please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Best pub for miles and I should know as I love my real ale!
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I think this is one of the best local pubs although the a pint of real ale is a bit pricy. Adnams Broadside, and London Pride are usually on along with a guest beer and Mild! Some people don't like the decor but I think it's great. Also has space to park your bike although the could do with better "locks"
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An absolute gem! A very professional staff. A great selection of drinks, including Belgian fruit beers. Flossie and her husband have turned a complete dive into something that would not look out of place in Clapham or Hampstead. Very, very busy on weekend evenings and Sunday afternoons - but also with a large-ish garden.
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We'll start with the bad points:
£3.30 for a Becks Vier for example. £3.30!!!
Incredibly large number of anti-children signs despite large amount of outside space at this pub.
I say again it's bizarrely expensive.
Good points:
Good range of ales though I can't vouch for quality of all of them.
Lots of outside space including very sunny forecourt.
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Ignore the tablecloths! This place is a great pub. I'm maybe biased as I helped write the beer and wine list.. Thankfully they've kept then Broadside on tap if not the other beers I recommended. Flossie and co have done a great job and the place is usually packed to the rafters.
Coppermill pub is great too, if only for the lovely beer.
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This is certainly a divisive pub. Love it or hate it, it seems.
Based on the vitriol thrown at the clientele on this board one has to be grateful they don’t come here, as I can’t imagine them being at all pleasant people. If I understand correctly, middle class people aren’t allowed to drink in pubs. BITE isn’t the right place for scarcely disguised inverse snobbery, even if its caused by an inferiority complex. There’s a few bad pubs in Walthamstow where the problems go far beyond the tablecloth choice and who are far more worthy of criticism.
I don’t live near enough for this to be a regular haunt but have been around 10 times. On each visit I’ve personally never had a problem. Judging objectively, staff have been fine, beer very good and clientele pleasant – even had a chat with the landlord and had no problems there either. Then again, I like the Village, Plough, Queen’s Arms Coppermill and the Victoria – something to do with live and let live, I suppose.
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Sorry, I'm sticking with the fat plumbers. If I wanted a 'trendy' pub I would've moved to Clapham.
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Well said HRM.
I can't understand all the flack this place gets from people who disagree with the choice of tablecloths or people who drink here.
Fact is, the Nag's Head is at least attempting to up the ante of pubs in Walthamstow. The Sunday band are brilliant free entertainment and given that most alternatives involve being in a sleazy flea-pit surrounded by fat plumbers I know where I'd rather be.
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The Nags Head is without doubt the nicest and friendliest pub in Walthamstow. More atmosphere than anywhere else in the area. Regular live music makes it a great place to hang out. It's location in Walthamstow village is great, very safe and attractive surroundings.
I like the bar snacks, but maybe I'm a posh wannabie hippy. Also, Ive seen blokes working in the Castle (not sure why this would be an issue anyway???)
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Completely up its own a'se in my opinion. Full of posters advertising tai chi and yoga, posh bar snacks nobody wants and a clientele of middle-class wannabe hippies.
The bar staff are all women (apart from the landlord, I have NEVER seen a bloke work there or the 'sister' pub the Castle) who like arty scarves in their hair and wearing post modern ironic clothes.
If you've ever seen the Private Eye cartoon 'It's grim up North London', this so-called pub epitomises it!
I'll give it one point for having a cat.
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A latish Saturday evening visit and both the London Pride and the Timothy Taylor Landlord were in excellent condition, plus three more handpumps being busily employed by the friendly bar staff! The partially canopied garden with its heaters and several tables provides a welcoming spot for smokers and non smokers alike. The interior was harder to assess due to its popularity, but service was swift and welcoming despite the large demand for attention from what seemed to me a cheerful and enthusiastic bunch of customers.
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Its good to have this different style of pub locally but its lucky its got zero competion in its chosen target market. If it was located, say, in Greenwich/Blackheath or across in North London it would be out of business.
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Every one told me that this was the best place around the area. I dont think you can call it a proper 'pub', stupid tablecloths and the like. All very tacky. Didnt like the general feel to the place. Tarty barmaids, that get your drink wrong. Beer wasnt up to much either. Busy place but uncomfortable, not like the Kings Head Chingford. A couple of people told me that there has been a spate of armed robberies outside in full view of everybody. There seemed to be groups of hoodie types lurking when I left.
