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Disappointment of the week with Quinno
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Image posted by Alan Winfield
Submitted on Wednesday, 29th October 2014
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Detail Pages
Dove Free House, E8
E8
E8 4QJ
Served areas
Dove Pubs
Wishing all our lovely customers a very Merry Christmas. But we are still
Open and will Be Christmas Eve until earl… https://t.co/8uSVuvbCmI
1:12 PM Dec 23rd 2022 from Twitter Web App
Reviews of Dove Free House (Average Rating: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Dove Free House
This was until around 1990 the Goring Arms and a first for us a few nights ago.
This former Taylor Walker house is situated along Broadway Market, which is to hipsters what the Vatican is to Catholics, so it’s no surprise that a facsimile of Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam adorns the ceiling, with both God and Adam holding glasses of Leffe, presumably influenced by a similar fresco painted to the ceiling of Oxford's Victoria. Presumably then, this pub is to hipsters what the Sistine Chapel is to the Vatican.
The interior is a hotchpotch of styles and periods: the floor is modern bare boarded with slanted t ‘n’ g panelling to dado height. The walls are a mungy nicotine colour – unpainted since the smoking ban? – with some seemingly Art Deco panelling to the front with complementary sconce lights. There’s Anaglypta to selective areas of the ceiling in a similar colour, with parts of the paper peeling off the walls; there are also some rather ugly exposed metal structural members along with what looks like some exposed concrete. Also on view is a lot of saggy electrical wiring. The impression here is that when any electrical work is done, the existing wiring is left in place; it’s not attractive; furniture is mismatched and eclectic. Décor comprises much Belgian brewery regalia. To the rear right is initially what appears to be a balustered gallery but is in fact the rear of the pub which is accessed down a couple of half stair flights. Here, there’s a very attractive dark wood panelled room with separate areas, a little like booths; it’s quite at variance with the front room. At the bottom is the entrance to the lavs which comprise seven unisex cubicles, open to the rear room; I hope there’s adequate air extraction. Customers were understandably young, certainly younger than us, though this is hardly surprising, given that the area and its amenities are generally geared towards a younger crowd.
There is of course a wide choice of Belgian beers on tap and in bottle with three real ales, a selection unchanged for a good nine years: Crouch Vale’s Brewers Gold, TT Landlord and ELB’s Pale Ale, in great shape and – for London – a very agreeable £4.50 the pint, served up by friendly and efficient staff.
Taken at face value this pub is initially a bit of a disappointment, but the beer is good, very competitively priced and can be enjoyed in a very attractive pub, if consumed to the side or rear.
I would return on passing and would especially include this place on a crawl of the area.
On 19th May 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1982 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about Dove Free House
Big place with the bar to the left. Downstairs seating but mainly keg stuff on sale.
On 19th September 2018
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Dove Free House
Located on Broadway market so it can get very busy. It's all a bit continental but nothing wrong with that in this Belgian vibed bar. Bare boarded split level interior. 6 real ales and an extensive keg/bottle selection.
On 26th November 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
View more reviews of Dove Free House (10)
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- Official site of Dove Free House - dovepubs.com
- Randomness Guide to London - Dove entry
- Facebook - The Dove
- Twitter - Dove Pubs
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Dove Free House - whatpub.com
Cambridge Heath (London), 0.49 miles, 9 min walk (show)
Haggerston, 0.69 miles, 13 min walk (show)
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 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : No - Pavement seating. - last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 30 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 26 November 2016 by hondo .
- Darts : No last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 26 November 2016 by hondo .
- Function Room : No last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 26 November 2016 by hondo .
- Jukebox : No last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Live Music : No last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : Yes - Wednesdays, 7.30pm. - last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 26 November 2016 by hondo .
- Wheelchair Access : Yes - Disabled WC. - last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
- WiFi : Yes last updated 26 May 2021 by Tris C
