The Tooke Arms — Restaurant in London

🚇Crossharbour DLR 🍺 £4.60 Fosters

The Tooke Arms is located on the western edge of the Isle of Dogs in East London. The nearest station is Crossharbour on the DLR.

The Tooke Arms was originally built in 1851 and sat on Tooke Street. The name ‘Tooke’ came from the Tooke family who owned land on the Isle of Dogs from the late 17th century. The Tooke Arms was rebuilt as part of Barkantine Estate development in the late 1960’s.

This Flat-Roofed pub has two bars which are simply decorated. The bar to the right is a good size and has a dartboard, two large screens and a small servery. The bar to the left is much larger and has a pool table, a stage, a few Union Jacks on the ceiling and a longer servery. There is plenty of conventional seating in both bars including stools at the bar. To complete the look of this estate boozer, there is a proper patterned pub carpet throughout.

The beer line up is all well known mainstream keg brands. I decided on a pint of Fosters, my pint hit the spot, price point was less than a fiver (cash only). There is no food menu available.

We arrived just after 2pm on a rainy afternoon in October. The pub was very quiet with only one other punter in attendance. We were served by the lovely Landlady who was welcoming and courteous. We plotted up at the bar and discussed how quiet the pub was and how busy this pub must have been in times gone by.

The pub hosts Karaoke and DJ’s at weekends.

Flat Roofed pubs that lie in the shadow of tower blocks are a very rare find in London these days, breweries are simply not interested anymore and the land is much sought after. Estate Pubs like The Tooke Arms, which may seem characterless to some, were once the anchor of local communities but now, for many social and financial reasons, seem to be a place of nostalgia and the butt end of a joke.

They say “Never drink in a flat-roofed pub” , well there are only around 20 left in London, so one day you may never get the chance.

📅 12th October 2024

More London Pub info...

I was looking for a quick drink while I passed the time, and came across The Tooke Arms. When I approached the bar I saw that they offered a decent selection of drinks on tap as well as the usual spirits. I received a friendly greeting from the bar staff and was offered a glass with ice to accompany my bottle of cider. The décor is a bit rough around the edges but it's exactly how I pictured an East End boozer to look, and did not detract from my experience. The patrons looked friendly and seemed to be genuine, down to earth people. I was there less than hour but felt relaxed and had an...

Fantastic pub! Absolutely no nonsense just a proper pub for the people . Good range of Macro lagers and at a reasonable price . Carpeted floor, Pool Table, Dartboard and Fruit Machine. Plenty to keep you entertained . It was quiet at 3.30pm but I can see this place getting very lively towards the weekend. Large screens for the sport and a number fruit machines. I opted for a pint of Stella and at £5.20 you can't go wrong especially considering the prices of nearby pubs....