Well & Bucket

Low review is for the food. Buffalo wings were inedible, coated with starch giving it the same texture as a stone, chicken was drier than the Sahara Desert. Staff were kind enough to offer a replacement and explained it was part of a new menu. I got the calamari as a replacement however, it seemed like the squid must have been on a diet as most of the pieces were the size of a hula hoop crisp with the thickness of a penny. At that point I didn’t want to bother the bar staff to complain. Please review your menu items and check the quality regularly. Bar staff were incredibly kind and the pub itself has a good atmosphere.

From the outside this pub appears to be a traditional east London boozer but the reality is very different. The interior is shabby chic, with tiles missing from the walls and huge eclectic portraits. There is also a downstairs cocktail bar, a rear garden and some pavement seating. It has an oyster-led food menu with other seafood on offer. I would definitely eat here. On this occasion, however, I popped in for a drink and was disappointed to find four hand pumps but no cask ales available. Looking at other reviews, this appears to have been the case for some time. A good range of keg available but a couple of well-kept cask ales would be a good improvement.

Fantastic day, warm and welcoming for a Sunday afternoon. The roast was delicious and plentiful. The staff were so great and accommodating. They were a fun and enthusiastic team that made the afternoon thoroughly enjoyable. Particular shoutout to Leah, Aliya and Dani. They were so professional and personable, they made our big group event a great time .

Went for lunch and the oysters were fresh and delicious, as was my spicy margarita. However, the minute steak was very tough and hadn't been rested long enough so was bloody on the plate. The wooden floors also mean it gets extremely noisy as it fills up.

Good drinks good food as always Bloody Mary’s top quality, Pan con tomate and tinned fish Simple idea superb when the brand is Ortiz Moules et frites lovely, the Cod with white beans outstanding Great service from Ben, highly recommend The Well and Bucket for small plates and mains big enough for sharing

A group of overseas visitors and I visited for a catch up before heading to ABBA VOYAGE. We arrived at 4pm and by 5pm the bar had a nice buzz to it. The team was very welcoming, they handled a couple of cocktail requests with panache, and the food was ordered and delivered quickly. The food was good quality and the options a bit more adventurous than a standard pub. The small plates were particularly good. We knew we had the table until 6pm and we were offered other seating options when time came to give up the table. No cask ales.

Delish Sunday Roast! We both got the Chef’s Roast (£25 per plate) and it was super worth it. Wish the pork belly was a little more crisp, but the chicken, beef, and other accompaniments were great. The atmosphere was also lovely and Cat gave us great service. Defo coming back here!

This is one of the best pubs in the Bethnal Green area. Very solid pub grub, great cocktails and a good wine list. Spacious and chilled with lovely décor and very welcoming staff. Dog friendly, too. Perfect for a board game on a Monday evening

We were hanging out in the East End, looking to kill some time before a tour. We decided to check out the Well and Bucket since it didn't look as busy as some of the local bars. We made our way in and were actually greeted by one of their friendly staff. They found us a small table in their little courtyard in the back. It was such a great atmosphere we ended up hanging out there for the rest of the afternoon. One of the waitstaff came by every so often to see how we were doing and if wanted an another round. It was a fun and relaxing experience.

Great bar in the heart of East London, been back in London for a few days and already been here twice. Food is great as is the selection of drinks. Staff were really friendly which made me go back again.

Head downstairs to the cocktail lounge next to the bathrooms. This little speakeasy is a gem. Upstairs is a charming pub. We happened upon it after not finding the restaurant we set out for. There were no available seats in the main gallery, so we chanced a wander downstairs. I ordered the Nikki sour. They use frothy chick pea juice as a substitute for egg whites, and it tastes great. Who would have thought that worked? It's a vegan drink--impressive. A great mix. They only serve appetizers in the lounge. We loved the crab fries and the green olives. Both were a hit. Loved the barkeep. She was good humored and interesting to chat with.

Great selection of drinks, delicious food and a cocktail bar in the basement - this is my go-to pub. Though it's usually a toss up between crab fries and sliders, the oysters are definitely worth a go. There's also a heated smoking area at the back, so you know.

