The Blind Beggar

There’s a special kind of charm to grabbing a couple of beers and a great pizza in East London, especially when you’re doing it near one of the area’s most storied landmarks: The Blind Beggar Pub. Just around the corner from The Brine Beggar — my stop for the night — the Blind Beggar carries a deep slice of London history. Opened in the 19th century and forever etched into East End folklore, it’s famously tied to the Kray twins, particularly the 1966 shooting of George Cornell by Ronnie Kray. Tales of gangland legends, Victorian East London, and centuries of pub culture all linger in the air around it, giving the whole neighbourhood a sense of gritty, living history. But the night itself belonged to The Brine Beggar and Marco’s pizza. As soon as I settled in with a cold beer, the atmosphere hit perfectly — relaxed but lively, the sort of place where conversations drift easily and time slows down just enough. The staff strike that ideal balance of friendly and unfussy, and the crowd feels like a true East London mix: locals, creatives, and wanderers all sharing the same mellow buzz. Then came Marco’s pizza, and that’s when the evening really took off. The dough had that proper Neapolitan blistering, airy yet crisp, and the toppings tasted like they’d been chosen with care rather than convenience. It was the kind of pizza that stops the table for a moment while everyone appreciates how good it is. Paired with a couple more beers, the whole experience settled into that golden zone where everything feels easy, warm, and just right. With the historic Blind Beggar nearby adding its weight of stories to the night, the whole evening had a unique East London magic.

Definitely well worth a visit if your in Whitechapel, London. Especially with the history it holds of the Kray twins, Ronnie & Reggie. The pub is famous because of these two. Whitechapel, East London, infamous as the site where gangster Ronnie Kray murdered rival George Cornell in 1966. While its notorious past is a key part of its history, today it is a "wet-led" pub known for its award-winning beer garden, which hosts live music in the summer.

Iconic pub. Great atmosphere, made very welcome. Had a great history lesson about the pub & the Krays from a lovely lady from the pub with a free shot thrown in. Will definitely be going back & would definitely recommend a visit.

Great little pub with history! The Krays etc! No Ayrs or graces; just a comfy pub, with decent beer, friendly staff and a great atmosphere!! Love it! Will definitely visit again!

A great old fashioned pub in Whitechapel. Has some very interesting history to the place and has kept its decor very traditional, which is great for locals and tourists alike. Has a great selection of alcoholic and soft drinks and had a great selection of food. The Pizza, although I never tried did look amazing. The staff were also very friendly and attentive. Would highly recommend this pub if you are in the area.

They were not serving food while I was there. The service was quick as there were not many people there, unfortunately, they did not sell any cask ale, a bit of a disappointment. They have a very large beer garden, which look fantastic in the winter, but I believe would be very popular in the summer months when it is warmer. I would like to visit again in the summer, however, I would like to see a cask ale on.

Didn't eat so cant rate. However for me a an opportunity to visit a non standard, infamous London landmark. If you know, you know.

This is a very famous pub that I always wanted to visit, what a disappointment. There’s absolutely no reference to its infamy anywhere. There is zero atmosphere in the place despite it being an old fashioned “London boozer”. It could be so much more. The barmaid was very pleasant, friendly and helpful but she couldn’t redeem the place and the prices weren’t cheap either.

Really wanted to like this place. We're in London for the next 6 weeks, staying about a block away. It would have been amazing if a pub that's a legendary Cray brothers hang was this close and convenient. It's a Sunday. We just left the pub. It's a bit manky inside, with the tables actually chained to their chairs, everything tatty and worn, and not really in a nice way. The White Hart (across the street) was mostly reserved, and the other pub nearby was closed (!) so the Beggar was rammed. There was a queue for drinks. Clientele was older and very white, as I expected. Service was glacial and not particularly welcoming. Not surly - just... meh. They were out of Guinness. My husband ordered me my large glass of Malbec anyway. It was disgusting plonk, for $9.80 - and to top it off, the glass was none too clean. Ugh. I downed a few gulps and we left. We won't be back.

The Beggar did not disappoint. Big thanks to Michael for the quick run down of the George Cornell murder while my Guinness settled. Great afternoon crowd with a good mix of older locals and young regulars.