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This so called pub is a beacon of dull mediocrity for its semi professional punters. They are like olive eating chav's really mostly in debt sipping Belgian beer on tatty table-cloths,"mange tout Rodney". Children are allowed in but made to feel most unwelcome along with their parents.
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Having just moved in round the corner from this pub, I was told by my neighbour that this was the best place to go to this side of London. Now i'm either living next door to a lunatic or my neighbour has never been to another pub. I went in and the place was quite empty. There were three Staff chatting amongst themselves and when I asked to be served one girl said 'Wait a minute!' the carried on talking about a bloke who had chatted her up the previous evening! I was about to go when I was served a too warm cloudy pint of bitter. It was awful and I left three quaters of it. The place began to fill up with mainly lager and wine drinking teacher types. In the space of ten minutes 3 people complained to staff about drinks and no loo roll in the toilet. A small stocky man appeared and pinched the backside of one of the staff who let out a loud shrill (he may be the owner). The place is a poor mans version of a yuppie Camden Town Pub. Weird to say the least. I won't be attending too often and will tell my neighbour.
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I agree it is a shame this pub doesn't stay open longer, the demand is there. I was sad to hear that the cat recently passed away, but as a place to drink a great pint the Nag's is alive and well, at least until 11pm.
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Re the early closing, just wander down to the Queens Arms, they're open till at least 1am, sometimes 2 !
anonymous - 22 Aug 2007 08:04 |
Annoying smug and self-satisfied little place when it really has no right to be.
Sadly could be a really nice little pub with a potentially nice bar area and attractive garden. Ruined by decor (aimed for quirky but got cheap and tawdry instead), officious rules about so many things (be it drinking up or kids) and 'Little Britain' landlord/landlady. Personally, I don't really care whether kids are banned or not but the amount of rules about it and how I've seen them enforced on friends pretty much sums up this place.
That being said, I still go there sometimes because it doesn't have much competition and it has a decent beer garden. Anywhere else it would have a far shorter shelf-life.
anonymous - 16 Aug 2007 16:41 |
Might I suggest shutting the bar at 11:30pm and allowing people 30 minutes to finish their drinks. Surely we have left the bad old days of 20 minutes drinking up time if you're lucky behind us?
Unless this aspect improves I think me and my group will be doing most of our drinking in The Plough on Wood Street where they seem to have a more relaxed attitude to drinking up.
anonymous - 8 Aug 2007 14:21 |
I absolutely love this pub. The ales are great, and I love the huge cat. Its rare to find somewhere to go where there isnt screaming kids running around (The Village pub beer Garden is a nightmare), so full credit to them re-the rules on children. They may lose families but they will gain lots of young professionals. Wish there was more pubs in walthamstow like this
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There seems to be a conspiracy to rubbish this pub by local parents and the reviews posted below are one sided and deeply unfair. It is a fact of life that pubs and children do not mix. Pubs are an adult domain for people who want to relax with their friends and enjoy drinking alcohol. Whilst the Nags is by no means a brilliant pub, it is, in my view, the best Walthamstow currently has to offer. As a real ale fancier, I can think of nowhere local that comes anywhere near it. The range of beers on offer is acceptable and they are reasonably well kept.
My one real issue with the place is the way the staff start shouting at you to leave on the stroke of 11 o'clock. Have we not liberalised the licensing laws in this country. By all means close the bar at 11, but at least have the decency to allow people to finish their drinks in peace. If that means paying your bar staff to work until 12 then do it, it's not as if you can't afford it, given the pay rates for bar staff off set against the amount of hard cash being raked across the bar. Anyway, people will not stay more than about 30 minutes in a pub once the bar is closed and they can't buy anymore drinks.
