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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).

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