The Marksman, Haggerston, E2

Located on the main Hackney Road, a few minutes’ walk from Hoxton station, this is a traditional looking pub that now operates more like a formal restaurant that offers limited seating for those just wanting a drink. This was immediately evident when I turned up on a Friday evening and was met at the door by a greeter, who said I could either sit on a stool at the bar, or on a single, small table directly opposite the counter. Inside, the place has a simple layout, occupying a compact room with some basic seating to the front under the large windows, cramped stools through the centre in the space opposite the bar, and more chairs to the rear across a split-level dining space. The servery is along the left-hand wall, midway into the room, and has a chunky, dark wood counter and a nice, mirrored bar back with a beautifully woodworked centrepiece, the pub’s name in a strip across the top and some model ships, earthenware vessels and the like dotted around. There’s full height wood panelling on the walls throughout, which helps the place retain a pub feel despite the dependence on food, and these have been decorated with old black and white photos and a few helpful blackboards. A staircase leads down to the cellar bar, whilst another takes you up to a separate dining room, although I didn’t manage to explore either. A jazz soundtrack tooted away in the background and there were quite a lot of people in on my visit, which helped me feel like less of a lemon sat there on my own with my pint. I was surprised to find a cask ale on the bar, and an unusual one at that – Mackintosh Ales Best Bitter. The friendly barman explained that he’d only tapped it a short while ago, so I was looking forward to a nice, fresh pint, but it already felt like it was on the turn and I can’t say I enjoyed it at all. There’s also a pretty good craft keg range, which included plenty of less-frequently seen beers which might be a better bet than the dodgy cask. On approach, this place looks like a typical East End, street corner boozer, but once inside, it’s anything but. I never really feel relaxed when I’m drinking somewhere that required someone to choose my seat for me, so this wasn’t a great experience, and combining this with my poor-quality pint, I’m struggling to make a case for the place. It has retained a good pub feel and the staff all seemed very nice, so at least there’s a comfy environment if you’re coming here to eat. Date of visit – 17th November 2023

A corner pub on the Hackney road. Inside is one long room with a raised area to the rear, the decor is rather plain modern wood paneling. It is very food orientated and all the tables were full of diners, there did however in juxtaposition seem to be a hardcore of drinkers sat all around the long bar. Service was strained but they were working hard.Three handpumps with Thornbridge Lord Marples, Five Points Railway Porter and an Olivers Cider. The Porter was sublime but at £5.00 for a 4.8% cask beer is a step too far even for London.

Official site of The Marksman - www.marksmanpublichouse.com

Official site of The Marksman - www.marksmanpublichouse.com