This is one of my locals, I live nearby and so of course had to check it out. I know about the Cray brother's history there and was a little worried it would be stuffy and full of old men trying to look hard (it isn't!). Can tell there is a mix of locals with tourists but also young professionals in the garden area which is really large and nice. They have a giant coy fish pond as well which I really enjoy sitting by as the fish are massive and really friendly! (Well, as friendly as a fish can be). Unfortunately, despite the greta outside area, they do not offer much int he way of beer selection. There are about 4 or 5 choices and nothing local/draft/guest beer. Ended up having wine due to the uninspiring beer selection which was fine but could have done fine having some money and having wine at home on the balcony instead. Also, I am a vegetarian and they actually had no options for me which is really surprising and disappointing as I can ALWAYS find something to eat. But- meat eaters probably have a totally different experience of this as I have heard they have good hot dogs. All in all, worth checking out (as long as you can deal with poor beer choices).

Great place to watch the game as they have a gigantic screen. Too bad Scotland lost despite a pretty good game! I had to pause this review to cheer them on! The Blind Begger's history is pretty cool due to its connections with the Kray brothers. East London history (gangsters, serial killers, etc) fascinates me. Anyone who has seen the recent movie Legend will enjoy coming to the Blind Beggar if for nothing more than context. The Blind Beggar also has some pretty cool perks including a giant screen for games, open fire place, and pool table. Though my husband complained that the pool table is expensive at 1.50 it's easy to get it to give you free games! The staff here are pretty great and the customer service ranks above average, which is pretty good for London. I had some food here (frank and fries), which was amazing! After watching the cook make other orders, I couldn't resist!! It was the perfect slightly drunk food! Best pub food ever. The blind beggar is probably my favourite pub in the area! We had a great night here!

I called in here one lunchtime for some food as I was staying in the area for business. It was really easy to find, just walk out of Whitechapel tube station and it's just down the street to the left. It was about midday when I arrived so it wasn't busy, and I got a table without any issues. They have quite a basic menu, serving hotdogs, burgers and chips. I had a hotdog and chips and they were fantastic - it's quite artisan which I didn't expect in a pub of this type, really nice and reasonably priced. Definitely recommended if you're in the area. They also had a lovely ginger cat who came to say hi to me when I was there :)

The Blind Beggar has come a long way since it played host to Britain's two most infamous gangsters, Ronnie and Reggie Kray. According to local legend, when Ronnie Kray killed rival gangster George Cornell a bullet from his gun got lodged in the wall and remains there to this day. I saw no evidence of this myself but it's more than likely that if it was there it has subsequently been plastered over in the recent refurbishments. It was as a fresh-faced fresher that I took my first steps into this famous establishment and, in the height of its refurbishment; it was certainly not all that welcoming. The lady at the bar seemed thoroughly disgusted by the presence of an 18-year old and the gentlemen perched on bar stools were not really the chatty sort. I drank my pint as quickly as I could and left. However, I did feel, in a very immature way, quite titillated at the thought that I had trodden that hollowed ground of East End life. This sinister edge has subsequently disappeared for better or worse. The Blind Beggar holds a romantic attraction for many as the dark epicentre of a bygone era, but if it wasn't for the pub's insistence on playing on this fact it would probably go entirely unnoticed. Recently awarded prizes for 'Best Beer Garden' and 'Best Pub Restaurant', The Beggar has turned into a thoroughly family affair. With the arrival of new chefs recently it can boast an extensive menu of top-notch food at decent prices. To accompany they offer a range of lagers, real ales and wines.

We visited the Blind Beggar on a work afternoon out for a few team bonding beverages and some food. The weather was lovely so we decided to sit in their beer garden. I really do love the beer garden here, it's so open (with cover too to shield the smokers from the rain if it's there) and there's plenty of seating. It just has a really laid back, no fuss atmosphere and I love it. The real reason for updating the review however is to address the hot dogs. They boast that theirs are voted the best in Britain which is a BIG statement and I just had to try one. To say we were a large group the food arrived at a reasonable speed which was impressive. The staff handed the food out politely and made sure we were all happy. All the burgers, dogs and fries come wrapped up ready for you to tuck in (very americanised to say we're in a traditional British pub but hey hoe!). Now to the taste. You know what? It's a hell of a decent hot dog! Meaty sausage, fresh bun and delicious crispy onions. I piled on my mustard and ketchup and tucked in - I enjoyed every mouthful. It's definitely not the best dog in Britain BUT it's damn good and I would definitely have it again! I also really liked the fries - salted perfectly and cooked just right. The Blind Beggar remains one of my favourite East London pubs, no fuss just good fun!

