Pretty Decent & Friends, Walthamstow, E17

Pub SignMan left this review about Pretty Decent Brewery & Taproom

This is a good sized taproom from this reliable brewery, located at the Southern end of the so called 'beer mile'. It's much in the same vein as the other venues nearby, with the usual concrete floored space under whitewashed walls and a gabled roof, divided in half with the brew kit in the right-hand side of the room and the bar and seating to the left. A drinking ledge separates these two halves, with the usual canteen benches and tables filling the rest of the space, whilst patio heaters have been dotted in between, presumably for chillier winter nights. The servery is to the rear and has a cool counter front with alternating wooden straps and mirrors, to create an unusual visual effect. The bar back is totally dominated by huge beer boards above a long row of taps, with more brewery gear visible behind. Aside from a couple of brewery themed murals on the whitewashed walls, the decor is otherwise a little plain and lacking in visual distraction. There's a long stretch of covered seating outside, all the same uncomfortable canteen-style stuff, some of which is exposed to the elements, and a few people were drinking over the road, where the early evening sun could still be enjoyed. Indie tunes were playing but got quickly lost under an insane hubbub from a packed house.
There were no less than twelve Pretty Decent beers on tap along with four more from a Northern Monk tap takeover and one real cider. I tried the Pretty Decent Employee of the Month Milk Stout (£5.20 a pint), which was an enjoyable example of the style.
This bar was absolutely packed, which made for a great atmosphere, but also made it hard to get a proper feel for the place. I quite liked it here and thought the beer range was strong, but the unit was lacking in character and felt like a very functional place with very little in the way of comfort.

Date of visit - 4th May 2024

On 28^th August 2024 - rating: 6
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