A promising start. The ambiance is awesome and the space historic. They use neat aspects of the old building whilst modernising it for a uber cool space with Victorian gothic touches that remind me of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland (the building dates from early 19th C, when it was a Truman pub of the same name till the late 20th C, when it briefly changed names before closing and becoming a leather store). The gastro(ish) pub upstairs has great decor, exposed brick walls, and a beautiful bar in the centre. There is also a sizeable part-covered outdoor space in the back, and a small basement cocktail bar downstairs. Our party of four settled down in a booth in the back and ordered some stouts (which they claim pair excellently with oysters) and ordered a ton of food. We tried all the sliders minus the aubergine vegetarian one, the chilli oxtail fries, peel and eat bucket o' shrimp, chicken pate, and the voodoo chicken wings. The good: -Bottled and draft beer lists. -Chicken pate (and I usually don't like pate much)... though we could have used way more bread for the amount of pate. -Original slider. Juicy, tasty, and just good. -Bucket of Shrimp with smoked aioli. It is fun to eat with your hands, and the smoked aioili was really tasty. Not more than a small snack, but a tasty one. The rest? Pretty forgettable. The lamb slider was decent though. The pulled pork one was dry, as was the chicken one.The chilli fries were good but nothing special. Voodoo wings were not quite spicy enough. I WISH we could have gotten oysters. 1/3 of their menu is oysters, and they have a giant sign in the entrance that says OYSTERS. Alas, for some reason, at 6:45pm on a Saturday, they had already run out of oysters, so we did not get to try them. Downstairs mini review: Nice, intimate space reminiscent of Nightjar. Good cocktails, but nothing special compared to other cocktail bars in the area (Nightjar, Happiness Forgets, and the Looking Glass Cocktail Club have many drinks that make me go 'Oooo, sounds interesting!!'... this place's menu just didn't excite me in that way, and they are the same price). Bottom line: Beautiful space. Great for drinks, socialising, and a pre-dinner snack, but probably not for an entire meal. Although, they DO have a really tasty looking Sunday Roast I saw a picture of on facebook. I might come back and try that.

Must be owned by youngs or some chain but decent beer selection, clean loos, bad sliders, good antiquey vibe albeit verging on soulless. Can't say that much but if you're looking for a clean faux hipster pub I couldn't think of a more perfect pub to recommend.

It's my fault. What possessed me to order the onion bhaji scotch egg I do not know. Or rather, I do. It was my greediness. I love Onion bhajis. I love scotch eggs. What could go wrong? Well I love Snickers and I love smelly cheese but I don't go cramming them in my mouth at same time do I. What's worse, the monstrosity that came out looked OK until I dug into it. Nice crispy outside. Nice round ball. Nice on the outside. Manky as fuck on the inside. The cardinal sin, raw onion inside. The ball of hell had seen burning oil for enough time to make it LOOK appetising, but not long enough to make any waves inside. So what I was eating was essentially raw onion bound by a raw batter which was so astringent even I couldn't eat it. Someone in the kitchen had swapped the teaspoons for the tablespoons when they were measuring out things like tumeric and fenugreek, spices that demand a bit of respect. None of that in here. I got as far as the egg. Not sure what it was doing there except looking exceedingly old. It had obviously hung around all day waiting for its burial in the doomball and died not from the heat of the oil which hadn't penetrated but more from the acridness of the surrounding matter. An absolute no-no in every sense. A combination on a par with Partridge's Monkey Tennis. Something any sane person would imagine before dismissing as totally out of hand. Alas, not the chef at the Well and Bucket. A crispy tin cup of french fries saved the day somewhat although I have to say the curry sauce that came with it was also questionable. But after my egg monstrosity, anything was edible. I have to say the pub itself is lovely. Beautiful original tiles, a central bar and a good atmosphere. Service is patchy. Young pretty things buzz around but you don't actually get things you asked for. Some plates are cleared, others left to fester as an offering to the putrid onion gods. Their friendliness makes you more forgiving of their shortcomings though. They are trying something different here. It's not a sit down meal place. The menu offers oysters and sliders and crab. I can't get my head round it. A bit higgledy piggledy. I would rein in whoever's cheffing here, concentrate on serving nice beer and very simple food, and this is then a very good drinking den. Until then, resist the onion bhaji scotched egg at all costs and stick to the chips and beer.

No one likes paying for apps right? Well I paid £1.99 for this Craft Beer app which is the bible for craft beer pubs situated in London and what a app it is. After supping a few in Brewdog in Shoreditch, I decided for a change of scenery. what's this? My app was telling me to head 5 minutes up the road to the Well & Bucket and I'm glad it did. Got through the door and the buzz hit you, lots of people eating sliders and oysters, what a combination, the craft beer list is impressive, beers from all over the world. I really like this place and was a little gutted when we couldn't get anything to eat due to it being so busy, but the food looked great. I also noticed the spirits on a little island behind the bar, bourbon heaven, my sort of thing. The interior was also cool, lots of old portraits that had been defaced, modern art huh. So the verdict, definitely coming back here to sample the food, but next time I will reserve a table, yes! reserve a table in London, perfect!

