The Reliance

I’ve been here quite a few times. I think it must be less trendy than it was and it’s definitely less packed. On a Saturday night we got a table upstairs. Where it was relaxed and comfortable and very pubby indeed, perfect for a quiet night out with friends with beards.
They have quite a good range of beers, though the pint of Yakima Red was definitely nothing like the best I’ve had. I switched to one of their Czech lagers and was happy. I think maybe I’d agree with some of the other reviewers that some of their staff could do with a friendliness transplant.

Stopped by on a Sunday night to grab a couple of beers and loved the dive English bar atmosphere! Tons of great local beers on tap and the service was greet, if you’re looking for a nice relaxing bar with good selection go here!

Nice pub with good vibes. Doesn’t get too busy during the week but obviously a popular choice on the weekends. Not the cheapest but they have a wicked selection of beers and do their cocktails well.

Nice pub, have been here a few times and always enjoyed it. Still a good atmosphere but good luck getting served if you’re a lady! First round I was completely ignored by one of the girls serving, and the manager had to ask her to serve me. Second time she’s ‘waitin for a guy to pick up his drinks. She couldn’t possibly pour my drinks while she’s waiting. He comes back, pays and takes his drinks. In the meantime she’s swanned off to eat her sandwich! Seriously!!! She knew I was waiting! A couple of bites and a swig of her drink later she’s ready to serve me. Hallelujah!!!

Cozy and civilized. Ideal for chit chat over a pint or kicking back after a long day.
As I understand it the Reliance is a favorite watering hole for creative and media types. It is, after all, located in the heart of Shoreditch.
The place is never too crowded so as to make the bar unapproachable; the music is set to a sane volume so conversations can still be had.
Really chill place over all.

The Sunday roast here is fantastic; the beef tender, the potatoes roasted perfectly with a crispy outside, the Yorkshire pastry crunchy on the outside. Tasty turnips carrots and cabbage round it all out. Good draught beer selection. Proper proper proper!

Oh Reliance! I’m not quite sure what to think of you. When we first met several years ago, I was a little disappointed that you were a relatively bland pub in Shoreditch with mediocre food. Now though, with all the terrible dance bars in the area, catering for the weekend stag and hen parties, you almost feel like a place of sanctuary. I even appreciate you have improved your beer offering with Meantime’s London Pale Ale. I like you now, but you really could do better, maybe by adding some craftier beer. I think we can be friends — I might even go as far as trying your food again, but you’ve still got a long way to go if we’re going to hang out on a regular basis.

Argh, had quite a night here. Says a lot about the pub that none of my property went missing, including the wallet I left on the bar for another half an hour — that’s the last time I take my chances like that though!
Presently surprised by the prices, slightly cheaper if anything than my locals in Bethnal Green. Staff were also really nice and getting served was not too bad even on a packed Friday. It’s really nice when it’s a bit quieter though, very cosy.

This was the first pub for us on this particular Saturday night pub crawl… friends of ours had started a few hours earlier and were pressing on to the next one. Looking back it was the nicest pub throughout the evening. It has a great atmosphere and the prices are not cheap but also not overpriced. They have an upstairs area where you can push a couple of tables together for bigger groups. I rather liked it and would have stayed longer, as it was a nice pub just to hang out and have a chat.

Decent enough boozer for the Shoreditch crowd. Nice ambience, nice service, good ale, pretty average pub grub — kind of greasy but at least made from actual potato chips.
London Pride and a couple of guest ales on tap. Fairly solid.
Probably one of the best pubs in Shoreditch.
So why only 3 stars?
Well, the 4^th star is coveted in me-​land. And the pubs around here are, to be honest, rubbish.
The crowd is generally pretty decent — this is a standard boozer in a substandard area…

A mediocre free house in Hoxton. There are three casks, none of which were particularly interesting, although I did find something new to me. There is a decent range of keg beers, with two Czech lagers that I’ve never seen in London. Decent bottle selection as well with some nice Belgian offerings. Prices about average or slightly above. The ambiance is stripped-​down pub. There’s an upstairs but I didn’t check it out; what’s up there, brother? A pretty young crowd during my visit on a Friday evening. Nothing special, although it is right across the street from City Beverage Company, so you could pop in here quickly to see what’s on cask.

