Princess of Wales — Restaurant in London

I would love to give five stars for the food alone, which is absolutely delicious. But unfortunately we had a bad experience on Sunday with our two mains arriving 15 minutes apart. It's the first rule of serving food that you never bring out just one meal at a time for a group of more than one. Someone is going to be sitting there looking at their food sitting in front of them and the other person is going to be wondering where theirs is, politely saying "oh, do start" but their companion is feeling rather awkward and rude if they tuck in. Normally you can easily forgive a few minutes' difference, but this was excessive. It was compounded by a few things: being full inside we sat outside, meaning that in winter the food gets cold super quickly. Secondly, we were promised the other meal "next in line" but that still took ages. (It was obviously BS, because another excuse later on involved them having to deal with a large table first. Hmmmmm.) We had to ask more than once. Then an excuse of "they went on different tickets, so they won't come out at the same time," is a very feeble excuse indeed. My friend ordered the meals at the same time, for the same table number, together. All he did was split the payment between two cards, which you'd think was frequent enough not to cause a "computer says no" issue. Finally, the waitress (bless her, she was very busy, but even so) was completely unapologetic. Just a simple "sorry about that"/"we're really busy, please forgive us" etc would have helped, along with "I'll arrange a refund/free dessert" etc, and probably would diffuse the situation, but she obviously didn't have any training on how to deal with it. It's not her fault, it's the system you're using, and the person who took the order at the bar should have ensured it was clear the whole meal was ordered together, to be brought out together. Anyway- seems like a big rant for a small issue but it totally ruined the experience and was a totally unreasonable wait with no apology whatsoever. Shame because the fish and chips are absolutely delicious. My friend's pork was nice but he couldn't enjoy it much because we'd got so cold waiting for his, and I'd nearly finished mine, that we wanted to just...

🚇Clapton 🍺 £7.25 Estrella

The Princess of Wales is located where Lea Bridge Road meets the River Lea in Clapton, East London. The nearest station is Clapton on the Weaver Line.

The pub began life as The Prince of Wales and dates back to 1861. It was rebuilt around 1920 as part of a slum clearance in the area. During World War II, the pub was used as a machine-gun post. In 1997, following the death of Princess Diana, the pub was renamed The Princess of Wales.

This is a large, bright, and airy one-bar Gastro, divided into multiple areas with a variety of seating. The servery sits at the heart of the pub and is three-sided. The decor includes a boarded floor, comfy leather banquettes, smoky-blue panelled walls, a wood-burning stove, and a honky-tonk piano. A nice feature is the leaded stained-glass depicting the Prince of Wales’s feathers. At the rear of the pub, there is a partially covered terrace that sits beside the towpath and the Lee Navigation.

The beer selection offers a range of well-known brews and cask ales. I went for an Estrella—my pint was nice, price point was on the expensive side. The food menu features pub classics. We were feeling a bit peckish, so we decided to try the Cyder-battered haddock and chips. Our food arrived in good time, the portion size was generous, and the batter on the fish was nice and crispy. £19 all in.

We arrived around 5 p.m. on an overcast Saturday afternoon in April. The pub was busy throughout, with an upbeat and buzzy atmosphere. The punters was a mix of all ages; those dining were inside, while those here for a beer were outside on the terrace. The service was great — the team on duty, although busy, was friendly and courteous.

This pub has moved with the times in this once industrious part of London. There is a nice local feel to this gastropub, with plenty of space for both diners and drinkers alike. The beer selection will please most, though it was a bit pricey. The food was on point — we really enjoyed our grub. Overall, we had an enjoyable time and would definitely recommend a visit.

Follow @theprincess_e5 for updates.

📅 18th April 2025

If you want to see all my pub reviews in one place, head to @londonpubmap on...

Good pub on the canal front. Prices slight higher than the billet however a nice family atmosphere.

Christmas update. Having arranged to book a Christmas dinner at the pub and left a £10.00 deposit I hate wasting money so turned up. In hindsight I wishes I had missed my booking and forgone the £10.00. Complimentary processo was a nice touch however the starter was below par. The monk fish was dry, overcooked and like warm despite asking the staff to return it for the chef to heat, it came back with more olive oil but colder than then when I had returned it upon it's return to me. I did consume it having ordered it. The main was turkey. Turkey meat with sausages in bacon, veg and gravy along with a slice of duck (I'm guessing). The turkey was dry, only sauce as gravy. The spuds were the best bit..very edible it not the standard to warrant the price tag. I'm between came the sorbet, which was a good in between. I'm sorry but along with the Apple and quince crumble it did not warrant the menu fish of £75.00 excluding service charge and drinks. I was not the only person to question the set menu charge. In spite of this being one of the few pubs open at Christmas, the set menu at best Should have been set between £40 And £50.00. Not worth the £75.00. Perhaps it was my fault for agreeing the initial price however I do not feel the management should exploit the consumers with this price based on the fact it is Christmas. The service was good..I cannot fault them. I'd like to ask and hope to receive an verification the service charge at 12.5% will go to the waitering staff. If then I'd prefer to have refused to pay the offer a tip. If the management will read this is hope to have a £25.00 refund to match the quality of food served on the day. I shall continue to drink there but question whether to eat at this establishment. In total £93.00 for...