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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 - lively
locals' pub across the road from the station. Fullers London
Pride on handpump. Well situated to while away the time
till the next train, especially if you hit one of the long
evening gaps.
Upper
Holloway
Workers Café
- excellent-value, no-nonsense café virtually across
the road from the station, going up towards Archway. Very
generous portions!
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.
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.
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.
If you can’t find something in that little lot to
delight your tastebuds, you’re probably clinically
dead. 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. For another more homely gem, turn left outside the
station, go up Green Lanes then turn left up Hermitage Road
- a 15/20 min walk brings you to the Oakdale
Arms, a wonderfully characterful local with
guest ales, cider and food. During 2005 it was threatened
with closure, demolition and replacement by flats. The planning
application was rejected at the end of October 2005 but
joy was short-lived - the decision was subsequently reversed
on appeal, so visit and enjoy while you still have the chance.
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, much-improved pub with Fullers beers
plus guest ales, Belgian Leffe, Brit & Thai food, occasional
live music, and a cosy feeling of being in an (admittedly
quite spacious) front room. Lively, friendly and back on
form. 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. A bit further on is the Loaded
Dog – Adnams bitter and regular gigs/jam
sessions – with the Eel
& Pie Shop immediately beyond if you’re
feeling peckish. Or turn left outside the station, walk
for 5 minutes or so to the town centre and you reach
Zulu’s, a lively
bar catering for the younger set; smokey, often with loud
music. A bit further on, you come to the Sheepwalk
– great down-to-earth local with friendly staff, regular
gigs in a surreally-decorated upstairs room (see www.whatscookin.co.uk
for full details) , but alas no real ale – shame!
- and over the road 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 - an unspoilt little gem of a traditional
local in the old "village" part of Leytonstone,
with several real ales on tap. Restaurants: try Elche
tapas bar opposite the Bell, and Petch
Siyam (Thai) near the Sheepwalk.
Barking
Turn left outside the station and you come immediately to
the Barking Dog
– a cavernous Wetherspoons with guest ales & food
at competitive prices. Cross Wakering Road to 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 Courage Best and Directors
(the latter rebadged as Davy’s Wallop). About a 5
minute walk down Wakering Road and under the Northern Relief
Road brings you to the Britannia
in Church Road – traditional 2-bar Youngs house (a
rarity so far east) which also does good food.

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