Ye Olde Rose & Crown — Restaurant in London

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Ye Olde Rose and Crown (Walthamstow): A Pub with Character & a Hidden Theatre

Ah, Ye Olde Rose and Crown - a classic old-school pub with a surprise theatre upstairs and a staircase that should come with a health warning if you’ve had a few drinks.

We visited for the upstairs pub theatre, which is a great little space for live performances, though the venue itself has definitely seen better days (let’s call it ‘charmingly tired’). The staff were friendly and helpful, and while the pub was busy, it wasn’t packed - which says a lot about London nightlife these days.

Drinks? Good selection. Prices? Decent. Decor? Well-worn but functional. The bar area wasn’t too busy when we arrived, making it easy to grab a drink before heading upstairs. By the time we left around 8 PM, the pub had picked up in atmosphere, with more people filtering in and giving it a proper lively Saturday night feel.

Parking? There’s no dedicated parking, but plenty of on-street spaces nearby - free after 6:30 PM (a rare London luxury). The pub is on a busy high street, so if you’re driving, aim for the side streets.

Would I come back? For the theatre, definitely - a pub with a built-in performance space is always a win. For drinks? Maybe, but probably not my first choice for a night out. It’s got character, but it’s not exactly glamorous - just a solid, no-frills, good-time...

It's unusual to come across something that feels like an old style pub these days. But here it is... I've been twice over the past couple of weeks. The first time during the day was quiet apart from people who were clearly regulars. The second time was a Friday night when there was a Borough of Culture event on. On this occasion the place was packed with an assortment of people - from hipsters to old-fashioned (not the cocktail) drinkers. We found a corner of the bar with a couple of stools and the barmaid's eye. Exactly what you want from a pub - good drink, the ability to hear your companions words, the occasional dog, and not too many buggies and babies (probably none, now that I cast my mind's eye over the scene...). Apparently there's a theatre upstairs, but that didn't impact on our evening. All in all, it's just nice to find somewhere that's beautifully unpretentious, with some lovely woodwork behind the bar and a mirror that looks like it's waiting for a cowboy to crash into it as I manoeuvre my pint out...

A lovely friendly community pub with different levels of seating resulting in more intimate areas rather than the 'big barrack'.

Great range of ales and Guinness was poured to near perfection - the only drawback being it was 'super chilled' so killing the flavour of the dark nectar so defeating the purpose of ordering a pint of plain. The wannabe down with the young-uns Guinness executive who dreamed that kiss-of-death gimmick up obviously had never ever tasted it.

Changed to cider. One variety in a big box stating 'keeved' cider...well, that silver tongued word devil had me weak at the knees....but tasted as if piped straight from the bogs.

Had pint of Atkinson Cornish cider - blissful. So beat the stampede upstairs to see and hear Andy Irvine - at 75 the man was superb entertainment.

The performance area upstairs is quirky and down-at-heel but I've been to outstanding performances at this...