User name:

Password:

Login


Sign in with Facebook


Not already a member?
Join our community and - Rate & review pubs - Upload pictures - Add events JOIN for free NOW


Chat about:
New pub visits 2024 with Brainypool on the Pub Forum

The Windsor Castle, E5

135 Lower Clapton Road
E5
E5 8EQ

Return to pub summary

Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve of N21 left this review about Windsor Castle

First time to visit this one for me because Hackney Downs was an area of nightmares back in my youth and despite the general improvement of recent years it’s still not the first area I would consider to come for a beer. Will agree with Tris below that this current guise certainly appears to be an improvement from Steve C’s visit in 2009 and you are more likely to find a bearded hipster with his Whippet generating a cloud from his eCigaret than a yob and his Staffie spliffing up in the pleasant beer garden area out back. Internally the Windsor Castle doesn't really do anything a 100 other distressed modern pub makeovers of this type don’t do, but it stops from being truly shabby like some of the Antic outlets. The front section of the fairy light garlanded, horseshoe-shaped bar with the stuffed boars head above the central section has large tables for groups and plenty of floor space for vertical drinking, whereas the back of the pub is more given over for diners.
Doombar, Truman Zephyr and Five Points's Brickfields the three ales available for our visit as reported below and I went for what would be the first of many Five Point options on this crawl and the Brickfields was perfectly fine. And I spotted Craft offerings from Camden and Meantime as well as the ones mentioned below.

On 31st March 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about Windsor Castle

Interesting features, included the ornate timber fireplace with over mantle mirror, stained glass windows over the both entrances and the herring bone patterned oak parquet floor. Four ales on handpump, so I went for the Trumans Zephyr, which was passable, but am not a great fan of their beer anyway. A large open plan kitchen and large dining area with patio garden, I imagine would pull in the punters.

On 30th March 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about Windsor Castle

This pub dates from at least the early 19th century, though I expect that the current imposing building was rebuilt in the mid/late-19th century and clearly still displays its projecting Watney Combe Reid roundel, for which the pub deserves a pat on the back.
Due to Clapton's ogoing gentrification, this is certainly not the stuff of nightmares described by Steve C back in 2009. Quite a large opened out pub with central/island bar, largely as described below. I opted for a half of the Truman's Zephyr which wasn't great, being a little lifeless and less Zephyr-ish than usual.
This pub is worth a visit if you find yourself in the vicinity, but a journey a little further afield, perhaps over the border into E9 and The Chesham Arms will pay dividends.

On 26th March 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


E TA left this review about Windsor Castle

The interior is well described by various respondents, below, and I am largely in agreement. I particularly liked Aqualung's (14 Jul 13) 'squalid chic', a good description of many Antic pubs and one which extends to the small outside terrace behind. I thought the presence of the rather effete tea lights was intended to be ironic but somehow didn't do anything for the 22 ale drinkers who had just walked in. My biggest criticism was the music which was unnecessarily loud and consisted largely of annoying easy listening Songs. From the Wood was Truman Zephyr, Five Points's Brickfields and Doombar, while Roller IPA and Truman's Top Lager were the 'craft' offerings. I actually had quite a good time here and found both the beer and the company to be most acceptable.

On 26th March 2017 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3272 recommendations about 3237 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john gray left this review about Windsor Castle

Bit of a dull looking interior but nice outside space to the rear.Some nice potted plants that will add colour in summer. Only 2 beers on cask Crate -bitter and my Crate -porter which was in good nick.

On 18th April 2015 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Alan Winfield left this review about Windsor Castle

The Windsor Castle is a pretty ordinary looking pub.

Once inside there is a single oblong shaped room with the bar in the middle of it,for seating there are normal tables and chairs to the front and down the right side which is raised,the left side is narrower with more normal tables and chairs.
There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Courage Best which was a decent enough drink,the other beers were Doom Bar and one from Five Points.
The pub was quite busy on my late Saturday afternoon visit.
I was happy enough having a drink in this pub.

Pub visited 4/10/2014

On 4th October 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about Windsor Castle

This pub is essentially unchanged since the previous reviewer's visit. The glazed panels he mentions are probably the best feature, but my guess is that they have been relocated from elsewhere as they don't look to be in situ, and feature a falcon rather than a castle. Anyway, the ale choice is still as good, with Doom Bar, Truman's Swift, Hop & Kettle Heather Beehaving Badly, Five Points Hook Island Red, and the London Fields pair of Shoreditch Triangle and Love Not War all on. I had a pint of the Love Not War (served in a dimple jug with no choice offered) which was £3.90, and while not cheap is not exhorbitant for these sort of gastrofied places. The quality was fine. Single sheet menus were on all the tables, but I didn't get to scrutinise one.

