The Nags Head, Walthamstow, E17

This pub has now become quite "trendified" with vibrant colours in use inside and out with a heavy bearing on pink. Although I couldn't now class this as a traditional pub it is very much a community pub representitive of the immediate area it inhabits and was very well attended on a Saturday afternoon. Pictures of rockstars past adourn the walls as well as images of fampos people from other generas. The bar with a pine clad frontage and solid pine top supported four handpumps drawing three beers, Southwark LPA (changed in visit for Bankside Blonde) and Mayflower, competently kept, as well as TT Landlord. There was a Pizza and burger menu. A nice pub but not a game changer.

Official site of The Nags Head - www.nagsheadwalthamstow.co.uk

Official site of The Nags Head - www.nagsheadwalthamstow.co.uk

This is a lovely looking old pub in the pleasant Walthamstow Village area, notable on approach for its impressive green tiled facade. Two entrances lead through into the same U-shaped, knocked through room. The left hand side has a surprisingly dark seating area, which has been carpeted and offers plenty of standard tables and chairs under plain walls decorated with the occasional portrait. There is a nice brick fireplace to one side and a sofa along the rear wall, which help make this feel like quite a cosy, homely space. More sofas can be found under the front windows, where a book swap scheme has been set-up on the window sills. These sofas stand opposite the bar, which forms a long U-shape with its tongue and groove panelled counter, chunky canopy and mirrored bar back. Over to the right, there is a much smaller area with a few more tables and chairs, some more portraits on the walls and a few drinking ledges here and there. Tributes to both David Bowie and Eric Bristow had been created and put on display, although whether either of them have a connection to the pub, I cannot say. There is a good sized front garden from which to admire the pub’s fine exterior and a rear garden with lots of additional seating. Live music was being promoted and there was a pretty good soundtrack playing throughout the duration of my visit. Food seemed to be reasonably priced and included some burger options from a pop-up outlet that had temporarily set up in the pub. A friendly pub cat was busy doing the rounds and came and sat at my table on the chair opposite me. The bar supports five handpulls, four of which were in operation on this occasion, offering a selection of Cameron’s Whakanui, Purity Ubu, Taylor Landlord and Adnams Fat Sprat. I had a pint of the latter which was in excellent condition and I really enjoyed sitting in one of the seats to the front of the pub and indulging in a bit of people watching. This is a really nice pub that I’m a bit surprised I walked straight past the last time I was in Walthamstow. It is a comfortable place to settle down in over a few pints of well kept beer and offers plenty of distractions without these impairing the over ambiance of the place. It would be nice to be able to call this place your local and I’m sure I’ll check it out again the next time I’m in the area.

The Nags Head looks like a proper London pub. Once inside there is a single L shaped room with the bar facing,the seating is a mix of settees and normal tables and chairs but these had table cloths on them which really annoys me,but we were allowed to just have a drink at a table with a cloth on it. There was a decent choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Bishops Nick Hop Cross which was quite a nice drink,the other beers i noted were Maldon Oscar Wild Mild and St Austell Tribute. Board games are available and there was some decent background music playing. Despite the table cloths i quite took to this pub,one i could stay in for a session if not on a pub crawl. Pub visited 21/3/2015