The Duke of Wellington

Always looking for a great pub for Sunday lunch, especially a roast. A friend on Facebook posted about a The Duke Of Wellington pub and how delish their Sunday roast was. Although we live closeby, we’ve never checked this pub put because we thought food wise, it was only the Italian meatball subs on offer. Today we went late-​ish for 3pm and got seated at the bar. The pub was busy and the empty tables had reserved signs on them and the back room had a private function on so we were lucky to get a couple of bar stools. The staff were really friendly and quickly attentive. We ordered the lamb and rare beef roast and to drink just a sparkling water and a half pint of Guinness. The Guinness tasted good but it should have sat a but before bringing over. The bar girl saw our doggie and offered water straight away which was really sweet. All the staff seem really happy to work there which added to the good vibe. They were playing Lou Reed and despite normally liking a more quiet pub, it added to the ambience and it wasn’t so loud that you couldn’t carry on a conversation. Now, onto the roasts… Definitely generous portions and one of the best I’ve had. Served quite quick and hot plates with lots of meat, veg and 4 roast potatoes each. My lamb was so tender and the hubby’s beef is served rare (which he’s not keen on but he doesn’t like to send food back– he thought rare meant a special breed of beef!) I have up be honest with the critique and the potatoes were on the overbooked burnt side and I wish the gravy came separate as it was already poured over the food. They forgot my mint sauce so I asked for some and they happily obliged and brought home made yummy vinegary mint sauce. Overall really enjoyed the food and feel properly stuffed. Will be back again for sure!!!

This is where one quiet Sunday drink turned into several lost hours of boozing. Why? Because we just couldn’t leave this pub.
On a rare sunny day, the big windows just fill this place with light. It was quiet enough when we arrived, people eating Sunday roasts and chilling. By 6pm, it was rammed with people chattering and drinking.
The highlights for me at this bar are obviously the food and drink. The Duke stocks all local bottled beers, which makes it very cool. I didn’t even know we had that many local breweries.
And the food: damn, those roasts, pies and fish going by us every minute made me ravenous. Huge Yorkshire puds and roast potatoes looked amazing. We grabbed a cheese plate and dove in.
In keeping with the pop up vibe of London these days, Capish, a street food company, serves Italian/​American meatballs and sliders during Monday — Saturday. WOW. I am coming back for this too. Especially as they had gelato from Gelupo on the menu too.

Went here solely on the qype recommendation and was not disappointed. Far enough away from the station not to be over-​run, but close enough to have a nice buzz of activity. The food was yummy and well presented. £6 starter, £11 mains, not too bad for the quality and quantity. Would go again should I ever find myself in the area again.

Great pub for the Dalston area, mainly because it hasn’t been over run with hipsters and too coool for school bar staff. Music is always good, the food (especially the chips) is really good (all locally sourced and good quality). They have a back room where you can sit on a nice couch and play many of the games that they provide. Good outdoor area too.
They also do movie nights and dinner nights.
It gets pretty busy at the weekends and has a late licence too.
The fact that I can jump from my window and land on one of the benches outside is a great bonus!

Real ales, good cider and Trivial Pursuit. This is my kind of pub.

There seems to be some sort of magical effect in operation at The Duke of Wellington: Whenever a seat is opened up, whether at a table or at the bar, it is instantly filled, and yet one never can tell from whence the people come — the place never seems to be crowded, and no one ever seems to be waiting for a chair. It’s almost as if the punters are a liquid, flowing in at the same rate as they flow out, always finding their own level.
That said, I found The Duke of Wellington to be pleasant but entirely unexceptional. The interior décor is minimalist to the point of nonexistence; the exterior is unremarkable, and there is nothing to recommend a visit to its Dalston location.

I go past this pub on a regular basis on the way home (the No. 38 bus just before you reach Dalston Junction as you head towards Hackney). I have been meaning to check it out for sometime, which I finally got to do tonight. Wow. What a pleasant surprise. The pub is divided into three sections: a front traditional bar (the bar being in the center of the room so there are tables on all sides); a larger room at the back with comfortable sofas, with a large TV for sport or movie nights; a few tables on a relatively quiet street outside (the pub itself being on a corner). The patrons are clearly locals; as one of the other reviewers said, either new arrivals to the area or locals who have been coming here for years. When we were there (on a Wednesday between Christmas and New Year) the place was relatively busy, but not too crowded, but there is a sense that it could get much busier later in the week. There is a large fireplace at the back of the front bar with tables nearby: perfect for these long winter evenings. As you would suspect there is a good selection of beers and other alcohols available; all at reasonable prices. The menu looks really good, and I am looking forward to eating here on my next visit.
I realize that sadly I live on the outer edges of Unilocalverse here in London. This is a knock-​out pub, but sadly too far out for most Unilocalers to have apparently seen (the only two reviews are from 2008 — presumably by scouts when Unilocal first arrived in London). An easy four-​stars from me.

