The Spurstowe Arms

🚇 Hackney Central 🍺 £6.80 Cruzcampo This pub is located just north of London Fields in Hackney, East London. The nearest station is Hackney Central on the Mildmay Line. This former Charrington’s pub was built in 1862 and has been serving Hackney for over 160 years. It takes its name from William Spurstowe, a prominent vicar of Hackney (1643–1662), renowned for his nonconformist stance and charitable work. This is a traditionally decorated, single-bar pub with a distinct two-tone Victorian feel. The servery is centrally located, with the bar area forming a ‘J’ shape around it. The décor features high ceilings, dark-painted woodwork, cream walls, rustic furniture, a fireplace, and an eclectic mix of artworks. The standout feature is the large stained-glass bay window at the back of the bar. At the rear of the pub is a generously sized, walled beer garden. The beer lineup is a mix of familiar, well-known keg favourites. I opted for a Cruzcampo—my pint hit the spot, though the price was a bit punchy. The food offering here is pizza by @doughhandspizza. The pub has received many visits from food reviewers, all of whom have raved about and ranked the pizza among the best in London. We arrived just before 3 p.m. on a wet and windy Saturday afternoon in February. The pub was absolutely packed to the rafters with a young, creative crowd who call this pub their local. The atmosphere was upbeat and buzzy, but there was something missing in terms of a traditional pub feel. The service was okay—the team on duty were straight-faced and more “there you go” than “what can I get you?” I visited this pub with my Brother and Sister and we all agreed that it was a lovely pub but it was just lacking a little bit of magic. This pub is incredibly popular and has a loyal local following, my pint was great if a little pricey and the Pizza attracts foodies for miles around. I would recommend a visit to this historic Hackney hostelry, let me know your thoughts? 📅 8th February 2025 If you want to see all my pub reviews in one place, head to @londonpubmap on Instagram. 🍻

TL;DR: Amazing pizza — genuinely one of the best in London — but the service let us down when they mishandled our order and didn’t show much empathy in resolving the issue. Full Review: We really love this place — the pizza is absolutely fantastic, easily some of the best you’ll find in London. That said, we had a disappointing experience during our last visit. One of the three pizzas we ordered (separately) was mistakenly served to another table. After waiting around 40–45 minutes, we brought it to the staff’s attention. They acknowledged the mistake and promised to make a new one — but instead of prioritizing our replacement, they put us at the back of the queue. We waited again, only to be told it would take even longer. At that point, we said we couldn’t wait any more and requested a refund, which they gave us without issue. However, they made it clear we wouldn’t be receiving the pizza, even though it was their error and we’d already spent nearly an hour waiting. We’re not upset about missing a free pizza — it’s about the principle. After such a long wait and clear mismanagement, withholding the pizza felt a bit unempathetic and tone-deaf. A small gesture of goodwill would’ve gone a long way. Still, we’d come back — the pizza really is that good — but we hope they work on how they handle mistakes in the future.

Great romantic pub, candle lit, friendly vibes. The Doughands pizza is top tier. Had the Shroomy, it was heaven. String cheese and crunchy base with amazing garlic dip and Parmesan crust, chefs kiss

A nice, very busy east London pub. They have dough hands pizza available which is pretty good, but it takes a while at peak times. Very popular so getting a table outside is tricky in the summer

What a shame of a pub. Beautiful interior, lovely bit of history and decoration that’s just wildly let down by the staff, atmosphere and product range. Seems to be primarily Heineken owned draught options which are incredibly expensive for the area, pizza is brilliant just a shame it’s in this pub. For me the service is my biggest qualm, staff seem incredibly disinterested, rude and just not very good at their jobs. Takes ages to get served, never a smile or thank you but they’ll happily put the tip option on the card machine… a real shame all round but atleast there’s other great options around the corner.

It’s just perfect. A bright pub with a few (but not too many) great beers, a shady garden, great music and a friendly crowd. They offer pizza from Dough Hands (delicious) and it’s all reasonably priced.

Pizza is great, staff is not - it truly is not hard to be friendly. Have been here multiple times and am always baffled at how the staff act towards customers, always seem annoyed and irritated and all have an obnoxious attitude. Dough Hands should look elsewhere!

The pizza is amazing but never have I seen staff be so irritated by customers ordering food (which they offer). Always an unpleasant experience ordering it there, staff act as if they are bothered by you for even ordering and then often food wait is over an hour or not even available even though the hours posted say so. They shouldn't be offering this pizza if it is such a problem for them and the staff are unhappy doing so. They offer takeaway but you cannot call ahead to order and when you show up they express frustration that you are ordering a takeaway. Staff have openly expressed to other staff right in front of you when ordering, how unhappy they are when people order takeaway. Don't offer the service then it's that simple. It has gone from a great local pub to unwelcoming and unpleasant. As a customer you feel unwanted/unwelcome.

