The Black Eel

🚇 Dalston Kingsland 🍺 £6.60 Skoosh Session IPA The Black Eel is located on busy Kingsland High Street in Dalston, East London. The nearest station is Dalston Kingsland, with Dalston Junction close by. This Grade II listed building dates from 1902 and in 1910 became home to F. Cooke’s 4th Eel, Pie & Mash Shop. In 1996 the Dalston branch sadly closed its doors for good. A year later Shanghai Chinese restaurant took up residence until 2019, followed by Draughts, who later moved to Stratford. In October, Walthamstow brewers @exalebrewing respectfully refurbished the building and opened London’s newest pub. This is a multi-room pub, combining the wonderfully preserved Art Nouveau interior at the front with a network of contemporary rooms towards the rear. The main bar area is located at the front, with the servery stretching down the right-hand side. All around are beautiful glazed tiles and stunning mirrors with brass detailing, and by the entrance lies a mosaic bearing the name Cooke and the date 1862, the year F. Cooke was founded. At the rear of the main bar is a tastefully decorated room with domed atriums leading to a games area with darts and shuffleboard. Just off this space are two further rooms, each with its own distinct character. At the back of the pub there is a surprisingly large beer garden with covered spaces and a boat centrepiece. The beer selection showcases a broad range of Exale beers, including cask options, as well as draught Guinness. I opted for a Skoosh Session IPA; my pint hit the spot, price point was above average. The food menu is by resident kitchen @rileyslondon, offering Mediterranean-inspired dishes, small plates and a good selection of burgers. I arrived just after 12pm on a mild Saturday lunchtime in November. The pub had just opened, with a couple of beer connoisseurs already in attendance. After a good mooch around, I pulled up a stool at a beer ledge in the main bar to enjoy my pint and soak up the relaxed atmosphere. The service was excellent — the team on duty were super friendly and welcoming. For generations of local families, market traders and workers, this was more than a place to eat — it was part of daily life in Dalston. Today, this new pub pays homage to Dalston’s history and looks forward in a much-changed part of London that was my home in the 1970s. I absolutely loved visiting this pub — I think they’re on to a winner! Follow @theblackeel for updates. 📅 1st November 2025 If you want to see all my pub reviews in one place, head to @londonpubmap on Instagram or Facebook. 🍻

Great new addition to Dalston! Great pub in a really cool space & it's much bigger inside than you first think. Great beers too. My new favourite go to in Dalston 🍻

Best roast dinner I've had in years. Thick, juicy sirloin beef, perfect Yorkshire pudding, potatoes and vegetables. The drinks had some really interesting and well priced options. Had a robust sparking from Germany, as good as champagne. Great recommendations from the staff, who took great care of us, during the unexpectedly long 5 hour lunch. Notable was the wine knowledge of Rhiannon and the clear excitement of the chefs, as they brought out deliciously heaped plates of food. The place itself, is a wonderful maze of different rooms, very cosy, on a cold Sunday. Plenty of space, including an large outdoor space. Welcome relief to be able to secure a table easily, in a place with such great food and not all the usual fuss. Its fairly new, so may not be like that for long. For anyone who wants to see a historic building, which used to be a pie and mash shop, with eel tanks inside, its a marvel.

Amazing spot! The burgers and ribs are absolutely delicious 🍔🍖 — some of the best I’ve had in London. The vibe is incredible, super lively but still relaxed, and the games area makes it a lot of fun to hang out with friends. Big shoutout to Gee behind the bar — fantastic music taste that keeps the energy up all night. Definitely one of my new go-to spots in Dalston!

We had a great late lunch here a couple of weekends ago. The crumbed chicken thighs were very tender and moist. The leek and cheese croquettes were amazing, incredibly moreish. The cheesecake with toffee sauce to finish was also incredible. Definitely recommend eating here while at the Black eel pub. Nice cosy feel about the place, despite the huge floor space. Could easily spend the afternoon/evening here in a corner drinking and snacking my way through the menu until close! I had a Dr Greenthumb light pale beer. Nice session beer at 4%. Get down there with good company, a few drinks and some food. It's a lovely space

We had a great time the other night at the black eel in Dalston! Staff were super friendly especially Ruth who was really helpful when recommending which cocktails we should try, also would definitely recommend playing darts here super fun we had a good laugh, will be back soon!

This place could be called 'The Dalston Tardis' - so much bigger than you'd think from outside. You walk into a long, thin bar, but once served (great pints for less than £7) you walk through and it keeps getting bigger, with lots of seating, a games area (darts, table football), and even a pretty good-sized garden. It was busy on a Saturday afternoon - it would be great fun for a night out with a group of friends.

Visited the black eel today, lovely new pub in Dalston, service was friendly and welcoming!! Got a nice buzz to it. Bar person Rhi was really friendly and welcoming and told us all about it being an old pie and mash shop will definitely be back and absolutely recommended.