Pub on the up

This pub has had a bit of chequered history, which we won't go into here. Suffice it to say, we think the place has settled down nowadays.

It's a popular place, located by one of the main entrances to Victoria Park and in one of the nicest(!) bits of Hackney - estate agents call this area Hackney Village but they're not fooling anyone, it's still E9.

The pub serves a better than average range of beers - Fuller's and Adnam's on the hand pumps and a range of continental beers - Litovel, Zubr, Paulaner, Leffe, Fruli - on draught, interesting bottled beers and a decent wine list.

There's a pretty comprehensive food menu too and a separate dining area. The pub's handy for the park, has a beer garden and a pleasant interior with plenty of space.

It's a lively place and the service is much improved - the place seems a lot more settled than it used to be.

Well worth a visit if you're in the area, although it's probably advisable to avoid bank holidays and warm Sunday afternoons as it tends to fill pretty quickly, often with a more than necessary amount of children running about.

CLIENTELE: mixture of locals, visitors to Victoria Park
NEAREST STATION: Cambridge Heath station
PHONE NUMBER: 020 8985 3321
FEATURES: function room available, outdoor seating, separate restaurant, small TV

Royal Inn On The Park
11 Lauriston Road, E9 7LH