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The garden is quite nice. The staff look vacant. The wine list is a bit like Wetherspoons attempting to get with it. Cheap and crap. The Jazz is nice. The table cloths are annoying and should go. It is ok purely because it is in Walthamstow. If they get any decent pubs around this place will die a death. Don't have children but they didn't seem to be a problem when I was there. I can't understand why they are trying to fight their fate. Parents and kids are your future. Embrace it !
anonymous - 4 Aug 2007 14:01 |
We came to have a drink in this pub on a sunny sunday afternoon with our son (18 months) hoping to sit in the beer garden but were faced with signs saying 'leave buggies outside' (what, even if your child is asleep?!) and 'children must be seated at all times'. So the only option really is to sit at the front of the pub by a road in order to experience rude service and expensive beer. We turned around and went home and sat in the garden. How disappointing.
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Its like a solicitors waiting room dull and expensive!!
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I have no issue if the Nags Head wants to be an Adults only pub but what really bugs me is that they aren't honest about this,if they were they should just say NO CHILDREN ALLOWED instead of trying to hedge their bets by letting families in but putting up numerous rude signs re:how children should behave etc ...strange as it may seem most of us do in fact know how to control our children,keep them safe & ensure they don't annoy other punters....surprising really I remember when the owners first took over the premises & wanted to attract local customers...can't remember any signs then.....in fact quite the opposite...
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This pub is deeply mediocre at best. What really spoils it is their attitude to children in an area where young families make up a growing proportion of the local population. There are signs everywhere about children must do this, must do that etc No buggies etc so mums have to sit at the roadside( safety at its best ) As a parent would never use this miserable middle class wannabe tatty place nor its equally dull sister pub the Castle. POOR SHOW !!All of our friends echo my thoughts too.
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Strictly imposed rules on children? (re: comment 23rd May) Its things like this which make me like this place. A pubs for grown-ups.
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Visited with a friend last night (24/6/07) and had 3 fine pints of Oscar Wilde Mild. This beer is on permanently, and is one of up to five real ales available at the Nag's Head. Hoped to try Timothy Taylor's Landlord but this went off during the session. Only one other beer was on tonight - Adnams Broadside. The remaining two pumps (off) were Black Sheep Bitter and Fuller's London Pride.
Food is now served at the pub lunchtimes and some evenings - check with pub for details. A comprehensive range of bar snacks is available including biltong, prawn crackers, poppadoms and some exotic crisp flavours.
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We used to like the nags head. Lovely selection of beer, great atmosphere, live music on a sunday afternoon whilst sitting in the beer garden.
We now a child and find the draconian rules the landlord/lady are imposing on customers with children completely absurd.
First up was the 7.30pm rule. All children must be out by 7.30pm. OK, not a massive problem, could possibly be a touch later, but we'll deal with it. However, having just been served by Flossy the landlady, who knew we were there with kids in the garden, at around 7.25pm, she then kicked us out 5 minutes later at 7.30 on the dot. No arguments, get out, says so on the sign, tough luck about your drinks.
We continued to visit, remembering to have finished our last drinks by 7.30.
Last weekend we wandered down for a quick pint as the weather was nice. The first sign I read is one that states "All children must be kept seated at ALL times". Thats fair enough, the dont want kids cutting themselves on broken glass. Anyway, our daughter is only 10 months old and is strapped into her buggy. We walked through into the garden only to be stopped in our tracks by flossy who told us "NO BUGGIES IN THE GARDEN!". What? So you want kids seated, but wont allow their seats in the garden? I asked for reason behind this and was told "It says so on the sign". Yes, well done Flossy, thats a very intelligent answer.
We'll be going elsewhere from now on. Its a shame as we do like the pub. Just a shame about the owners and their refusal to listen to anyone's comments.
Oh, the John Smith's extra smooth is always flat and nasty. Dont try it.
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My Nan and Grandad used to sing in this place when it was a pub. I don't know how to describe it really except it reminded me of the Castle Round the corner and a customer told me they are the same owners! It seems that the kitted both pubs out of a charity shop and ripped up some old bedspreads to cover the tables. Says it all really? Covered tables in a pub? They don't even serve food!. The drink selection was fair enough except that the wine that was served up was undrinkable, and I had to wait while the three girls finished their conversation about a bloke they fancy. I ended up with a pint of bitter that was'nt bad but expensive. They have jazz of sorts on a Sunday so may pop back then as it was dead when I went in. Smoke was unbearable and I smoke but they have a tent out the back where you can get fresh air.