It's hard not to like Well & Bucket, unless you came expecting oysters (not an unusual concept given that it's billing itself as an oyster bar) and then were told at 7pm on a Saturday that they were completely out. Seriously W&B? How could you run out of your signature dish that early? Luckily, oysters aren't a deal breaker for me so I proceeded to order almost everything else on the menu. Don't worry, my concerned readers, I'm not about to die early of a heart attack as Katie B, Rob H, and Laura S had all joined me for a chill night of eating and drinking. And that's just what W&B was designed for. There are a number of tables and booths surrounding the central bar and even on a Saturday the majority of them were open for walk ins. Perhaps nobody remembered to make a reservation (ahem...Katie...), but I like to think that they had made a point not to book out all the tables and leave them for us walk in folk. There are also a number of bar stools around the bar - now this is something I have mixed feelings about as it makes it uber hard to get to the bar to order a drink, but overall I think it's probably good for the extra seating options. W&B also has a large number of microbrewed beers (a good number on tap as well) which makes it the second signature item. And these are the good microbrews which embody the time and care the brewer has put into each recipe, and not the generic microbrew which one would be hard pressed to differentiate from Bud Lite. The Flying Gonzo Dog was dark, smokey, and just a tad bitter which made it perfect for a start to the night. Rob's dark porter was similarly dry and delicious while Katie's Milk Stout went a different direction and would personally suit me more as a dessert. That said, it was very tasty and almost like a chocolate milkshake in beer form. I can't for the life of me remember what Laura S had (or maybe it was so good she didn't want to share - I had a hard time doing that myself!) Food wise, you're looking at a number of fried things, a selection of sliders, and a few other bits and bobs. We tried all the sliders except the veggie one and while they were all okay, the best actually turned out to be the cheeseburger with melt in your mouth meat and a bespoke ketchup that had a hint of spice. It was a great example of simple things done well, and something too often lost in the ongoing push for gourmet street food. The chilled prawns were tasty and probably my second favourite (particularly with the dips that were served - we were inches away from just eating the dips with a spoon). The wings weren't worth the money with little flavour and spice although I'll concede that they were cooked perfectly. The décor is definitely interesting with a slight Death theme without being morbid. The sound level tends to be moderate so you can still hear your mates without shouting yourself hoarse. And prices are reasonable with beers ranging from £3.50-6 depending on the size and type and cocktails being around £8-10. However, if you want cocktails, go downstairs to 5cc, the new cocktail lounge - but that's another review...

A very excellent pub in a very excellent location. Given this spot is in such a busy and pub-poluated area, it could be quite hard to find a sturdy location for a nice couple of pints but W&B have hit the nail on the head. Sitting just at the bottom of Brick Lane, this feels like a really traditional boozer. Almost gothic-type decor with plenty of table and seats to guarantee vast amounts of chill-out time. The pub also has a nice outside deck for when the city is being treated to a little of this so called "sunshine" that us Londoners have heard so much about. I've been down here on many occasions and i've always been greeted by friendly and helpful staff. The drinks selection is also very good. Vast amounts of wine and spirits, and a great selection of beers and ciders on both tap and bottle. On my last visit i strayed to a lovely craft beer that I believe was a "guest" on the menu, it's nice to know they always change their offering too. As an added extra, the W&B is hiding a little secret. A perfect cocktail club just down a set of stairs in the corner. So after a few of those "warm-up" drinks upstairs don't be afraid to venture downstairs and see what exciting times await down there. P.s - You may need a hand back up the stairs afterwards!!!

Been meaning to come here for a while after hearing good things. Was not disappointed as the staff kindly let us um and ah over picking our beer, allowing us a few samples in the process (luckily it was a languid Friday afternoon and there happened to be no other customers vying for their attentions). Settled on the tasty Baby Faced Assassin from top brewery Rooster. Sat in the yard at the back and tried not to drool at the food smells!