I've driven past this pub for years, always wanting to give it a try. I was curious as to what it would be like as it is the the heart of London's 1960's gangland. I was hoping to soak up a real East End atmosphere at the place where Ronnie Kray shot Cornell. This place is part of recent history as far as I was concerned. I finally got to visit this pub for the first time earlier this month. I was so disappointed. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but this place did nothing for me. It was just an ordinary boozer fitted to look more like a gastropub, but not quite pulling it off. The decor was pretty bland with the only reference to any ganland history, was a photo of the Kray brothers hanging on the wall. The place was quite busy, and the kitchen seemed to be churning out what looked like standard burgers. There is also a pool room at the back of the bar area. I returned a few days ago (only because I it was the nearest pub I could see to Whitchapel station). This visit just reconfirmed my earlier impression. So, so disappointed!

Pretty solid pub, they have a gorgeous outside area that's brilliant, lots of room to soak up the sun when it does pop out. What stood out to me was the food, they have a very small menu with only a few items to choose from, but those they do exceptionally well! I had a hot dog, freshly grilled, and everyone else was raving about the burgers. Definitely worth a visit for the food, though it does get crowded at times.

We came here after eating far too much at round the corner Needos and it's a great relaxed place to chill out and meat sweat from over eating, especially since for some reason it was really hot inside despite just being a mildly warm day outside. There's a superb garden which is usually busy, and the staff are pretty friendly. We paid £11.40 though for one real ale and two cokes just from that tap thing bars have (is it called a soda gun??) I don't see quite how they justify those prices.

Despite me giving it 3 stars, I like this bar. It's basic - serves you beer. It's crowded. Kind of what I'd imagine what an East London pub would be like 10 years ago. So I like it's authenticity. It's not one of those new pop ups that keeps with the trends. Don't think I'll go back though unless I'm watching the game or with some friends. Food and drinks are cheap enough.

They have beer. They have a garden in which to consume beer. They serve cheap proper pub fare. They have some sort of gangland history which, well, I know nothing about. Overall, I'd say this pub is about as inspiring as this review.

I went in here planning a 1* review. For it to have come out with a 3* review is a small miracle, probably affected by the company I was with. As Laura N says, Blind Beggar Haz Beer, Blind Beggar Haz Beer Garden. Blind Beggar Also Haz Full Bar, so I get my white rum and cola and I'm a happy man after just about stomaching a single gin earlier in the afternoon. The saloon and beer garden are perfectly adequate places to drink -- and the beer garden's canopy added much needed drinking space this afternoon, even in London's fairly extravagant downpours! However, be warned: the loos are a *distinctly* 1* experience. Fortunately the drinks (hmm, some slightly questionable free-pouring happening of spirits here!) were good and reasonably priced. It's a boozer in the good old East End style. About as fair an approximation to the Queen Vic you'll find in London nowadays!

Now I had totally forgotten about this pub until my dad mentioned that it was were the Cray brothers use to hang out. Now that is a slice of London history! So I've been here a few times, once to eat what they call "food" (yep, don't bother) and the second was for a drink with friends. Now it's a locals pub, and seeing as I wasn't a local, it did get a little terrifying as the evening went on. So why, you may ask, have I given this shit hole more than 1 star? Well, it doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. Yup, it's basic food, cheap booze and smelly locals but it's also a proper east end boozer, with shed loads of history, a decent patio space to drink in outside and two huge fat cats that loll around all day looking cute. Now these are some seriously over weight cats. But they are too cute for words and they cuddle each other. If you're not a cat fan, or if they aren't there when you visit this will probably be a 2 star pub, okay a 1 star. :O)

Nice Little Pub I thought. You can't really knock the history, fancy there being a London gangland assasination right roundabouts where you can drink!?! That's when history comes to life people. We spent some time outside in the 'beer garden' which I didn't really like. Someone has spent a lot of money on silly little Japanese-style water features, and apparently there's a carp pond somewhere. Silliness like that doesn't really cut it wi me. But drinks are fairly cheap, I seem to remember there was someone asleep at the bar when I was there. Little things like that make it a bit charming. Never gonna be the place to spend all your weekends. But as good a pub as any on which to start the night.

With it's overwhelming gagster history, the pub offered me a somewhat underwhelming first impression. The pub itself is dark and seems starved of light. I ordered a drink at the bar but they unfortunately didn't take card, so I had to walk down to the cash point. They have tried to really improve the outside area and it looks aesthetically ok, but seem so lack atmosphere for some reason. The patrons are a mix of old men, young couples and and your cool Hoxtonites. I think this pub could be really improved by promoting outside events, bbqs etc, to a targeted audience. At the moment, they really don't do much to give the pub any kind of personality or attract anyone in particular.

