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Picture of The Dolphin
Image posted by Rex Rattus
Submitted on Saturday, 11th July 2015
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The Dolphin, E8

165 Mare Street
E8
E8 3RH
Phone: 02089853727
Correct details

Served areas

Tweets by The Dolphin
the dolphin mare st. the dolphin mare st. Thirsty Thursday at The Dolphin, open until 2am as usual. We may play your chunes. 6:43 PM Sep 6th 2018 from Twitter Lite
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Reviews of The Dolphin (Average Rating: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Bucking Fastard left this review about The Dolphin

Reopened in July 2023 after a long closure ,the 3* CAMRA listing of this pub as one of national importance drew this visit.Local folk usually talk about the trouble which has occurred here over the years,mostly attributable to a very late licence which in the past extended to 4am on Saturdays. After the last case of "issues" the licence hours have been curtailed to a 00.30 limit .
The exterior is unexceptional,all now in a blue which is picked up inside as the colour of the glass dolphins in the room dividers.The windows are vast but with modern glass and no sign of etching.The interior is more noteworthy although the full height room dividers have at some stage been truncated leaving a large room to the right side which at one time may have been two.There is a parquet floor but the ceiling pattern is in wood rather than plaster and overly blue throughout.The most impressive feature are the glazed tilings in frames with a particularly impressive scene from ancient Greece.The tiles extend around the walls of the large room,there is a seperate smaller room on the otherside of a functional but unexceptional island bar with more tiling in frames.This small room only has modern bar seats in turquoise but good dividing panels which leads to a pool room with attractive wood panelling ,which itself gives way to a smart,refurbished paved beer garden.
Walk around the back of the interior to get to the smartened and clean lavs,and finally a small stage at the back of the large room.
Sadly the furniture is cheap ,quite modern and not in keeping with the surroundings and the vast speakers hanging from brackets still indicate that loud music and dancing will occur and explains a large vacant space to the right.
There is nothing opulent about the interior save the tiling and the presence of no real ale ,a mundane keg range with a few options unavailable on my trip such as Beavertown Gamma Ray ,left the only option Beavertown Neck Oil at the rip off price of £7.50.
The blue drapes are no doubt drawn over the front windows to create a disco vibe when the music is blaring later at night but the pub was very quiet on my Wednesday afternoon visit.
I felt the 3* rating was OTT,the only real feature is the tiling and the pub experience was depressing and poor.It has been tidied up but lacks atmosphere and charm.It could be so much better ,but that would take effort and imagination both currently lacking.
Pop in ,buy a half and look at the glazed tiling if you must.I can see no reason to return.

On 8th August 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Dolphin

Dating from 1736, this must have been rebuilt in the 19th century for Truman's, judging by the name still visible to the sign bracket. There are also some Taylor Walker lanterns with aftermarket 'Dolphin' glass panes, some missing; indeed the exterior looks a bit tatty and uninviting.
Inside, and what you can't help notice is the nightclub-style accoutrements such as Tannoy horns strapped to the scruffy metal columns with ornate capitals and the loudspeakers mounted on brackets. There are also disco-style lighting arrays, so obviously a quiet pub this ain't; it's open 'til 4.00 am on Saturdays and a minimum of 1.00 am every other day. The floor is modern herringbone parquet and the scarlet ceiling is a combination of what looks like matchboard with hexagonal cells; it's quite attractive. The island bar appears to have a wraparound plywood front and probably dates from the 1950s; there are some careworn full-height drape curtains, presumably to help keep the noise from leaking into this rather unprepossessing part of Hackney. Furniture is completely mismatched whilst lighting comes courtesy of Tiffany lamps.
To the rear there's another room, wood panelled and home to an ugly pool table with a beer patio beyond. Also, here are the gent's lavs which not only are scruffy, but there's no door, so you can have a pee whilst being observed by the pool players and bar staff - nice. The place was virtually empty, apart from a group of excitable young women; every other venue around here was buzzing.
However...it's the utterly stunning polychromatic glazed tiling which makes this pub so special, dating from the 1890s courtesy of W. B. Simpson & Sons. Indeed, it's on CAMRA's list of historic pubs with interiors of National Importance. Some are glazed blue and white, others multi-coloured whilst some depict friezes, one from Greek mythology which stands out depicts Arion being rescued from pirates by a dolphin, naturally. There's more finery in the form of vestigial wooden screens with large mirrors and leaded stained-glass infill, depicting leaping dolphins.
A rather disinterested barman presided over taps with shot glasses to indicate their inactivity; no real ale was substituted with a decent pint of Guinness at £6.00, so the pirates have obviously returned.
This place doesn't get the respect it obviously deserves and whilst very pretty to look at, it makes for a pretty poor pub experience unless enticed by the wall mounted banner proclaiming that it's recently been voted '4th Best Dive Bar in Europe'.
It's worth popping in for a half to appreciate the beauty - hence the grade - before moving on to pastures new, but now I've been, I don't plan to return.

On 16th July 2021 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


custodian 42 left this review about The Dolphin

One room pub with island type bar. Three hand pumps - none working. Rest keg rubbish. Why bother?

On 19th September 2018 - rating: 3
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]


View more reviews of The Dolphin (5)
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Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Rex Rattus
London Fields, 0.18 miles, 3 min walk (show)
Cambridge Heath (London), 0.57 miles, 11 min walk (show)
Hackney Central, 0.62 miles, 11 min walk (show)
Latest updates View all updates for The Dolphin, E8
8th Aug 2023, 21:39
Review submitted by Bucking Fastard amended by Bucking Fastard
 
8th Aug 2023, 21:36
Review submitted by Bucking Fastard amended by Bucking Fastard

Pub Details

Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.

  • Accommodation : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Bar Billiards : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Beer Festivals : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Beer Garden : Yes last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • CAMRA Discount : No last updated 16 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Car Park : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Darts : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Function Room : Yes - According to Twitter - last updated 21 July 2015 by Dave McNally
  • Hot Food : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Karaoke : Yes last updated 13 March 2014 by Dave McNally
  • Live Music : Yes last updated 16 July 2023 by Tris C
  • Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 26 October 2014 by Alan Winfield
  • Micropub : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Pinball : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Pool Table : Yes last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Quiz Night : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Real Ale : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • Real Cider : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
  • WiFi : No last updated 16 July 2021 by Tris C
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