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I had a great afternoon in here last Sunday. Cornish ale went down a treat, the ladies had four bottles of a fine Pinot and the bass player in the jazz band managed to play whilst laying on his back. Pretentious my arse.
anonymous - 11 Apr 2007 18:35 |
Nice pub, friendly staff, and great beer garden with heaters. Jazz nites too. small selection of ales on offer.
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This pub is full of pretentious knobs, it serves fruit beer for Gods sake! The shag pile on the tablecloths is so deep I could stand my beer up.
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The Oscar Wilde mild went down a treat last night, Black Sheep bitter is also on at the moment.
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True, this is pricey, but pretty chav free, and has a lovely beer garden, and quite a nice atmosphere...
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It is a strange place for walthamstow and true the service borderlines on sloppy, but if you want something different to chav heaven, old mans heaven, and pissheads, give it a go
Eccentric is the word for the landlady, but once chatting she is a very nice person
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Very pleasing modernised pub in a beautiful little bit of East London (really). Excellent mild, and very cosy.
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This is a great pub during the week but really comes into it's own on a Sunday afternoon with the live band. They turn up every single Sunday come rain or shine and have a right proper jazzy wig-out. Got to agree with the bloke about the bar-staff, though. Some of em just dont look all the ticket.
On the whole, Walthamstow could do with a few more pubs with the Nag's attitude. Perhaps someone can re-furb the Rose & Crown on Hoe St. Its been vacant for about 8 weeks now.
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Really nice pub in summer, lovely garden. Highly recommended.
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Like those in its sister pub 'The Castle', the staff in this place really do need to get their heads around the concept of customer service. The last time I was here - a few weekends ago on a Saturday afternoon - the barmaid who served me twice looked like she'd seen a a ghost each time I asked for a drink, as if to say 'You want WHAT?! Oh my GOD... What am I going to do NOW?!' She looked utterly terrified just to be there.
Good point: they now serve draft Leffe.
Bad point: they mess about with it by A) refusing to serve it in a pint glass and B) serving it in a glass branded for another Belgian beer claiming to be a half pint. Look, here's a tip: if you're going to serve Belgian beer, do it properly. You're just making yourselves look like rank amteurs. I'm a big lad. I'd like anice pint of Leffe pof an afternoon. I'm not going to burn your pub down after a few.
Like I said in my comments about the Castle; give the customers what they want and they'll keep coming back; treat them like idiots and your pub will go down the swanee.
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The best pub in Walthamstow by pints. One of the few places regularly serving mild (Mighty Oak's Oscar Wilde), as well as cornish ales (e.g. the excellent Sharpes Eden), Belgian bottled beers and an extensive wine list. The sophistcated background music and great atmosphere make this a must visit venue.
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I agree with Darren27, as a resident of Walthamstow its refreshing to go to a place that's not awash with hoodies, rudeboys and chavs. My greatest fear is that the proles will discover this place and ruin it like the rest of the "stow" Long Live the Nags Head.
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'Banner' was clearly in a different pub, or he would've seen FOUR real ales:
Two Sharp Brewary ales, London Pride and also an excellent Mild (Oscar Wilde)
Live Blues band good but too loud. We were outside so it was OK. Unlike nearby Queens Head no-one turns to stare at you as you enter.
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Nice pub - in a bit of a pub desert. Good beer and service, and a huge garden. There IS decent ale - Adnams in particular. And the staff are friendly. Its not actually a poncey place, in my opinion, as that suggests snootiness, and you don't get that here at all. Just a place you will feel relaxed and welcomed in.
anonymous - 14 Aug 2006 16:03 |
been going to this pub for years now and I think all the comments made are really quite harsh. it may be expensive but that keeps out the local riff raff of walthamstow central. there has never been any trouble in this pub. so it's a little pretentious, what does that matter? i admit some of the bar staff are useless but mostly they are all really friendly girls and not ditzy. the landlord and landlady are a bit wacky and eccentric but I'd much rather have that then some assistant manager who never once smiles. if you actually get talking them both they are very welcoming. they are happy to support local business and trade, they are helpful if you ask. middle class is needed in walthamstow as most of it is full of pikey scum. i suggest most of you are grumpy old farts and can't seem to deal with a little bit of fun dis-organisation.
