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Star Rating
* * * * * *
* * * *
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The
Castle
15
Grosvenor Rise East,
London,
E17
9LB map
Tel
020 8509 8095
As
of March 2010 the Castle has got itself a chef (called David) and a
meaty gastropub menu. Two of the veggie starters can be chosen as a main
course and there is one fish dish - 'catch of the day' - which is
advertised as freshly-caught fish. Other mains are chicken, pork, duck,
steak, lamb and venison. Not many animals left, surely. But they do
offer a veggie/vegan option which according to the menu 'can be whatever
you like', and the chef will endeavor to please your
palate…intriguing.
Have a look at the menu for more details.
Food is served every evening with Monday being curry night. On Sundays
they offer a traditional roast served between midday and 6pm. Prices for
main courses range from £10.50 for the chicken to £15.95 for the
steak.
My first thoughts were that this could be a bit adventurous but having
visited one Friday and seeing a good twenty people eating or waiting to
eat I'm hopeful that I'm wrong. Watch this space for a full review of
the food.
Editor
March 2010
There
has been a fair amount of money spent on renovating the 'new' Castle and
the new owners have managed to throw off the image of being the
slightly uglier sister pub to the Nags Head and have created a
different environment.
The, what in fact was quite a new, carpet has been removed and floor
boards have been polished making the space seem bigger and feel more
like an Islington wine bar than an E17 boozer.
The lighting is ambient which creates a pleasant relaxing atmosphere
but not too helpful if your trying to do the crossword. The most
striking addition is a wall of books, all very difficult to read due the
to above (or maybe it's my age).
The
staff are friendly and numbers are up but the plans to serve food have
proved a little too ambitious for the time being.
Two bitters were on offer when we visited last week, Fullers London
Pride, which is generally a consistent pint and Brain's Reverend James.
Using the ''I'll go for the Pride because they must sell more and
therefore it must be the best option'', option didn't work - the Pride
was poor and cloudy and not waiting to see if it improved I decided to
try the Reverend James which was superbly well kept. Lets hope the Pride
was just a momentary glitch.
Thursday night is still quiz night and seems almost as popular
as it did. When we visited on Friday the pub was loud, busy and buzzing.
On a Saturday the atmosphere was relaxed and not too busy until the Nags
Head closed at 11. Some things never change.
The Castle previously had a problem with direct access to the garden from the bar - this problem has now been solved by the creation of
a doorway at the back of the bar. The garden has a small pagoda -
otherwise known as an umbrella - in the small garden which according to
the manager is ''a bit of a sun trap'', but evidence of this has yet to
be gathered.
The
castle is open from 5-30 till 11 during the week and 5-30 till 1am
weekends.
Oct
2009
Went
to the opening night of the Castle, on 9th July 2009. It was quite
full & it would have been nice if they had supplied a few nibbles,
not a banquet, just some crisps and nuts even, but alas you had to buy
them.
Popped
in again on Sunday lunchtime and only a few tables were occupied, Sky
news was showing with the sound down, (not good), not that we wanted
it turned up, but it is very off putting.
Hopefully,
when they start the food, (about a month we were told), it will
have a little more soul. I hope it works well for them, because they
have put a lot of hard work and effort into it.
Foodie (19th July 2009)
Previous
Ownership
The Castle is sister pub to The Nags Head and is
run in a similar way. The decor remains tasteful despite a rather
striking gold painted Artex wall. The Castle's big attraction for the
local clientele is late opening on Friday and Saturday nights when it
makes the most of being licensed for entertainment. Live music, karaoke,
DJs and even live comedy have been known to take the small stage. There
is a small screen above the bar and a larger pull-down screen in the
lounge which is used mainly for showing music videos(and the occasional
film). They now also boast free broadband internet access for those with
wireless laptops, helping to ease E17 into the 21st century.
The
Castle benefits from the 11 o'clock fallout from the Nags Head
on these late evenings
and is prone to be rather busy. Quiz night (Thursday) excepted, the rest
of the week is quiet. The Castle quiz is hosted by the very
professional Stuart with cash prizes - but beware, it's no breeze.
The Castle is becoming famous for its Sunday carvery which is served
from 12 noon till 6pm. Save yourself the bother of all that cooking and
washing up because, although I haven't tried it myself yet, rumour on
the street is that it's very good and it's certainly popular giving the
Sunday lunchtime trade a buzz. Why not have lunch in The Castle then pop
along to The Nags Head for some jazz?
There is large selection of
draught lager and the three ales on tap are generally in good nick.
There is usually a choice of London Pride, Adnams and a guest ale which
the last time I looked was Black Sheep, a personal favourite.
There is a garden at the rear that is not accessible from the bar which
tends to mean that it's under-used. There are generally benches
outside the front too. All in all The Castle is worth a visit or two,
but beware - when it's quiet it whispers.
Sept 08
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