In the past decade, the owner or management of this corner pub has changed a few times. I live in one minute walk and the traffic in my street has increased more than 10 times compared with 15 years ago. It's nice to see new blood and new concept of business in the area. Since last year, it has become my local pub for the first time. A little bit uncommon in Hackney, this pub seems to seek an exclusive standard. There is no Sky sport (unfortunately!) / TV screen, so, footie lover gentlemen, you should avoid this pub! but the background music is nice (sometimes 60s, 70s......). It won't excite you but make you nostalgic? .... Food is a modern English. They probably would like to compete Jamie O in taste and quality? Pricewise, yes, it's on a high side in this kind of pubs. Drinks are not inexpensive. So, those who drink a large quantity had better find any other suitable pub (there are many in Hackney/Dalston). Patio area is lively in the summer time. I have never been there but I like the design and layout. Staff are friendly and handle the matters in a professional manner indeed.

The Spurstowe was actually a random find, perfectly placed to avoid an August downpour but for once we were glad it rained as this is a great little hang out. Quite busy for mid-afternoon and with an excellent selection of beers, wines and spirits, we easily lost a couple of hours in here. Although slightly few too many drinks the night before meant we stayed clear of the hard stuff, the menu and various chalkboards displayed some pretty interesting cocktail options. Loads of selection. The setting and decor of this place was a huge win. Large horseshoe shaped bar with plenty of seating options dotted around the place. Awesome old school paintings, vintage lamps and London memorabilia drip from the walls and its certainly a cool place to spend some time. The rain prevented any outdoor action but it did look like a nice garden was boasting out back too, certainly worth a re-visit when summer returns! What really stood out here was the food - From the snacks and light bites to the main dishes, all the options looked more than tasty. We weren't particularly hunger but some traditional flatbreads and hummus was a lovely addition to the couple of drinks we had. Nicely charred, and obviously fresh, you need to get here to try the grub out. Location wise its really close to London Fields and as its a little street away, should be a nice place to escape if the busy park and broadway market is too much. More than a find, if only it rained when passing pubs more!

I came here for the first time a few Sundays ago to meet friends for lunch. I was expecting the place to be jam packed and full of hipsters but that doesn't bother me, if it did I wouldn't live in Hackney. I understand the staff are busy and stressed but to be honest if you hate working in hospitality so much that you can't even manage to say hello and look me in the face as I order let alone smile, then I'm not interested in coming back. The food is OK but pricey and not worth the surly vibe.

The best thing about the Spurstowe is the beer garden, and i love coming here in the summer and sitting outside until last orders bitching with friends. The downside is that it's expensive, for both food and drinks. Nestled down a little street off Graham Rd (by the small Costcutter) the 'off the beaten track' location of this pub means it's usually frequented by locals only, which can be good and bad. I have only eaten here once, parting with a tenner for a mediocre burger, which put me off eating here again, but they do a cheese board and others i know really enjoy the food. it's nearly £4 a pint though?! Good for the summer, or getting cosy if you manage to find a table in the winter, but don't expect much change for your money, or the friendliest service in London either.

I went to The Spurstowe arms last night to catch up with some friends and was really impressed. It had a huge beer garden and really lovely atmosphere. The pub itself was busy but not over-full so it didn't take long to get served. It had a great selection of drinks and I opted for a lovely glass of rose. I'd love them to stock a gluten-free beer but realise its probably a niche requirement. Prices are standard London prices. Lovely little gem of a pub.

Nicely done out pub, superb to be able to get a Mohjito in E8, great beer garden, but food overpriced and mediocre, staff indifferent. I lived near this place for a couple of years and we would go in once every 2-3 weeks with visiting friends etc but we were always greeted by staff who looked at us in the same way that French border police look at an illegal immigrant who's been caught trying to get through the Eurotunnel on a clockwork dog in his mother's nightie at midnight. The Spurstowe Arms is great for a drink as there are not many other nice places to go near here, but I'd leave it at that.

Great pub, with big garden. A bit inconvenient to get to with public transportation, but well worth it! Tried the burgers and spaghetti, which were ok but not amazing and a bit overpriced for the quality. Nonetheless this is a great place to have some drinks with friends, especially when it's warm enough to be in their garden! Friendly staff and good vibes.

As Leanne suggests - quality beer garden (no grass mind), but pub is expensive, sometimes full of trendy types that have been dissed by others on the site (no offence to any of you lot) Food was expensive, but tasty. It has changed management since I was last there for food, and this may account for downturn in food quality per Leanne's coments. Beer, wine etc all quite pricey for area, but accept it for what it is, and it'll do a job.

