The Daniel Defoe Pub

I have been drinking in this pub for years, however this evening the barman/landlord saw fit to relieve me of a fiver. And lie his way out of it. Locals and regulars have been grumbling about the change in ownership for a long time, however I loved this pub so much I would always make it my port of call when I was in the area. No longer. I have learned the hard way. A shame a Stokey institution should disappear, but these days you're better off elsewhere.

Probably the best pub in Stoke Newington. Good range of beers/lagers. The food was absolutely delicious and a fantastic selection of malt whiskies. Really relaxing pub with great atmosphere.

I saw the barman grab a young man by the throat last night over next to nothing. The barman has a seriously short fuse and it ruined our night. Also: pricey and bland

This is the sort of place I wish I could like more; but I don't like it so much. 

On the positive side: 

1) A good selection of beers (Kirin, very good one here)
2) A great selection of whisky
3) Large main room
4) Very nice garden
5) A nice live fire

On the negative side: 

1) Children not allowed. A pity for us full-time parents: probably 70% of the people in N16!
2) Horrible lighting. Either too bright or too dark. No personality in that main room.
3) Pricey drinks.
4) Boring food. Not cheap either.

The positives are more than the negatives. Therefore the 3 stars. 

The pub’s website has a review which describes it as ‘An Anomaly’.
It certainly is more than an Anomaly.
We wish we could tell you how this newly-refurbished pub was or how good their food is. We had been told it was worth a visit so we went.
Children are not allowed there, at any time. And this is something that neighter this site nor the pub site bothers to mention.
Another waste of time!

Disappointed with the food, but the Ales are well kept, it’s nice and quiet

I rather liked this pub. A nice, slightly old fashioned traditional boozer that features in the good beer guide. I did like the décor. I wish it had kept one of its former names though….Steptoes is a cool name for instance!

The staff were friendly and the ale was good quality. There were 4 ales on, all fairly commonly found varieties including the excellent Tribute. I had what may have been the best pint of the stuff I have had outside Cornwall.

The street opposite, Defoe Road, appears to have buildings with a cartoon characters theme. I saw a Beavis house and a Flanders house!

Went to the “Daniel Defoe” yesterday for drinks with a friend. Now it may be my age and heaven forbid I may be getting old(!), but I’m warming more and more to the old traditional boozer; solid wooden tables and chairs, comforting traditional bar and space to sit and have a conversation without being jammed-up to the people next to you! All this, plus now there’s no smoking, generally these places are a much nicer place to hang-out!

The barmaid was really friendly and when I said I was short on cash (the drinks are really reasonable and the bill didn’t come to that much, but I literally had pence in my purse. I’m like the Queen - I don’t carry cash!) and was there a minimum spend on cards, she said there was normally, but they could get round it by giving you the difference in cash. Very handy and saved me from having to go back into the rain to find a cash machine!

While I was ordering I met a Scottish guy at the bar who heard I was getting a Bloody Mary and he started telling me how he used to work on cruise liners as a barman and how he’d learnt how to make a mean BM and other cocktails because the Americans tourists only ever demanded the best! A great character and friendly guy who I’m pretty certain you’d only ever meet in a good North London boozer like this one!

We were going to meet more friends and have dinner here, but as they didn’t turn-up we knocked dinner on the head, but if previous reviews are anything to go by, I’m looking forward to going back and sampling their Sunday Roasts.

A pleasant pub on Stoke Newington Church Street to pass an evening with friends. They pour a good pint of guinness and there’s a delicate white rioja on the wine list.

Out the back is a popular beer garden with ample seating, which provides a welcome respite from busy Church St on a summer’s day. The staff are very friendly and there is a broad clientele who provide a good atmosphere.

They do food here too, which has a good reputation – check the blackboard or pick up a menu from the bar.

I’m sure I’ll be coming back here again in the not too distant future.

Nice traditional pub on Stoke Newington Chruch Street for a quiet pint of real ale. The beer garden at the back is great in summer, and the bar opens late on Friday and Saturdays (to midnight).

This pub has a quiz machine - I enjoyed many a game of the easy-until-you-get-to-the-last-round-then-impossibly-hard Nuts quiz in the pub.

Along with the Auld Shillelagh one of my favourite pubs in Stoke Newington.

There is a very nice beer garden at the back of the pub. Small but with lots of greenery so you dont feel like you are just off a busy road. Inside isn’t quite as good, a bit tatty but it least it isnt a theme pub! I havent had the food but the drinks are served well. They serve coffee, which is a nice touch.

Went in there recently and the food was absolutely amazing. By far the best pub food I have ever tasted. The Roast Pork was soft and succulent with gorgeous crunchy crackling.

This Alistair bloke (chef) really is something!!

I had the steak the other day that was fantastic. The service was great and the staff friendly. Decent selection of beer, wines and whiskeys. The prices are very reasonable.
The place use to be a dump, but they've really fixed it up and enhanced the menu without going ridiculously gastrotrash.