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Submitted on Saturday, 1^st November 2025
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The Black Eel, E8

Pub added by David Walton

41 Kingsland High Street
E8
E8 2JS

Correct details

Served areas

Kingsland, Dalston

Reviews of The Black Eel (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

David Walton left this review about The Black Eel

Visited 15/12/25. Visited previously as Draughts on 05/12/22.

Cask was Brodie's Amarilla. Another hand pump had its clip reversed. Keg was a mix of Exale offerings (Oona NEIPA, Fermie Sanders IPA, Skoosh Session IPA, Black Eel lager, Purr-ty Time unfiltered Helles, Berry Springer a strawberry and watermelon sour, Dr Green Thumb a fresh hop pale, Lagerama lager) plus Brodie's Shoreditch Sunshine and Jamacian Stout, Guinness, Adnams Wild Wave cider.

Marble topped bar counter down the immediate right-hand side on entering the venue. Ceramic tiled area with a drinking ledge opposite the bar counter with some tall stools and a few wall-attached tables with tall stools. Nice mirrors on the wall opposite the bar counter and loads of ceramic glazed tiles on the walls. The bar area had a very strong art deco sort of feel, and the lighting was very tranquil. Ceiling fans were not needed this time of year. Immediately beyond and to the left of the bar area was an unused space (the ballroom), ceramic floor tiles and a mix of fabric and leather banquettes around the perimeter of the room serving regular tables with a large dining table in the centre of the room served by regular chairs. Nice skylights and very art deco-based lighting. Beyond that was another area with a mixture of ledge-based seating down the left-hand side with tall stools plus regular tables served by red studded leather banquettes down the right-hand side. At the rear on the right-hand side was a games area with dart board, table footy and a shuffleboard and a fabric bench area to the left-hand side occupied by a private party playing regular games on my visit. No screens and nice ambiance creating lighting with a very low-level soul-based soundtrack.

On 9^th February 2026 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1340 recommendations about 1323 pubs]

Moby Duck left this review about The Black Eel

Though it's sad to see a tradition like London's Pie and Mash shops slowly dying out, at least this one has been replaced by another tradition, the pub, a nicely put together one as well.
The main bar area with a long bar down the right hand side, retains the original and splendid tile work, a few various seating options helps it feel an almost micropubby space, but beyond this are a number of stylishly furnished rooms and areas including a games room and further still a beer garden making the whole establishment a much larger concern than it first appears. The toilets are unisex.
On the bar are two handpumps one clipped with Exales Mellow Gold which unfortunately hadn't yet fully settled in the cellar, maybe a problem when a pub relies on just one cask beer, the second handle was serving up Seacider Mango. There is however plenty of keg back up with twelve taps ten of which were from the pub owners brewery Exale, but a varied selection, of the remaining two taps ,one offered Adnams Wild Wave the other Guinness.
It's a very nice pub though ideally I'd like to see a couple of more cask beers on offer.

On 1^st November 2025 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2291 recommendations about 2255 pubs]

Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Black Eel

Newly opened by Exale Brewing, having been converted from F Cooke's famous 'Eel Pie & Mash Shop'. More space inside than the narrow frontage might suggest, once you've got past the gantried bar at the front, with the Ballroom dining room on the left-hand side of the corridor before you reach the larger, partitioned Games Room at the back. It's Grade II listed, so some decorative tiling and other heritage features have been retained. Also has extra seating in a covered alleyway and open yard beer garden. I found their Mellow Gold (£6.00) on one of the pair of handpumps, along with a Seacider, and nine of their craft keg beers plus Guinness on a total of 12 shiny taps.

On 29^th October 2025 - rating: 7
[User has posted 9063 recommendations about 9063 pubs]

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