When I went to the Blind Beggar I had just finished shopping at Sainsburys (always an epic struggle) and I wanted a nice pint and to relax. What I didn't really want is to be watched wearyingly by three old men sitting in a corner, and then barked at for taking a picture of the inside! I mean what harm am I doing? However, I can't blame the business for the patrons, and the pub itself is a very traditionally styled fare with alot of history. I don't think it is somewhere you'd want to take your kids but the menu of possible pub food suggests otherwise. Maybe a pub for regulars, and not always the nicest of regulars... so this isn't where you want to go just for a nice pint one night, your either in or your out! According to those old men in the corner, anyway...

Great bar. I'm from Chicago Illinois USA. I played a game of pool had some beers. The cook was very friendly.

Pleasantly surprised by this East London pub. .. and great to find somewhere quiet enough and off the beaten path where you can hear yourself think and which is conducive to catching up with friends. It doesn't look much from the outside, but has a nice beer garden, not beautiful as such, but just nice as I like pubs with outdoor space, which is also partly covered for any bad weather and I was rather fixated by the water features there - The corner bubbling with blue watery light. It's shielded from the road by high walls, so you feel out of the bustle of Whitechapel, and with some space to relax. With a personal emotional and family attachment to Thatcher's, I can't but have a soft spot for this pub as they currently serve Thatcher's Cheddar Valley and Thatcher's Heritage. Both are delicious, so I'd suggest trying them (shameless plug there). Although they have a limited selection of drinks, they do have doom bar which is also a favourite. Staff are friendly enough and I quite enjoyed the surreal edge to this venue. They also have a great indoor space, big and small tables perfect for meeting groups of friends, or one to one chats.

I visited this pub on a lunch time and was very surprised how few customers were in.This house was built in 1894 The pub took its name from the legendary character The blind beggar of bethnal green,A man after being wounded,disfiqured,and blinded during the Battle of Evesham in 1265,The Blind Begger also appears on the Bethnal Green coat of arms.On the 9th March 1966 Ronnie Kray walked into the saloon bar and shot George Cornell in the head using a 9mm Mauser,susposedly because he had called Ronnie a big fat poof,and it is said that the record playing on the juke box was The sun aint gonna shine anymore by the walker brothers Anyway I enjoyed a good pint of London Pride,and although there were very few customers I felt comfortable.and welcome,

I have always known this as the place where Ronnie Kray shot George Cornell and had always intended to visit this pub and take in a piece of London's gangland history. Henceforth I will know this pub as the first place in the UK where I paid more than 4 pounds for a pint. And not just a little more - £4.40 for a Peroni! Went for the lager as the London Pride tasted quite bland, but regretted it slightly when told the cost. Was a very nice pint though (as I'd expect for that price!) For some reason I expected this to be quite a rough as sandpaper, good old fashioned pub so I was slightly disappointed by the clean and modern interior. How nice of them to leave the toilets unmodernised though, as a grim souvenir of the past :( Well - at least I've seen the place now. And no I'm not just sore because I didn't get to meet the resident cat.

Had the hot dogs & they did not disappoint. I love a good dog and these are good. Really good! I don't drink, but my husband had one of the beers on tap & said it was excellent. We sat outside. As many people have already mentioned, the beer garden is lovely. Went there for the history (on our own strange Kray brothers tour) and stayed for the great food.

Weekly quiz nights on a Tuesday are absolutely legendary at this East End institution. None of yr Shoreditch riff-raff in here (just 100 metres too far from the hubbub), this pub boasts an airy beer garden which nearly drowns out the car exhausts from inner city traffic. Resident cat Peggy is also a joy to behold!

I'm a big fan of this pub. Mainly because it has a cat. I haven't been in a while - my best mate has moved, and the east London line being down makes is difficult to get to from my place, but if I ever found myself in this part of town, it's a nice place to cosy up in. There's a nice little beer garden outside, but this pub is more fun when it's cold and rainy outside - then you can sit by the fire with a drink, a book, and a cute kitty purring next to you. Fun!

Just dropped in at midnight today, and yeah the staff is lovely, the atmosphere is kind of late studentyish, and the drinks are cheap. It was really cool to see this cat coming from across the room, straight in my laps, and I am not a cat person but the whole surprise thing was cute. This is a nice place.

