The Pembury Tavern, Hackney - pub details
Address: 90 Amhurst Road, London, E8 1JH [map] [gmap]
Tel: 020 8986 8597
Hackney Central (0.2 miles), Homerton (0.7 miles), Dalston Kingsland (0.8 miles)
Hackney Downs (0.2 miles), London Fields (0.6 miles), Homerton (0.7 miles)
Pub facilities/features:
- Bar billiards
- Food served, Real ale
- No smoking area (entire pub)
Pub suggested by ladnewton on 2 Jan 2006
NB: Information may be incomplete or out of date as this pub is not currently registered.
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> Current user rating: 7.2/10 (rated by 144 users)
> Local guides: London pub guide, East London pub guide
other pubs nearby:
Hackney Central, Hackney (0.1 miles), Railway Tavern, Hackney (0.1 miles), Wishing Well, Hackney (0.1 miles), Old Ship, Hackney (0.2 miles), Cock Tavern, Hackney (0.2 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Pembury Tavern, Hackney
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 157 shown - see all reviews
| Paid a visit to the current festival on Wednesday, and it was more than worth the trip in from leafy Buckinghamshire. Superb selection, everything I tried was in top nick. The Moravka lager is a great addition, as well! I had the Thai fish cake for dinner, and it was excellent as ever. Love this place - it *almost* makes me wish I still lived in London, which is saying something. scissorkicks - 18 Jul 2008 12:23 |
| Another excellent beer festival (runs until 20 July) and good to see it well supported by Hackney locals as well as the usual beer buffs. Well done to Steve and co. ed.spbw - 17 Jul 2008 19:42 |
| Can't really add much to RogerB's excellent review below, as I agree with most of what he's said. The ale/cider range is super, it's well served and the oversized glasses are always a bonus. But as a pub? It doesn't work for me. It's just too big, cavernous and (dare I say it) clinical - no atmosphere and character a lot of the time. Worth seeking out for the ale and cider range, but make sure you bring your friends! Quinno - 25 Jun 2008 12:04 |
| I find the Pembury a bit of an enigma, so many plus points but, as has been pointed out before, it is partly let down by a rather uninspiring interior and at times, rather sedate and hollow atmosphere. It is easy to pass by the Pembury without actually realising it is open, such is the rather unappealing entrance (although there are apparently plans to put in glazed doors and make things look a bit more welcoming from the outside). The interior will hardly have designers foaming at the mouth; basically a shelled, knocked through old pub, a bit cavernous and with décor that can at best be described as monotonously plain. If it were not for the 1890’s photo that appears in the pub and London Drinker adverts, you could be forgiven for thinking that it is a converted Bank or Building Society rather than a long standing Victorian pub. Little, if anything, remains of any original internal features although to be fair, the pub was the victim of a major fire in the late 90’s. Modern art prints mix it up with old local black and white photos but there is not enough at the moment to cover the vast expanses of bare painted wall (the pub is openly requesting any old photos that people may have to add to their collection). An ever increasing collection of pump clips is beginning to wind its way around the ceiling beams and above the bar, the pub name is picked out in letters that resemble a junior school playgroup project. The tables are well spaced out but there is a distinct lack of small tables that means if there are just 2 of you, you will inevitably end up sitting at a table big enough for 6 or 8. Where the Pembury excels is, of course, the beers. 16 hand pumps and even on the quietest evening there will be 8 or 9 in use. The majority of Ales come from the Miltons range and I have tried several different pints on my 2 recent visits and have no issue over quality or price (most are in the £2.80/£2.90 range). Also, it is worth noting that they serve in oversized glasses so don’t try and shout about short measures as I nearly did! There is usually a mild and real cider available as well as good selection of bottled beers, whisky and wines. Everything is listed above the bar including the forthcoming beers. Regular beer festivals are also a feature. The pub does have a wonderful approach to pub traditions with classic board games available over the bar, unobtrusive pool table and bar billiards, knowledgeable and approachable staff and a surprising mix of customers of both sexes. The atmosphere may be a bit subdued in off peak times with no music or TV’s but this is not necessarily a bad thing and it can be a pleasure to drink in a place that is non threatening and amongst people who are in the pub for the right reasons, quality beer and social interaction. There is an ongoing programme of improvements which I am sure will address some of the negative aspects in due course but, as things stand, it is still a pub well worth seeking out. RogerB - 25 Jun 2008 10:36 |
| No piped music here (thank goodness), and if you enjoy shouting to make yourself heard over other people's choice of music, then you won't like this pub. If you like excellent real ale then this is an oasis. As with their sister pub, the Oakdale, they are one of the only pubs I know in London where you get a lined glass - which means a full pint, so no confrontation over short measures. They're quite happy to let you sample the beer, and I normally find there's one ale on offer which is particularly good. Only problem I have with the Pembury, is that is could be closer to where I live....10/10 Disley - 6 Jun 2008 22:33 |
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