nags Head
Visited 20/04/26
Cask here was three functioning handpumps and providing TT LL and Knowle Spring plus the Pale ale from East London Brew Co. Keg offering of Neck Oil, Gamma Ray, Camden Hells, Guinness, Inch's, Amstel, Tiny Rebel Easy Livin, the Moretti and Sale Di Mare lagers, plus the three flavoured Old Mount ciders.
This is a very quirky pub, obvious from the pink and green frontage and sign. There is some outside seating at the front. Inside it is U shaped with the pine fronted bar counter with a dark grey lino skirt following the inside shape of the venue. The left-hand limb is a mixture of bare boarded and carpeted with quite densely packed light wood regular tables and chairs. Front under the windows has some fabric sofas facing the bar counter and serving low tables in a carpeted area with small stools around the tables to provide additional seating in high-capacity parts of the week (a Monday mid evening was not a high-capacity part of the week). To the immediate left of the front corner entrance are a couple of tables including one served by a lime green leather banquette and there are some regular tables down the right-hand limb leading to the rear paved beer garden, quite attractive and providing some covered and uncovered mish mash of seating. There is a lot of stuff on the walls, I would like to be more specific, but it really is wide ranging and defies description! I liked this venue, a bit off the wall but a decent cask offering for the location and my pint of Knowle Spring was well kept. They clearly advertise on the entrance that they are a child free venue!
On 25th April 2026
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1590 recommendations about 1565 pubs]
paulof horsham left this review about The Nags Head
Some of the back streets in the so-called Walthamstow "village" are very pleasant and the Nags Head fits right in as a relaxing chilled out place to spend a while.
The bar offers 3 ales - Landlord and 2 from East London Brewery, though my pint of Pale was on life support with no head, not much condition and a bit of a twang, although chilled to within an inch of its remaining life. There's also 2 different Moretti's as well as the usual keg selection, all of which seemed more popular than the cask.
Food is predominantly pizzas and served for much of the day it seems.
Given the questionable beer quality, I found it hard to completely warm to the place and was ultimately glad that I didn't have to rely on the Nags Head as my local.
On 4th October 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 641 recommendations about 595 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Nags Head
This pub dates from at least the mid-17th century to be rebuilt in 1859; a side entrance at right and coach house at left indicate that this was once a coaching inn, when Walthamstow was an actual village, rather than referred to as one by estate agents.
The fascia has been rendered somewhat whacky in the last couple of years, with the garish salmon pink and cucumber green livery, I initially thought that this was an offshoot of the Garrick Club; that’s before I spotted the cartoon caricatures of cats and the prominent sign (see photo) expressly barring kids; good times!
With the out-of-the-skip furniture collection, the interior seems to be as quirky as mentioned earlier, with pictures of pop stars and cats. Indeed, the bar’s parapet bears illuminated lettering reading: Gin Pizza Ale Cats. Customers were a laid-back bunch of locals, some more traditional, then young, professional types, all lapping up the loud vinyl soundtrack which featured ABC’s All Of My Heart and Kim Carnes’ Bette Davis Eyes at the time of my Saturday 9.50pm visit and despite the promise of pussies galore, there was no sign of the furry ones, but perhaps they could have been tempted in by Squeeze.
With one unused pump, there was a choice of New River London Tap and Twin Spring, then Landlord, £2.80 a half, very nice, served by an enthusiastic barmaid.
This is a fun pub, my favourite of the quartet to be found in Walthamstow ‘Village’.
On 14th October 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2324 recommendations about 2267 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Nags Head
This pub has now become quite "trendified" with vibrant colours in use inside and out with a heavy bearing on pink. Although I couldn't now class this as a traditional pub it is very much a community pub representitive of the immediate area it inhabits and was very well attended on a Saturday afternoon. Pictures of rockstars past adourn the walls as well as images of fampos people from other generas. The bar with a pine clad frontage and solid pine top supported four handpumps drawing three beers, Southwark LPA (changed in visit for Bankside Blonde) and Mayflower, competently kept, as well as TT Landlord. There was a Pizza and burger menu. A nice pub but not a game changer.
On 16th July 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2306 recommendations about 2269 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Nags Head
This is a lovely looking old pub in the pleasant Walthamstow Village area, notable on approach for its impressive green tiled facade. Two entrances lead through into the same U-shaped, knocked through room. The left hand side has a surprisingly dark seating area, which has been carpeted and offers plenty of standard tables and chairs under plain walls decorated with the occasional portrait. There is a nice brick fireplace to one side and a sofa along the rear wall, which help make this feel like quite a cosy, homely space. More sofas can be found under the front windows, where a book swap scheme has been set-up on the window sills. These sofas stand opposite the bar, which forms a long U-shape with its tongue and groove panelled counter, chunky canopy and mirrored bar back. Over to the right, there is a much smaller area with a few more tables and chairs, some more portraits on the walls and a few drinking ledges here and there. Tributes to both David Bowie and Eric Bristow had been created and put on display, although whether either of them have a connection to the pub, I cannot say. There is a good sized front garden from which to admire the pub’s fine exterior and a rear garden with lots of additional seating. Live music was being promoted and there was a pretty good soundtrack playing throughout the duration of my visit. Food seemed to be reasonably priced and included some burger options from a pop-up outlet that had temporarily set up in the pub. A friendly pub cat was busy doing the rounds and came and sat at my table on the chair opposite me.