The blind beggar is my local, And I love popping in for a drink any night of the week! The staff are all very friendly and are fast to serve you, always with a smile It's nice and spacious, but has a lovely warm feel if you're lucky and it's a cold day you might get a seat near the fire mmmmmmmm. There is also a large beer garden, which is great to sit out I with heaters etc there are even some fish. To say hello to. Really is a lovely place tphage a quiet drink in xx

Really sweet pub on a very dirty street. Drinks are a bit pricey and so is the food but both of them are done well and also, you are paying for the beautiful garden and a pub cat that is sometimes around. For an intimate atmosphere, this pub is not completely ideal as it was always pretty packed when I went but as a pub for couple of beers and food before you hit the Shoreditch, it's pretty great. They also have nice lamps of different colours which makes me happy :)

This is a good pub, with a great beer garden and an ok food menu. There is nothing especially WOO HOO! about this place. It's spacious, friendly and ok for taking refuge in from the rain. So come in and drain a pint whilst awaiting the suns return.

I came here when I'd just been reading a book about the Krays and had got a little bit unhealthily obsessed and so wanted to go to all their hotspots, including this pub where they shot a guy at the bar. Any vestige of remaining atmosphere has been completely destroyed in this cavernous and ugly pub on a busy Whitechapel street corner. We went on a late Friday afternoon, before all the office workers would have turned out in force, and they were playing hideous loungey house music, like you might find at a tacky beach resort in Eastern Europe. It was really ugly and had a horrible atmosphere. Probably not even worth the visit, even for serious Kray officionados.

This is a cosy traditional English pub set in the heart of Whitechapel. I recommend a pint by the fireplace on a cold winter's evening. Also, there is a pretty good beer garden - my favourite feature being the randomly placed Buddha in the middle.

My friends and I had an absolutely terrible experience here. Not only was there only pool table broken, it was completely covered in hair. My friends and I went in and sat on in a very uncomfortable booth. They didn't have a drink menu at all and somehow we're just out of burgers for the night. The staff was dismissive and unwelcoming. Terrible experience. I would not recommend it in the slightest. Rubbish.

Had our little work party in here few weeks back, in the garden on a cold autumn day, but we had a nice area with heated lighting which warmed us up. Even got free food on the house as we had booked it. Those wedges are nice! A must try. Reasonable priced drinks, the food is much improved and a cosy atmosphere inside. Worth a visit if your around the Whitechapel area.

Dropped in a couple of times over the last few months. Polite staff. intially thought the beer was expensive but there were a group of us the second time around and we worked out the main expense was the Peroni at £4.50 a pint. Bought a Kray tour booklet in the pub and I think you can buy teeshirts as well so its past is still evident. Men's toliets have hardly any space, possibly the smallest I have ever seen in a pub and a bit rough too. Beer garden is great, there were about 9 of us and we got a space to drink at in the Saturday afternoon sunshine. Inside there is a pub game of Jenga with some explicit forfeits, good for an adult laugh after a few drinks. I go back from time to time just because of its connection with a bygone East London age.

Bought beer and food on a saturday lunchtime. As a result, I didn't realise until later I'd been charged £6 for the pint. Food was nice though.

Since I have decided to pub around the whole neighbourhood that I am about to move in, I just happened to be at that one. My friend enjoyed the football game, while I was multitasking and working. Two large TVs and a lot of football fans. Nice staff, cosy fire in the fireplace. The only thing that bothered me was that I was extremely hungry and the kitchen wasn't working at 8pm. I do recommend it, but they really nees to work on that food thing.

Went to this pub 2nd of January.The beer they sell is awful had a pint of bitter which was flat and smelly gave it back changed it for a pint of cider which was worse thick bright orange colour looked like nuclear waste again it smelt gave that back changed bit for a bottle of bud which was warm .The lines could do with a clean dirty cat walking around the bar licking the optics expensive for the awful draft beer this place was selling give this place a miss disgusting

This is a proper East Ender boozer with a great atmosphere, good food, lively banter and, of course, the requisite alcohol! A short walk from Whitechapel, the pub is also the site where on 9th March, 1966 Ronnie Kray shot George Cornell allegedly because the George (rather unwisely) referred to the gangster as 'a big fat poof'. There's a huge beer garden which is packed in the summer with the locals- everyone from fashion students to ex military. In the winter there'll be a fire roaring with the two resident moggies curled up in front of it. Go Fridays for live music and Tues for the quiz.