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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Robert Richier
Submitted on Tuesday, 16th November 2010
View all this pub's pictures (3 more images)
Detail Pages
The Tavern on the Hill, E17
E17
E17 5RG
Served areas
The Tavern on the Hill
RT @WildCardBrewery: Kitchen opening at our local pub @tavernonhille17! To celebrate @jamshackuk, ten Wild Card beers will be pouring, plus…
12:37 PM Jun 29th 2022 from Twitter for Android
Reviews of The Tavern on the Hill (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Tavern on the Hill
Once described as one of the "toughest" pubs in Britain, I was intrigued to visit this pub which made it into the 2025 Good Beer Guide, presumably based on its ownership of the local Wild Card Brewery. The only problem is that Wild Card appear to have gone out of business and the pub is back to being keg only. I think it has definitely lost its tag of "toughest" though. In fact, the atmosphere was very low key with just 2 other customers present, with 2 others leaving as I arrived.
There are 7 handpulls, all unused these days. However, the craft beer options were fairly adventurous - East London Beyond The Tower & Admiral's Walk, Jubel Beer Cut With Peach, Neckstamper Bonebox Cooler, Gravity Well Cosmic Dust & Blondies/Mammoth Beer Hail. My Bonebox Cooler was an enjoyable stout, but not cheap at £3.40 for a half.
The pub has an open-plan layout. There is a large TV screen showing a fake fire to the left of the bar. To the right, the most notable feature is a neon Wild Card sign. Perhaps that will become a rare antique in future. There is also another fireplace on that side with a smaller TV and some old radio/cassette players above that. There are also some pumpclips on the walls and a selection of board games.
Flooring is bare boards. A few plants scattered around don't help to make it tough. Neither does the £4.50 promotion for a Bloody Mary. Events such as open mic night and karaoke take place, in addition to live music events. Canine customers can find a "pooch station" in the far rear left corner.
As Tris says, it's a bit of a trek to get to this pub and with the loss of Wild Card Brewery, it feels as if it has lost its raison d'etre. The craft beer selection is decent, but not worth going out of the way for. So, perhaps it will once again become a hard/tough place.
On 27th January 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Tavern on the Hill
A late mid-Victorian pub this, originally the Higham Hill Tavern, which until recently, had been known as the Warrant Officer, explanation provided by Aqualung; an arched Taylor Walker sign frame persists, testament to its former ownership. This also features on a recent list of London’s Top 50 Pubs (which described the place as formerly being the hardest in Walthamstow), so obviously attracted the attention of Captain Intrepid here, as it requires a fair bit of effort to reach.
The bare floor seems original, thereafter it’s a staple-shaped interior, with a smoky blue or white colour scheme, traditional furniture, conventional lighting, modern bar back and an upright piano, deployed on Friday evenings. Décor amounts to potted palms, shelved books and a selection of trendy prints. Customers amounted to just three others in attendance, one discussing with the barman their favourite sushi restaurants, whilst two old local geezers watched the football, crestfallen every time West Ham conceded a goal.
Home to the Wildcard Brewery, there are two standard beers: their Pale Ale and Best at £2.55 a half, served by a right local treacle of a barmaid and very good it was too; three unused pumps are deployed for other ales, probably later in the week.
This is a perfectly decent place, better than the Lord Palmerston, but I don’t think it deserves to be on a list of London’s Top 50 and the few customers attest to this, unless you’re Robert Richier, for whom the place is so good, he reviewed it twice.
On 10th April 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2207 recommendations about 2164 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Warrant Officer
A single real ale on in here, called Summer Fling (£3.80 a pint). The clip had on it only the name of the beer, plus the ABV of 4.2%. Nobody there knew who brewed it, but it tasted reasonable. I didn't see any sign of food on Tuesday afternoon.
It looks as if the exterior is a work in progress, as some of the gunk has been prised off the walls to reveal the original brewer's tiling underneath it. I do hope that they finish the job soon, as it looks a bit of a dog's breakfast at the moment.
Inside it's a single room, with a raised area/stage in the corner at the front, and with a bit of a garden at the side. There's a cheap carpet on the floor, a trio of tall tables/tall stools, a couple of sofas on the raised area, and a few normal tables and chairs completes the furnishings. A pool table and dartboard are on the right. But the most striking feature is the red and black striped bar counter front. Possibly there's an affiliation with AC Milan or Bournemouth, or maybe its someone's idea of a stylish decorative feature. They clearly have some live entertainment - I saw an advertisment for a Sunday jam, presumably on the raised area as the bank of lights were pointed at it.
This struck as a basic locals' pub. It doesn't really have anything that makes it worth going out of your way to visit, but OK for a swift one.
On 19th August 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
View more reviews of The Tavern on the Hill (7)
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- Official site of The Tavern on the Hill - www.tavernonthehill.co.uk
- Facebook page of The Tavern on the Hill - www.facebook.com
- Twitter - The Tavern on the Hill
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Tavern on the Hill - whatpub.com
St James Street (London), 1.32 miles, 25 min walk (show)
Northumberland Park, 1.6 miles, 30 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 06 February 2017 by ROB Camra
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 10 April 2023 by Tris C
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 06 February 2017 by ROB Camra
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 06 February 2017 by ROB Camra
- CAMRA Discount : No - Discount withdrawn - last updated 06 February 2017 by ROB Camra
- Car Park : Yes last updated 06 February 2017 by ROB Camra
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 10 April 2023 by Tris C
- Darts : Yes last updated 06 February 2017 by ROB Camra
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 27 January 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Function Room : Yes - 65. - last updated 10 April 2023 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes - Lunchtime only - last updated 06 February 2017 by ROB Camra
- Jukebox : No last updated 10 April 2023 by Tris C
- Karaoke : Yes last updated 27 January 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Live Music : Yes - Fridays. - last updated 10 April 2023 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 23 February 2023 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 06 February 2017 by ROB Camra
- Pinball : No last updated 10 April 2023 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 10 April 2023 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : Yes - Tuesdays 20.00. - last updated 10 April 2023 by Tris C
- Real Ale : No last updated 27 January 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Real Cider : No last updated 06 February 2017 by ROB Camra
- WiFi : Yes last updated 06 February 2017 by ROB Camra