Lucky to have this place as my local for the past year. It get a nice crowd in there and always good vibes

Came here for a friend's birthday. Had to call her to make sure I had the right pub as there is no signage outside. It's a typical pub, nothing really that amazing about it. The staff are quite trendy I suppose. Good menu, I had the fish and chips. The fish and peas were really nice but my chips were either over cooked or had been recooked and it was rather pricey for pub food. There is a really nice looking beer garden at the back. The ladies loos are hideous, enter with care. Not sure if the management are going for decrepit chic or they are in the middle of a refurbishment. All in all an average pub but lifted by the company I was with.

A late drink on a Sunday evenin, music was good, nice'n relaxed and the staff were good craic; I'll be back again

Popped in for a sunday afternoon pint yesterday, what a hidden gem! Was really quiet- we were the only ones inside, the beer garden was almost full- and is gorgeous! A decent size and lots of tables for dining, but not too cramped. We had a bloody Mary and a lager shandy which were on the pricey side, 9.90 for the pair (guess that's standard for london)- but the service was quick and friendly. The food looked gorgeous, good roasts- a place to take the parents I reckon next time they visit. We'll be visiting again soon, a shame it isn't open weekday lunchtimes though.

I like it. Not too new media and the staff are great. The food is very good and they have a nice selection of beverages. Nice enclosed yard out the back for lazy summer days.

Terrible pub. Extremely overpriced food, rude staff and to cap it all off, one of our group got food poisoning from their food. After the incident the manager tried to deny it and wouldn't even offer a refund. Don't eat here

I've been a few times and the pub is always busy and pretty friendly, can be hard to get food at busy times especially on a Sunday. For beers and atmosphere always good. Overall it's fairly expensive but good quality.

I went here to catch up with a few friends last night and have some food. The pub itself has a good atmosphere and the beer garden out the back is a great added extra. However, I could not get over how outrageously expensive the food is here. I went for the beef and stilton pie, which was tasty enough but for £9 I expected some kind of side (a few veges or chips). However, all I was presented with was a pie on a plate - it looked so sad on its own and I kept looking around for the rest of my food to be delivered but to no avail! Not even any bread to mop up the pie gravy. I left hungry after eating a pie and that should never happen! My friend had the Welsh Rarebit and it was the smallest bit of cheese on toast I have ever seen - for £3.50. I could not believe they could charge that amount for so little. All very well if your in a fancy pants restaurant but for good old fashioned (gastro) pub grub...

First time in this place last Sunday. Some friends arranged to meet there for a nice afternoon drink. We arrived before the others and could only find two seats at the bar. It was full! But soon a table became free and we settled in. Oh and how we settled. The pub is very convivial, it sort of encourages you to stay. Is it the fellow punters?, the food? the staff? or the friendly layout?. They all contributed but probably it was mostly our own group having a good ol' catch up, but the pub helped no end. The food looked great, but we kept to the beers and while the ale selection was fine, that of lagers was poor, offering lager beers that are more associated with the large pub chains (you know who you are). One 'odd' thing that we noticed was for a pub located halfway between Dalston and Hackney it was strange to see no black or non white customers. Nonetheless I can see why people would make a special trip there and if they only upped their beer selection I'd give it 5 stars.

for a change, a popular pub that doesnt keep a customer waiting ! on first impressions you imagine this is going to be one of those arrogant barstaff kind of pubs where they treat the whole thing like a big public performance of how 'cool' they are or something ridiculous, (i mean...its a pub right?) but you'd be surprised that even when its rammed on a friday or saturday night, the staff are fast and attentive and 8 times out of ten you will get served having waited no longer than 3 mins. they are also kind of nice and friendly, unlike a particularly arrogant pub down the road that really should be thinking about how empty they are these days and perhaps how The Spurstowe is now the place to be and clearly stiff competition. overall i really enjoy my time there, although toilets pretty much are always out of loo roll at busy times, but i just put that down to their focus on serving people quickly.

I love this pub. Some people may find it a little bit pretentious but if you're a Hackney local, you're probably more likely to appreciate it's lovely little beer garden, good choice of wine and friendly staff. Candlelights and all round delights.

I live 2 minutes from this pub, hardly ever go and never will again. The beers are overpriced for the area and the staff are appalling. Four of us went in today and sat down, prepared to spend the entire day with Sunday Lunch and several pints each, but just as we were ordering the manager asked us to give up one of our chairs as they were a chair short a a table that had been reserved. We pointed out that this table was empty and that more importantly it was reseved for nearly an hours time so he had plenty of time to find an extra chair, and also that we were about to spend alot of money in there between us, but he insisted that he needed my chair, right now, there were no others in the entire establishment, and none would become free in the next hour. We left and went to the Old Ship which is cheaper and generally more pleasant. This place doesn't deseve your money. Go to the Old Ship, the George, Pub on the Park or the Prince Arthur, they all give a sh*t.