I was lucky enough to go here the first week it opened and I had high hopes. The food was good, it was quiet and we got to sit down an then of course there is the HUGE menu of beers to choose from. Winner. And then, then! There was the secret cocktail bar downstairs which we were the only ones in. But that was a good year ago, or so and little treasures like this one don't go unnoticed. Having been back in recent times I find it quite trying. It's very loud in here. I know I'm getting older, but I want to be able to talk to the people I'm out with, note 'talk' not shout. I just don't get why places that don't have any where near anything that resembles a dance floor has to be so damn loud. The beer selection is, as ever, amazing. There is so much to try and it's worth it if you can find somewhere to sit to go and just do that even if it's just a couple. The staff can be a little offhandish, which I suppose goes with the locale - don't get me started on the patrons; it is your typical East London lot. Which, y'know, if you're from East London, that's fine, but the last time I went I was surrounded by people with a complete lack of any observational skills whatsoever and no concept of personal space. It's a shame because the decor of the pub and what they have to offer is outstanding - and they are also dog friendly - but I'm not sure if I'd go back again unless it was a sunday afternoon and I happened to be walking past.

Would I go here again? No. There are three reasons why: 1. I paid £18 for two double and mixer. 2. It's full of people who thing they're original. 3. I saw many people stand by me at the bar and not get served. Because it's a non service area. Then I saw a pretty girl turn up and she got served immediately. This makes me no longer respect the bar staff. Don't bother here. You can find a much better drink with less sexually driven staff elsewhere in shoreditch I assure you. Try the commercial.

A very spacious Pub on Bethnal Green Road. Full to the brim with well dressed youngins, the place has a really nice vibe to it. Its both old and new. During the daytime, the large windows leave in a welcome amount of light. Theres a beer garden too. The menu looks very promising, with loads of picky bits, good for sharing. Yes, we like

Very tasty sliders in a cool atmosphere with hip crowd. Do love the old and worn wall tiles and the skeleton pictures.

Now first off I must declare that this review is based on one visit on a Sunday evening. It was fairly quiet with tables spare and only a mild hubub of conversation. But the range of beers are varied and interesting on both cask and keg. Its something when the most mass market draught beer is Camden Helles beer. It also has Mikkeller, Kernel, and Nøgne Ø. Lots others but I forget. - just lets say if you want something a bit different this is a good place to start. As for food, we did not try anything but if my friends salivations are anything to go by their menu of mini burgers (Sliders?) roast dinners and oysters of various flavours and combinations will be worth it. However the best thing we found was the physical place. It was dark and atmospheric with filiment lights dimmed down to a minimum. Most of the light seeemed to be streetlights coming through the huge front windows. All this simply added to the slightly surreal images of skeleton poitraits on the wall looking down on the central bar. But the loveliest thing of all were the original (and listed) wall tiles from the last time this was a pub over 25 years ago (It was the Well and Bucket then too nice to see a pub resurrecting from the apparent dead is that what those skeletons mean?). So early days yet but this place looks promising well worth checking it out. Update: I have been back several times since I wrote the above and this place is getting better and better. Nice buzzy crowd which is a good mix of ages and styles. I have now tried the food and the burger slims are ideal session food choose from about 9 burger versions, you get 3 for £7.95. My favourite beer is the Camden Helles beer which is a very reasonable £3.90 a pint (considering it is a low volume craft beer). There are few nicer bars. Sitting up on those handsome barstools admiring the interior while sipping great beer and charting with friends has this place is knocking on the door of 5 stars.

Now, before anyone starts to moan, this pub is LOUD. And busy! But it's a great vibe, speciality booze and awesome decor. If you are looking for somewhere quiet this isn't the pub for you, but I love it. And so do the other patrons. Everyone is pretty friendly and the bar staff are pretty easy on the eye too!

Met a friend here to catch-up two nights ago. Even on a Monday night, it's LOUD. Luckily, we found a corner booth which allowed us to somewhat hear each other. I ordered the chickpea and sweet potato slider and the grilled goat cheese and sweet potato salad with harissa. The slider was quite good, crunchy chickpeas and tasty potato mixture. The salad was a nice-sized portion, loaded with sweet potato. The harissa added a nice kick. We didn't get any drinks but it's an extensive menu (but only one cider alas!). I would think this bar would be slammed come Thurs/Fri night.

Good selection of beers and nice ambient. However, the place is not particularly clean and bartenders do just an OK job.