The Wellington has always looked extremely attractive from the outside when I drove by on the bus on my way home, and I am glad I finally ventured out to check it out from the inside. And I must say: it’s not just a pretty face, but possesses inner beauty as well, if you know what I mean.
This is the ideal pub in my mind: a friendly and happy atmosphere, good drinks and some food at very reasonable prices, great staff, interesting mix of people, nice décor, lots of cozy corners to hide in — and they even have a fire place! Also: they make excellent fries, and those who know me will be aware that this is an absolute must on my list for what makes a good pub.
In sum: I couldn’t ask for more in a pub. This is the perfect place to spend an evening sipping wine or beer (or, indeed, have one of their excellent GTs), chatting with friends (or with a date) and just relaxing and having fun.
If you need more entertainment than that, they also have a large room in the back that is used for film screenings and other activities — check their website for more info.

We were in Dalston just to check out some pubs as a friend moved there recently so we were just out drinking and not eating.
First off, the bar staff were friendly.
The vibe is laid back, cozy and not pretentious. They had some good indie tunes playing but not too loud.
The crowd was laid back and the people at the table near us who were eating seemed to chow their food down, so I’m guessing it was pretty tasty.
Will definitely head back.

Nice local with a laid back vibe, good range of beers and wines and some great food. Often show cricket on a big screen in the back room, which not enough pubs do! On the pricier side for food and wine but not unusually so for a London pub. Would recommend for a relaxed Sunday lunch!

Definitely my chosen local pub. From real ales to very good food and wine. Not too busy, not too trendy and with a good service. I have tried the burger and the Sunday roast which I recommend, specially the burger. They also got a space for functions, which sometimes is used to screen films and football matches. What else could you want from your local?

Really excellent locals pub. Although this pub is located on the main road, the longest side of the pub (and the outside area) is on a residential street, which I found gives the place a unique feel.
First time I cam here there was a beer festival, which included an excellent chocolate orange stout, but even when I came back when there was no special occasion the pub looked to have about 8 different ales available and none of the predictable choices.
The pub also does a great job with sport. They have a separate room with a big screen, so you can watch it or completely avoid it (we can all stand the odd cheer I’m sure). I like this as I love my sport but have a lot of friends who would rather die a slow death than watch football or cricket, so I like both options.
Haven’t tried the food, but it looks reasonable.

nice boozer, staff are friendly and the people that go are your more local regular types, nice décor. Downside two drinks; glass of house white and a beer came to over a tenner! so if you are low on cash I would try the bar below the vortex, decent prices and good music/​atmospher.

This pub has been taken over by new owners and was given a full refurbishment in March 2009. They now stock a wide range of real ales ad have added a cinema club to their range of events.

The Wellington is a great pub that is just on the border of Hackney and Islington. Now that winter is definately here and teh days seems to be getting darker earlier and earlier– the Wellington is the perfect cosy place to sit with a pint or glass of wine. A few years ago it used to be a proper old man’s pub but since the makeover there is a mixture of locals and first timers who have moved to Dalston. The staff are friendly and it nice to see them chatting away to the regulars.
I have been here a few times in the summer and it’s great to sit outside knowing that it will not be crammed with like minded drinkers. I first discovered The Wellington after enjoying an early dinner at the large nearby noodle bar but now I head straight there if I’m in the area.

On Sunday I meet a few friends in Hackney for a drink at the Wellington. I had not checked out this pub before but really enjoyed it. The pub feels part of the neighbourhood and I noticed people taking advantage of the comfy chairs and reading the paper while sipping a pint. The pub is not overbearing and has a low key vibe that I really enjoyed. There is outdoor seating and despite the chill people were taking advantage of that space as well.
As far as pubs go, this was a great place to grab a drink and chat with friends. The prices were great and the drinks flowing. I’m not sure if they offer pub grub, I was happy with a few drinks, especially since, as we sat chatting there was talk about turning our get together into a pub crawl. To be honest, I had to nix that idea because after a few minutes in this comfy friendly pub, I was perfectly happy enjoying the Wellington for the evening!

A gem of a pub. Situated just a short walk from Dalston, on the busy Ball’s Pond Road, The Wellington is possibly one of the nicest pubs I’ve been to. Some nights it has sport, but has another room without the tv, so that those who aren’t interested don’t have to put up with the men screaming! Drinks are reasonably priced, and the staff friendly and efficient. With traditional beers on pump, and a good wine list, they’ve recently added some cocktails to the drinks menu too, which has certainly appealed to the female drinkers. Food isn’t bad at all, although the Sunday Roast could be maybe a little better. The desserts and tapas /​sharing platters are lovely. With comfy sofas, nice atmosphere, and an old-​fashioned feel, this is a lovely place to whittle away an evening or, indeed, a whole weekend!