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Picture of The Clarence Tavern
Image posted by Tris C
Submitted on Monday, 24th May 2021
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The Clarence Tavern, Stoke Newington, N16

102 Stoke Newington Church Street
N16
N16 0LA
Phone: 02072542906
Correct details

Served areas

Reviews of The Clarence Tavern (Average Rating: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Clarence Tavern

I came here once about ten years ago and wasn’t that impressed, wrongly believing it to be a Whetherspoon’s. It had similar décor and a glum, older crowd.
This Grade II-listed pub was built in the mid-19th century but in 1999 acquired the name of former Stoke Newington resident, Daniel Defoe. The original name was reinstated last year.
The interior has certainly been subject to a makeover to evince a somewhat ‘poshe’ air along super-trendy Stoke Newington Church Street. The most notable remaining elements are the two columns with ornate capitals. I don’t know if the exposed RSJ is original or not or indeed the substantial polychromatic, encaustic tiled bar apron. Certainly, the only traditional décor are the hanging hop bines to the ceiling. The floor is part carpeted, part boarded and furniture is fairly conventional with some solid tables and chairs, a few clad in pus-coloured vinyl and a set of tall tables and chairs clad in plum-coloured vinyl. To the periphery, there are banquettes upholstered with vinyl seats and tweed backs along with girlie scatter cushions. There are also some Chesterfields. Lighting comes in part from long-flexed lamps hanging from the ceiling with small, tasselled cloth shades, the likes of which my grandparents probably had in the ‘30s. The bar is modern, with a rough wooden front, metal top and a metal beer wall with multiple taps. To the rear, there’s a dining room and garden – food is described as ‘British Tapas’, for which I read pickled onions and pork scratchings, but I could be wrong. The ban on children has sadly been lifted – one of the little treasures was playing a noisy game on its phone, so for once I actually wished the jazz-funk soundtrack would be turned up a bit.
Ales: Young’s Bitter, Wandering Brewer’s I Love Pale Ale and Shipyard’s Melonhead at a very stiff £2.70 a half, though interesting and refreshing, especially on a balmy evening.
For all its slightly twee affectations, this isn’t a bad place - I prefer it to the Daniel Defoe. I might pop in again if in the area – it’s the sort of place for a date with a person who isn’t into pubs that much, though I wouldn’t rush back.

On 7th May 2018 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about The Clarence Tavern

[Reviewed as Tea House incarnation, visited August 2017]
Doesn't sell much in the way of tea, a stupid name for what turned out to be a fairly hopeless pub that has gone full Stoke Newington, aimed specifically at the middle class mum and pushchair brigade. Two rooms one after another, the bar in the front is a flat surface with no gantry and the whole room felt like a box. The rear room was a bit better however there were too many tables rammed in and chaotically placed, making get in and out from your table a challenge. To the rear is a well done decked seating area. Décor item of note were the Chinese lantern style lightshades. Over-loud ‘funky’ music made for a cacophonous din. Three pumps with two ales and a cider; Youngs Gold, Waggledance (fine) and Westons Old Rosie. A pub for people who are afraid of pubs, really.

Postscript:
I find that a few days after my visit, they’ve knocked it on the head and it has re-opened under a different name. Which might explain the lack of tea when I went in…

On 2nd October 2017 - rating: 4
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about Stoke Newington Tea House

The inside of this pub looks like an uber luxurious hotel lounge. Sofas abound, arty paper lampshades are around the place, as well as small palms in pots in a couple of corners. There are two pewter topped bar counters on the left, with the first one dedicated to cake stands and some contraption that I can only assume is there to produce any of the 100 different teas they advertise. The second has the handpumps, but unfortunately for some reason the counter is about five feet wide meaning that it wasn't posible to read the detail on the pump clips. I recognised Young's London Gold, Courage Director's, and Charles Wells Eagle, but I needed to ask the barman about something called "Try Time", which turned out to be another Wells ale (I might have guessed as this is a Charles Wells pub. The food wasn't too unusual - on the menu I saw haddock and chips for 12.5 (£12.50 presumably), and a burger for 10.95.

This isn't really my kind of pub. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with it, it's just that I prefer my pubs to be a bit more like traditional pubs rather than tea rooms.

On 17th February 2016 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


View more reviews of The Clarence Tavern (8)
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Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Malden man
Stoke Newington, 0.46 miles, 8 min walk (show)
Rectory Road, 0.69 miles, 13 min walk (show)
Stamford Hill, 1.02 miles, 19 min walk (show)
Latest updates View all updates for The Clarence Tavern, N16
17th Apr 2022, 18:17
Web Link submitted by Tris C approved
 
17th Apr 2022, 18:12
Web Link submitted by Tris C

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 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Bar Billiards : No last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Beer Festivals : No last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Beer Garden : Yes last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • CAMRA Discount : No last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Car Park : No last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Child Friendly : Yes last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Darts : No last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 03 July 2011 by Quinno _
  • Function Room : Yes - Basement bar. - last updated 07 May 2018 by Tris C
  • Hot Food : Yes last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Jukebox : No last updated 06 May 2018 by Tris C
  • Karaoke : No last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Live Music : No last updated 04 January 2016 by ROB Camra
  • Live TV Sports : No last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Micropub : No last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Pinball : No last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Pool Table : No last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Quiz Night : No last updated 07 May 2018 by Tris C
  • Real Ale : Yes last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Real Cider : Yes last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
  • Wheelchair Access : Yes - Disabled WC. - last updated 07 May 2018 by Tris C
  • WiFi : Yes last updated 02 October 2017 by Quinno _
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