A nice boozer with a good beer selection that regularly changes. Lots of good craft beers all the time is a plus for me. The decor is cool, deliberately shabby with really nice artwork and the staff are friendly. My main gripe is with their table booking policy. If you intend to sit down then you better book a table because they don't seem to hold many (if any) back for walk ins. This seems like unusual behaviour for a pub, and results in a very crowded one as most customers are forced to stand in an area that's not massive. My advice - definitely visit this place but find a time when it's not busy or book a table

If I could rate with zero stars I would. Awful customer service and extreme lack of enthusiasm by the bartenders. Bartender made my drink wrong and when told was obviously inconvenienced making me feel extremely awkward as a customer. My mates drink was found to have lipstick on the glass and when asked to get a refund the bartender laughed in his face and though eventually did give him his refund, was not genuine or apologize in the slightest. Will never come back here. If you do come, bring your wipes, it's disgusting.

Hidden under the Well & Bucket pub on Bethnal Green Road is this lovely little gem of a cocktail bar called 5cc London. Small and perfectly formed, it is a great spot to settle in for the cold evenings and chill with some great cocktail infusions. Prop yourself at the bar and enjoy the stories and recommendations from the bar team, or grab an alcove with friends/work colleagues.

Great selection of craft beer and the food is tasty, even if the menu could do with a few more veggie options.

A nice pub that blends modern beer with classic boozer ambiance. I came here for the Dogfish Head and Wells DNA launch - it was a great time. They also had a nice range of UK beers on both cask and keg. Worth a visit.

A pub that was refurbed over the last year. Certainly seems to be more catered for the hip and trendy vibe of the area now. Has oysters and sliders on the menu. We had catfish, pulled pork and a cheeseburger slider. All quite good. Cheeseburger was best. Also had some oxtail fries, which were nice. I think their hot wings with blue cheese sauce were better though. Good beer too but watch out for the really expensive one on the end (they should say before you order it).

We ordered a seafood platter £28 , they weren't fresh at all , a lobster was very dry , cockles were too sour to eat and bread was very hard . Some of staffs were rude too, After waiting for ages to get the platter I was telling myself that I wouldn't come back here again . Only good point is Victorian inspired deco.

Nice simple food how can you go wrong with sliders, great original shabby features. unfortunately loses a star for the lipstick stained glasses.

This place is beautiful but it's near impossible to get a drink. We were a party of 10 and each went to the bar at separate time throughout the night and waited no less than 15 minutes for a drink each time. It wasn't even that it was very busy but it was extremely difficult to get the bar tenders eye contact. It became so frustrating that I don't think i'd go back. Shame.

Lovely looking pub with a nice atmosphere, but the staff are slow and rude, they do good measures but was asked to pay for a little more tonic (from the tap!) and when I disputed this they told me I should go to weather spoons if I have a problem with the prices. Downstairs, the cocktail bar looks great, but they were unable to make three of the drinks on their menu, and then looked annoyed when I didn't tip. Ultimately my last few visits have been disappointing, and after the rudeness of the staff on my last visit I am sure I won't go back again.

The creative and delicious G&Ts at Well and Bucket set the standard for our multigenerational group on our recent visit to London. Some visited more than once. Great looking pub located near Brick Lane. Friendly staff.

As a local it's always great to see a new venue in the area. This was my second time at the venue. First visit was the second night the venues had opened and the place was packed. Loved what they have done with the space, looks like a lot of love has gone into the venue and we were really impressed with the attention to detail that had gone into this venues interior. Was also impressed by the selection of drinks on offer. As a beer drinker there was none of the usual affair which again suggest some thought had gone into the beer selection. Unfortunately tonight was my second trip to the venue, pleasant crowd and was really enjoying our mid week evening beers. Arrived just after 6pm and enjoying the mellow mid week vibe- chose to sit at the bar with a friend. Shortly after our arrival we were accidental sprayed by the bar maid with water by one of those glass cleaning water pump things you find at bars these days! She apologised for her mistake and we laughed it off. Several beers later we get sprayed yet again for the second time. This time the bar-maids apologised to the crowd of people next to us and ignored us. With no sign of an apology I reach over and press a shot measure into the glass cleaning water pump which sprays the two bar maids with a burst water. They both then switched on us, suggesting that we were out of order and were being really aggressive with them! We explain that this was the second time we had been sprayed with water and considering they seemed to find it so funny we were getting sprayed, we thought this was an appropriate response. We were again accused of being overly aggressive and the tone changed. As it was approaching closing we were asked to leave the venue by these barmaids. We were also told that maybe we should not be sitting at the bar and we should leave. Having spent an evening drinking and spending money in the new venue in what was for the most part a pleasant evening we were shocked at the overly bitchy attitude we were getting from these two. We will hopefully be back but please sort out the bitchy bitches behind the bar.