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A good selection of fancy Belgium beer, but no really decent ale. Very pretentious and extremely expensive, especially given its location in one of the most affordable spots in London to live. Nice enough design inside, but not very welcoming and opens very late on a Sunday - often not to time
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Decent beer, comfortable pub which suffers only from poor service behind the bar.
Before current landlord took it over when it used to attract local pondlife Yes there are some poncy types nowadays but at least they're non-threatening.
anonymous - 9 Jul 2006 15:49 |
Felt obliged to pop along here more than once, since weather is getting better and I just moved into the area. Was told its the 'best pub in the village'. If this is as good as it gets then its a sad state of affairs.
Beer is fine, havent tried much else to comment. Staff are absolutely useless. It makes you wonder about the management when they employ these ones. The Manageress is downright scary. Worth a visit just to see her mad head. The Sunday Jazz band is good as long as you are sitting in the back garden where their sounds just form background noise, otherwise it can be more painful than the wait to get served.
There isnt much atmosphere in the place, so either go with a good newspaper or lively friends.
The only good thing I can say about it is that the customer are a fairly well turned out crowd. And the garden out the back is good, especially if you or friends need to drag the kids/prams along. But if you want good service, good beer, decent atmosphere, then prepare to be dissappointed.
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I was in the Nags Head last night and to say that the bar staff were utterly dizzy and useless would be an understatement. It was busy at certain times which is fine but I dont expect to wait 5-10 mins for a drink when there are 4 staff on duty. They have no bar skills in observing which customer is next (an absolute fundamental trait of any decent bar staff), several people were overlooked by the staff last night much to their annoyance. It doenst bode well for The Nags Head if it gets a rep for sloppy and incompetent bar staff. In the end I buzzed off as I was not getting served. Some people might say, why didnt I speak up, well I did, and I did sound like a complete arse. I agree with one of the opinions posted, it's a hateful place, an atmosphere vacuum with crap bar staff, over priced drink and shi*e jazz on Sundays. Pah.
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This little pub is brilliant! Went there last weekend the atmosphere is really nice, chill out music & loads of different people. Want to see the sexiest bar staff in East London, get down the nag's.
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I don't normally like pubs with pretensions, but the Nag's is friendly and has a fairly good atmosphere. It's nice to see a landlord and landlady, rather than a "bar manager". Having said that, the beer is often flat, and sometimes warm. If nothing else, however, it has made the nearby Village up its game.
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Hateful place. No atmosphere and full of lefty lecturer types speaking too loudly about what they read in the Guardian. I hope Roger and his strawberry beer are very happy together.
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Different type of pub for Walthamstow. Good place to kick back in and relax. Really fit bar staff. Drinks are over priced but that might be to keep out the regulars from the Village. Good range of beers for a little pub.
anonymous - 27 Nov 2005 16:18 |
The Nags Head was definetely the best pub in Walthamstow Village but now it has a rival. The Castle which the owners of the Nags have just took over I went in there for the first time this weekend and was amazed by the transformation (you can still smell the paint). The barstaff in both pubs are lovely and friendly and some of my female friends have said its the only pub they would ever feel comfortable going in on there own. And as for the comment from bibs in July I can only think they must of deserved it. They 2 nice pubs with nice customers and the friendliest pub owners of I have ever come across, who are always ready for a chat with the customers unlike some I could mention in the village.
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Well im 20 and me and a few mates go to the nags head on a saturday nite and we really like it there, a nice friendly atmosphere a good range of drinks and a really nice beer garden! The staff are friendly and i would reconmend goin in for a drink if u r in the area.
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Well all I can say about the negative comments below is that they must have deserved it!! Having spent the past three years regularly drinking at this pub, I consider it to be the best pub in the area, very friendly and Roger is a very placid kind of guy. Admittedly it does attract a few idiots who think they can push other customers and the staff around, but at least I haven't seen any bricks being thrown across the bar, unlike in The Village.
An excellent range of beers, well kept and supplemented by a good range of bottled beers.
If you don't like the place then bugger off and let the rest of us enjoy it - I for one will be happily enjoying my pint whilst reading a newspaper in one of the few places locally that doesn't land you in a fight for doing so!!
