The Denmark Arms, East Ham, E6

On CAMRA’s National Inventory, so in I went. Run by Antic and they’ve done a proper Antic-style job on this one - stinky and skanky with chunks of the place in disrepair to the extent of appalling, such as the women’s loos not having a functioning light. The interior, whilst managing to hold a few items of faded grandeur (like the tiling and pillars) is, to quote the below reviewer “a large cavernous stripped out echoey barn where most original period features have long gone”. Unlike the previous reviewer however, we did this one before the Boleyn! A friendly barman and a fair pint of the single cask of Volden (NBSS 3) wasn’t enough to turn my opinion. It’s a flea pit, the Antic joke really has worn thin.

This pub reopened mid August after being closed for six months for some renovation and refit and in their websites words, some TLC and a new person in charge behind the bar. So I had great hopes for this one when visiting as a double with the nearby Boleyn. But on entering I have to say my immediate thoughts were “er, so what exactly have you done to the place ?”. Externally it’s a wonderful Victorian corner pub. Internally it’s a large cavernous stripped out echoey barn where most original period features have long gone. Yes there are some remaining green wall tiling and floor tiling around the serving area and some nice chandeliers, but these are all a bit overwhelmed by the ad hoc collection of assorted seating giving the usual Antic impression that most of it had been reclaimed from skips. And no tassel shaded standard lamps for us. Perhaps I would have been more sympathetic if we had visited this one first instead of the Boleyn, but coming from the Boleyn this was all a bit of a let down, something that continued when we tried the ales. Two of the three pumps in use, one badged with Volden Session Ale and the other with a chalk board advertising Timothy Taylor Landlord. We went for the Landlord which on trying was clearly off and undrinkable. This was exchanged without quibble for the Volden which was drinkable, but still not great. Yes it was only £3.40, but I would rather pay a £1 more for something I enjoyed. We took these to one of the front widow seats where we sat and listened to the modern music soundtrack thumping out of the speakers at a volume which seemed over the top considering the few tables that were in on this late Saturday lunchtime. We did consider asking if they had any Jazz they could put on, but had already concluded that were were probably not the target demographic for the new management. Something that got cemented when members of the young bar staff team started rearranging the ad hoc furniture in the middle of the room in front of us into an even more ad hoc way seemingly trying to squeeze in a DJ booth. In truth the back section behind the bar is a bit more ornate, and the ceiling and floor and furniture here is more interesting and we would’ve possibly been more comfortable in this section, but suffice to say we didn’t feel inclined to stay for a second beer and find out. I am fully aware that pub appreciation is something that is very subjective, but I am genuinely gobsmacked that anyone who appreciates a comfortable traditional pub would prefer drinking in here than the Boleyn down the road. Now that this one has reopened perhaps they could revisit and explain to me what I’m missing. I know which one I would prefer to drink in and I think you can guess where to find me.

This is a very large and ornate street corner pub in the heart of East Ham, currently operated by the Antic pub group. Entering through the front door, you find yourself in a big, opened out space with exposed floorboards, extremely high arched windows and a nice lincrusta ceiling. Padded benches down the right-hand side have been formed into booths, with a couple more of them awkwardly plonked in the middle of the room and standard tables and chairs filling in any remaining gaps. The servery has a central position, having been built to serve separate rooms around it which have now been knocked through into one big space. The bar runs in a satisfying curved shape with dark wood panels on the front and a large stone pillar part-way along. The bar back is a great feature with some wonderful carved wooden details such as posts with small globes on the top and a few stained-glass panes with old books on top and a painting of a young Queen Elizabeth II above, although overall, the bar back appears to be incomplete, having presumably lost sections in the refit. The wall to the left has some lovely green glazed tilework with several floral motif inserts, whilst above the tiles there is a decorative carved stone frieze that runs around most of the pub above a polished stone dado. A small section of mosaic tile flooring has been retained in the narrow space alongside the bar and it’s tempting to try and picture how great all of this would have looked when the pub was in its heyday. Beyond the servery, there is another large open space, similar in size to the front part of the pub. More standard tables and chairs fill the space, there is a nice tiled fireplace on the back wall, a different carved stone frieze can be seen running around the room and the ceiling is very impressive too. The music of Prince was playing quietly in the background on my late mid-week evening visit and there were very few customers in, with the lone barmaid spending most of her time helping a drunk old boy book a taxi home. I spotted three handpulls on the bar when I arrived, dispensing ELB Cowcatcher and Foundation Bitter with the final pump left unused. However, upon leaving, I spotted three more pumps on the rear part of the bar, although I didn’t go and check if these were double clipped or different beers. The Cowcatcher was a pleasant pint and arrived in good nick despite the lack of punters. This is a pretty spectacular pub that has lost out from numerous refurbishments over the years, but still retains enough of its former character and grandeur to merit a visit. It’s not as shabbily presented as other Antic pubs and seems to know how to look after its beer, so I would imagine it is one of the best options for a pint or two in the local area.

Official site of Denmark Arms - denmarkarms.com