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. 🍻

Let me start by saying that I love The Black Eel. I've been visiting since it first opened and it's become a favourite among my friends. Beautiful interiors, tonnes of space, vast beer garden. The games, karaoke, everything! However, I have been wanting to try the roasts for a while now and finally got to try it yesterday and left feeling quite disappointed. Riley's are doing the food at the Black Eel, and I've had some of their small plates which are amazing. The cheese and leek croquettes are AMAZING! But their roast needs a bit of work. We tried the beef and the pork belly, both cuts of meat were great quality and well cooked. The gravy a bit thin for my liking. The parsley liquor a lovely nod to the history of the pub. However, there were 4 of us dining and all of our meals were not hot. The first thing we all noticed is that the food all arrived on cold plates and when we tucked in- everything was mildly warm. My boyfriend went to the bar to ask for more gravy, which he then followed up with the reasoning why- because our food wasn't hot, which was met with "Oh, sorry about that. That'll be £2". I really wanted to love this roast. And I know that Riley's have only recently set up here in the Black Eel, so it may be teething issues. But perhaps they need to work on their Sunday timings, to deliver a warm plate of food to their tables. Giving a 4 star review for The Black Eel as a whole- fantastic venue. Dropping a star for the food.

We came for Sunday roast and at £26, the roast is overpriced. While the beef was good, the sides were average - the roast potatoes were soggy and the carrots undercooked. The gravy also lacked flavour.

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 🍻

Great place to go for an evening drink. We didn’t eat so can’t comment on the food, however the atmosphere was busy and full of fun vibes. The doorman Levi really made our night, he’s so friends but also very vigilant on the door (remember to bring/be able to prove ID). Having lived in the area for a long time it’s great to see a much loved pie and mash shop turned into a fabulously fun establishment. Will definitely be back!

Good alternative hipster beer selection. Very large inside so worth exploring Shuffleboard for rent at the back is a very good time and great for a laff with your pals Pie and mash is dead

Lovely pub. Very cool interior, great soundtrack. Loads of space in the back! £6.10 for a lager.

Came yesterday for a roast at 5pm (sometimes a risky time for a good roast) & had the best pork roast of the year so far! Croquettes & eton mess also delicious. Service was also great - really lovely bar team & runners. Strong well priced wine & cocktail list. Can't wait to come back to try the rest of the menu & play some games! Thanks everyone <3