Now if only I can finally convince Roger to to start serving food......
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Have to agree about the landlord, a bit up himself considering this is the east end of london. I heard this week he's also bought the Castle round the corner, god help the regulars in there !
anonymous - 1 Jul 2005 13:03 |
Interesting pub in an interesting location. Don't go for Belgian fruit beers myself(!) but they serve a lot of other decent pints. Comments have been made about the landlord and no, he's not going to win the diplomat-of-the-year award. But he takes a very no-nonsense approach to people he thinks are putting his pub in a bad light, and personally I'm all for it! Keep up the good work, Roger.
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If you are young, black, a woman, middle class or are not "local" don't bother trying to get a drink in this pub. They let you buy a drink at over-inflated prices and then they ban you and escort you from the premises before you have had time to drink it. Of the instances I kow of here are a couple; my son's friends were banned because the landlord thought they were not speaking English (!?) which I was unaware of as being a crime! My son was banned for not being local and "we don't need your type here" - the comment was aimed at my son's black friends who the landlord said looked similar to "someone" who smashed a glass a year previously. Another friend's 16 year old son was banned from standing on the public footpath in front of the pub (even though he father had bought him a coke from the pub) - when his father intervened he too was banned with all his family. They too were accused of not being local! Echoes of Royston Vasey here I think? As if it actually mattered all of those mentioned are in fact are local apart from one and that one is the landlord!!! When the pub re-opened we supported it's renewal but look at it now! Avoid this one at all costs unless you enjoy being abused.
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On a quiet evening out to this pub last night, we were subjected to easily the rudest, most aggressive treatment by the landlord that any of us have ever encountered anywhere.
Excuse my French, but we were literally told to "f*ck off" by the landlord, who described himself as "the governor" because we had the temerity to politely ask for our warm cherry beers (£3 a half) to be replaced. Granted, it was a very hot day. It's perfectly understandable for the beers to be a bit warm. But we weren't expecting the tirade from the landlord.
We were told that "middle class" people like us were not welcome - a bizarre statement from a man who has transformed this nice little boozer with arty photos, pistachios behind the bar and £3-a-half cherry beers. Oh, and afternoons of jazz entertainment.
None of us has ever been barred form a pub before, but we'll gladly never go there again.
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reasonable selection of ale well kept. the rest is formulaic wine bar stuff, hoegaarden, chardonnay, shiraz, stripped pine... walthamstow trying to be highgate, especially the price.
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The landlord, Roger, keeps a spectacularly good cellar. The London Pride is the best I've ever tried. If you value good beer, make a pilgrimage and touch the hem of his garment. Superb.
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This is one of only a handful of decent pubs in Walthamstow, and probably the nicest - the beer is great, the outdoor seating area is very pleasant in the summer and the atmosphere is really friendly. Top notch!
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Best thing about the Nags Head is the facade. Inside it looks a bit like a student bar with funny cafe tables and an attempt to create an arty atmosphere with black and white poster prints. Not sure what all the fuss is about with this one. I agree its less smokey than The Village but not half as much fun or atmosphere.
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Out went the dart board, pool table & dodgy jukebox replaced by transvestites, sofas, strawberry beer. U decide.
John Craven - 22 Oct 2004 17:54 |
Terrible - Overpriced and full of teachers with beards, the blokes are just as bad.
John Freedman - 20 Oct 2004 16:18 |
Real Ales,
Garden,
Jazz on a Sunday !
No kids in the evening.
Nice.
Sunday Boozer - 1 May 2004 15:26 |
Fabulous pub situated in the heart of Walthamstow village - one of London's hidden gems! Unfailingly well kept beers - Adnams, Fullers and several guest ales as well as an extraordinary range of Belgian brews. Unusual (but not entirely tasteless) decor in old brewery/inn. Summer pints a treat in large beer garden or out the front; cosy by the fire in winter. No food to talk about, spare a few bagels and sandwiches. Good for exploring historic Walthamstow! Beats the stinky, sticky Village Pub hands down!
Matt - 8 Apr 2004 10:59 |
Completely refurbished. Spacious, light, quality fittings. Good range of beers etc, including some quite fanyc ones. Quiet area.
Ben - 27 Oct 2003 22:33 |
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