As others have intimated, this is a somewhat formulaic and characterless pub that has an excellent beer selection. Not all bad then. It now opens at midday only at weekends - see their website for details. I would visit again, as I enjoy the beers produced by East London's breweries, but it's not the sort of comfortable and "pubby" place in which I would prefer to spend time. I might stay for the beer though.

On 20th April 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about Windsor Castle

This newly re-opened pub has a traditional U shaped layout with what appears to be an extension along the right hand side. The interior is quite formulaic, with bare floorboards and white walls with very little of interest on them, save for a large boar’s head at the end of the servery. There is standard chair and low stool seating throughout the pub and the lack of soft furnishings has left the place very loud and echoey once there are a few punters in making a bit of noise. The left hand side of the room is perhaps as cosy as it gets, with a few seats arranged around a badly damaged fireplace, with a few old photos on the back wall. There are several coloured glass screens throughout the pub, including above both entrances and over another fireplace on the right hand wall opposite the bar. The room widens down the right hand side, into the extended space at the rear, where additional seating can be accommodated alongside an upright piano. This area gives way to an ivy covered garden with a good amount of bench seating. Music played throughout my stay, but it didn’t seem too loud compared to the noise being generated by the customers.
Six hand pumps were in operation, dispensing Adnams Broadside, Taylor Landlord, Five Points Pale Ale (£4.20) and Red Rye and Truman’s Swallow and Swift and Runner. I tried the Pale Ale, which was in fairly good shape, and like the previous reviewer, thought the service left a bit to be desired. Keg options included Meantime Pale and Blue Moon.
I thought this was a pretty drab pub, redeemed by a decent ale selection. It may well be early days for this place and a few small changes could make a big difference. I’d give this place another try if I was passing and it’s certainly a decent spot to break up the walk between the Clapton Hart and Cock Tavern/Pembury Tavern.

On 1st September 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Aqualung . left this review about Windsor Castle

After Steve C's rather scary review from over four years ago I think I can safely say that the only criminal thing here now is the beer prices, which I will come to shortly.

This was a Watney's pub back in the day. It closed last year and re-opened in May 2013. It was taken over by people associated with a trendy bar / club in Dalston called Birthdays.

It doesn't look that big from the outside, but stretches back a long way and includes a garden that I didn't get to see.

The interior does not have the Antic style "Squalid Chic" but much of the furniture looks like it's come from a junk shop or a skip.

I counted eight pumps, some of which were unused and recall three Five Points brews, Adnam's Broadside and the incredibly boring Doombar. I had to ask for a straight glass to avoid the curse of the dimple jug and had a pint of Five Points Pale which was a colossal £4.20. This beer is only 4.4%, and is brewed a short walk from here, so how they can justify that price is beyond me.
It was not completely clear but did taste OK.

For some reason it took ages to get served, despite the fact that there were several staff doing "things" behind the bar. It was like being in a Spoons on a very bad day.

I get the impression that this place is trying too hard to be cool and trendy and losing sight of what it should be doing. Next time I'll stay on the bus and go to the Cock Tavern instead.

It opens daily at 12:00.

On 14th July 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about Windsor Castle

On the face of it you'd think that this would be a half decent pub as it has a couple of pool tables, numerous TVs and a huge projector screen at the back, but alas it is not. I think that its major downfall is the clientele who think nothing of openly skinning up whilst there is a young child present and think it is ok to do tricks on their BMX in the middle of the pub.

The barmaid was quite miserable, but then so would I be if I was confronted with this madness everyday when I went to work. Funnily there was no real ale so I plumped for the Guinness which was thoughtfully served up in a Kronenburg glass. I managed to find a table as far from the locals as possible and watch the last 15 minutes of the Liverpool game on Sky, sorry did I say Sky, I meant to say Nova Sports.

I was relieved once I had passed the group of people generating the purple haze by the entrance and turned the corner up the road.

This is a pub with management that have totally lost control and I wouldn't step foot in here again if it was the last pub standing.

On 22nd May 2009 - rating: 2
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]