The Forest Gate Inn, Epping

Nice pub on the edge of Epping Forest. Friendly welcome, as I sat on a high bar stool, following a lengthy walk in the forest. The pub is in the 2018 Good Beer Guide but I'm afraid to report my Adnams Southwold Bitter was pretty lifeless. Head disappeared instantly. Maybe thats the way they like it down south. Visit Blogged at http://bit.ly/2fi9lBe

Randomness Guide to London - Forest Gate entry

Randomness Guide to London - Forest Gate entry

The Forest Gate Inn is an old style no frills country pub. Fairly plain inside with wooden floor and beamed ceiling, it has a main room with the bar facing as you enter and then a smaller second room area to the right with some bench seating. One interesting feature is the bookcase which takes up the entire left hand wall in the bar area and the books are apparently for sale, so you can peruse them whilst supping your pint. Also no jukebox, fruit machines or TV screens abound here. The bar supports four handpumps and although the nameplate on the front of the pub refers to it as being a FreeHouse, most of the beers are from the Adnam's stable. Two pumps were Adnams Bitter and a third had Broadside. The fourth was dispensing ,Nethergate IPA, and on this lunchtime visit both the Adnams Bitter and Nethergate were well kept. It has a small lunchtime menu of traditional pub grub, such as granary sandwiches and ploughman's lunch, and I couldn’t fault my sandwich for the £2.60 charge. It’s well worth a visit on a sunny day as there is bench seating outside the two entrances and then a sizeable green garden space further out to the front of the pub. So in conclusion the Forest Gate Inn is a traditional old style country pub with a bit of character and if you’re in the Epping Forest area and after a stop for a relaxing decent pint of Ale, then this place would tick the boxes in my experience.

Very cosy pub within the bounderies of Epping Forest.One fair sized bar with a seperate drinking area which gives it a very nice olde worlde feeling.Large outside drinking area.Adnams beers with one from Nethergate on tap.15/20 stroll from the High Street.