The bar supports five handpulls, four of which were in operation on this occasion, offering a selection of Cameron’s Whakanui, Purity Ubu, Taylor Landlord and Adnams Fat Sprat. I had a pint of the latter which was in excellent condition and I really enjoyed sitting in one of the seats to the front of the pub and indulging in a bit of people watching.
This is a really nice pub that I’m a bit surprised I walked straight past the last time I was in Walthamstow. It is a comfortable place to settle down in over a few pints of well kept beer and offers plenty of distractions without these impairing the over ambiance of the place. It would be nice to be able to call this place your local and I’m sure I’ll check it out again the next time I’m in the area.
On 18th September 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3387 recommendations about 3387 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Nags Head
An eccentric landlady runs the Nags Head, which is evident from her personal stamp around the place. Next time I visit, I might bring our cat and with a little encouragement am sure I'd get a free pint. There were 8 pumps in operation on our Monday afternoon mini crawl. I went for the Hogsback Farnham White which was ok. Note the pub doesn't open until 4pm mid week.
On 22nd February 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3745 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Nags Head
ORIGINAL REVIEW Dec 2011
Very popular with locals who inhabit the surprisingly upmarket area of Walthamstow village,I found the interior rather twee with many sofas lining the walls ,pine furniture in the middle , unusual covers on the tables ,and boudoir lighting.It felt like someone's lounge not a pub interior .
A large notice saying "Tetley RIP" I initially took as a sign that the community were mourning the loss of the Leeds Brewery before discovering that Tetley was the (itinerant) pub cat and in whose memory a special brew had been produced.Apparently the ex cat had had a full funeral,reported extensively by the local rag.
It all felt as if I was encrouching on other peoples grief,and anyway the ale selection was rather uninspiring,despite a reasonale East London Brewery Foundation Bitter,so this was a brief stay.
UPDATE
A return visit on a crawl of the area found a much better real ale selection with ,among others,St Austell Tribute,Maldon Oscar Wilde Mild,two from Bishop Nick including their Hop Cross in very good nick.The barmaid ,who still doesnt look very happy, at least seems to have got over the loss of the pub cat.An upgrade from me,the interior looks less twee than on my last visit.
On 23rd March 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3141 recommendations about 3141 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Nags Head
The Nags Head looks like a proper London pub.
Once inside there is a single L shaped room with the bar facing,the seating is a mix of settees and normal tables and chairs but these had table cloths on them which really annoys me,but we were allowed to just have a drink at a table with a cloth on it.
There was a decent choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Bishops Nick Hop Cross which was quite a nice drink,the other beers i noted were Maldon Oscar Wild Mild and St Austell Tribute.
Board games are available and there was some decent background music playing.
Despite the table cloths i quite took to this pub,one i could stay in for a session if not on a pub crawl.
Pub visited 21/3/2015
On 21st March 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Nags Head
When in the Walthamstow area I would definitely recommend a detour to the old Walthamstow village section with its decent restaurants and pubs, especially as the new Wild Card Brewery now complements these.
Of the three pubs in the Village, the slightly quirky Nags Head remains my favourite and every time I visit I feel more at home here. This time it was just for a quick one early afternoon before visiting the aforementioned new Microbrewery and it did not disappoint.
A congenial chilled Saturday afternoon crowd were in and a couple of good halves of Redemption Trinity and Colchester Brewery Double Brown Ale were enjoyed.
I know this pub isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it is mine and gets an extra mark for being consistently good on my visits.
On 22nd December 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2340 recommendations about 2186 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Nags Head
It doesn’t seem that this pub has changed in any material way since the previous reviewer’s visit, although when I was in on Wednesday there was no sign of any cats, nor did I get to meet the landlady. The food is still Italian themed, with a full range of pizze available (from £6 to £10 or so). I had a Parma ham and cheese ciabatta which was a good quality snack for £6. Apparently this was good news for the young (and apparently hungry) barmaid as this meant she could get the chef to make one for her as well! Real ale is clearly important here as well, with Timothy Taylor Landlord; Sharp’s Doom Bar; Castle Rock Harvest Pale; something called Black Diamond (a dark beer with a light citrus taste according to the clip); and Dartmoor Brewery Jail Ale (a strongish 4.8% rich brown ale in great nick) all on, with an Otter clip reversed. As well as a range of the less usually seen lagers, they also advertised Pimms and something called Flossie’s Summer Floozie, incorporating marmalade vodka (!), and elderflower pressé.
This is now a single-room pub, with a couple of sofas, but is mainly furnished with normal tables and chairs. Said tables are covered with red velvelette tablecloths, presumably tipping a hat to the Italian theme. Madam La Zonga’s lounge is still apparently a going concern upstairs on Thurs/Fri & Sat evenings, but on other evenings the room is apparently used for other activities such as pilates, life drawing and wine tasting. Other things worth mentioning are the beer garden at the back, the picnic benches at the front, the free wi-fi, and the fact that there are parking restrictions, although the pub will sell 2-hour permits to customers for £1. The child restrictions still seem to apply.
This pub is set in the heart of picturesque Walthamstow Village, and I reckon is something of a hidden backstreet gem. But perhaps I’m a bit influenced by the presence of five ales, including the excellent Dartmoor Jail Ale following my poor beer experiences in preceding pubs. I don’t expect to visit Walthamstow too often, but if I did I would be happy to visit this one again. I really wouldn’t mind having this one as my local.
On 14th September 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2621 recommendations about 2535 pubs]