Eating And Drinking Along The Line

The following selection is compiled from people's comments and recommendations and is by no means a comprehensive guide - suggestions for additions are always welcome!

Gospel Oak
The Old Oak is directly opposite the station- lively locals' pub with Fullers London Pride on handpump. But if you have longer to spare, turn left into Gordon House Road, go under the bridge and turn right at the junction with Highgate Road, and there (in the shadow of our one-time Highgate Road High Level station – what a pity it’s not still open!) you will find the utterly wonderful Southampton Arms. After years as an unremarkable Courage pub, this has now been taken back to real old-fashioned basics as an ale and cider house, with an awesome selection of both (mostly from small brewers and producers) plus traditional pub fare like slices of real pork pie and sausage rolls. A gem, and a must-visit…..but don’t make too many plans for the rest of the day! If you just fancy a quick bite and a cuppa, check out the little snack bar immediately on the far side of the railway bridge arch.

Upper Holloway
Workers Café - excellent-value, no-nonsense café virtually across the road from the station, going up towards Archway. Very generous portions! Pub-wise, heading up Holloway Road you come to the Mother Redcap, a REAL Irish pub with astounding tiling and - naturally - excellent Guinness. Going across the major road junction and up the Archway Road, you'll find the Charlotte Despard, North London pub award winner - a lively house with good beer, a youngish clientele but a welcome for all.

Crouch Hill
The Old Dairy - quite trendy pub/eaterie just down the road towards Finsbury Park, housed in the former Friern Manor Dairy Farm. Note the superb decorated panels along the frontage which show how milk used to be brought from the cow to the home. Just across the junction is the Stapleton, its old name and proper beer restored after a period as the Larrik.

Harringay Green Lanes
There’s a McDonalds next to the station for those who like that sort of thing, but the stretch of Green Lanes north of the railway bridge is an ethnic food-lover’s paradise – from shops piled high with fresh fruit, veg and breads, to sit-down restaurants, cafes and takeaways with a strong bias towards real and wonderful Turkish fare. If you can’t find something along here to delight your tastebuds, you’re probably clinically dead. Cafe Valentine, 333 Green Lanes (turn left outside station and about 100 yards along Green Lanes on opposite side of road to station entrance) is a Bulgarian restaurant which is cheap and excellent. To wash it down, try the Old Ale House (various guest ales), or the astounding high-Victorian gem of the Salisbury at the far end (Fullers beers on handpump). The latter is pricey but the surroundings are arguably worth that bit extra.

Blackhorse Road
The Standard across the road has no real ale, but is one of the friendliest gig venues in town – the doorstaff even hold the door open for you! Mostly covers/tribute bands these days, but has also hosted occasional appearances by visiting legends (eg Arthur Brown, the Electric Prunes) and local cult genius The Bevis Frond. A 5/10 minute walk along Forest Road towards South Tottenham brings you to the Ferry Boat, an historic and agreeable pub (with garden) near the River Lea and the reservoirs, which does real ale, good wines and food.

Walthamstow Queens Road
Go straight on out of the station down Exmouth Road, turn right at the end, and the bridge under the Chingford line brings you to the heart of Walthamstow Market. Turn left up the High Street and within minutes you come to Manze's Pie & Mash Shop - an unchanged piece of genuine East End tradition from the no-nonsense food to the tiling-and-wooden-bench interior.

Leyton Midland Road
Turn right outside the station and a 5-10 minute walk brings you to the William IV. Ignore the "Wine Bar" bit on the sign - this is a proper traditional Victorian pub which is also home to Brodie’s Brewery. A wide selection of their wonderful ales is always available at £1 99 a pint, ranging in strength from the lightweight to the kamikaze, plus guest beers, cider and perry. There’s also a very good menu. Carry on to the traffic lights, turn left, and the Drum is across the road - small Wetherspoons house (one of their oldest) and thus less cavernous and more characterful than many of theirs. Guest ales and the usual good-value Wetherspoons food range.

Leytonstone High Road
Leytonstone has up & come quite a bit in recent times (though so far without becoming yuppified), and has quite a lot going for it these days. Turn right outside the station, and a short walk brings you to the Bell – Fullers London Pride plus usually a guest beer, and good value food. Turn left outside the station, walk for 5/10 minutes to the town centre and you reach the Red Lion. Reopened on June 15th by the Antic Pub Company after a period of closure. Previously Zulu’s, original name now reinstated. This massive, long-neglected pub building is being restored in traditional style; much remains to be done but the transformation is already striking, making the most of the main bar’s grand scale and huge windows. Beers at reopening included Doom Bar, Purity and Redemption, plus extensive range of bottled beers. Promises to be a major and welcome addition to the local pub scene.

A bit further along you come to the Walnut Tree, a decent medium-size Wetherspoons with a good range of real ales and food. Also at this end of town is the North Star in Browning Road (turn right off the High Road just before the Green Man roundabout) - an unspoilt little gem of a traditional local in the old "village" part of Leytonstone, with several real ales on tap and monthly country/roots music gigs courtesy of the What’s Cookin crew. Follow this link for upcoming gig details.

Restaurants: try Elche tapas bar opposite the Bell, and Petch Siyam (Thai) in the town centre. The Star of India (near Green Man roundabout) has been in business under the same ownership for many years and the food is nothing less than delicious. It can get pretty busy even on mid-week evenings which is always a good sign.


Barking
Turn left outside the station and you come immediately to the Barking Dog – a cavernous Wetherspoons with guest ales & food at competitive prices. Just beyond across Wakering Road is the Spotted Dog, a traditional and historic pub with dark wood panelling and interesting local photos. Much bigger than it looks, it also has a lower level and beer garden and does a range of food. Beers are Shepherd Neame Kent’s Best and Courage Directors (the latter rebadged as Davy’s Wallop).