Came here with work colleagues after our Xmas lunch. The place was fairly empty as we rocked up around 3pm but as the night wore on the place became more busy. It was decked out with nice Xmas decorations and had a cozy vibe. The bartender was nice but not the most attentive. I’ll definitely come back here since it’s close to the office.

We were staying at the Hoxton Hotel so I am unfamiliar with other pubs in the area.
We had a decent meal here of the steak, Mediterranean platter, goat cheese tart, small glass of wine, and 2 pints for £44. The food arrived quickly and the portions were large. The service was friendly and quick. Their credit card machine wasn’t working though so we had to pay cash.

I dont go for the atmosphere. I go for the food. It has been consistently good every time.
I’ve had burgers, crab cakes and roasts there and I’ve always been pleased with what I’ve been served. It also offers a nut roast on Sundays, which was given a major thumbs up from my veggie friend.
It’s not terribly busy around lunchtime, which means you can actually hear your luncheon partner (s) and have quick service in a popular area.

I have only been to this pub during the day at the weekend, so I am not sure what it gets like when it is busier. I’m going to need to come back to figure that out at some point.
During the day it is a very chilled, laid back pub with music to match. It’s a good place to spend a lazy afternoon with some friends enjoying the drinks on offer (they have ales, lagers, cocktails. pretty much any poison you might desire).

So the beer swilling lads I was with informed me they serve a decent Czech lager, Belgian beer offering three hand pumps of varying quality.
As a lady, my priority is obviously the toilets. Despite having a more pubby vibe than many other drinking establishments in the area, you should prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the loos.
The cubicles have a kind of sideways stable door, creating a rustic, bucolic nostalgia.
Inside the cubicles, these are the first toilets on this blog that have TURN CLOCKWISE FOR ROLL bog roll dispensers. Thanks for handy info. Aside from the clog-​like dispenser the cubicles provide ample space to emerge dramatically from the stable doors unscathed, yeeha!

The Reliance is a very good Shoreditch pub, famed for its quiz nights and serving just about the best Bloody Mary’s in E2. The kind of place you almost forget about as a local, being not nearly as hyped as some other very mediocre pubs in Shoreditch, The Reliance has a wealth of seating, friendly staff, and is more relaxed than many of its contemporaries.
Try to nab a seat upstairs if you’re in a group and ask the staff about the quizzes. Yes, you get some young upstarts that treat it like a blood sport — broadsheets at the ready and all — but it’s damn good fun and I can’t say I’ve found anywhere else in Shoreditch with a jolly good pub quiz. If you like your pubs traditional with an East London twist, head to the Reliance.

The Reliance is one of the better pubs in Old Street. There is generally a bit of a buzz to the place and the bar staff are usually up for a bit of banter. Last time I was there my my friends and I headed straight upstairs and it was really nice and quite unusual that we all managed to get seats together on a Friday night. For once in Old Street we weren’t forced to stand awkwardly or get budged by people walking past.
Although the menu has gone a bit gastro and the beer can be very expensive I still think of The Reliance as a proper pub’s pub. The jukebox says it all and you’re far more likely to hear Oasis and Girls Aloud than any electro/​emo/​trendy mix. I like to come here when I’m trying to avoid the usual Shoreditch crowd. Although there’s still plenty of scenesters, I don’t feel like I’m out of place or that my haircut is just too damn symmetrical to fit in.

Fab pub on Old Street, that retains the cosy atmosphere of a local, and is comparably unpretentious.
They serve a good range of beers, prices are Shoreditch standard so expect to be paying out as much as £4 for a pint. They also have a great food menu, and are famed for their yummy Sunday roasts.
I really like the upstairs of this pub, it’s littered with many tables so is perfect if you’re there with a group of people and manage to nab one. Reliance is particularly nice on a winters evening, come, grab a comfy seat and warm up. I imagine it would be great in here around Christmas, and is a Sunday favourite of mine.

This pub is ok, I’m not crazy about it. What is good about it, is that it has loads of space, so it’s perfect for going with a big group. I like the upstairs part, it’s a vast space for a pub and it has a bar as well so you don’t have to go up and down, spilling your booze. Also the selection of beers is not too shabby. The people you will find here are young creative types, but not the super trendy. One thing though is that it’s a bit pricy, I paid £4 for a Belgian beer! I’ve learned to ask before I order my drink after this. It seems unpretentious but the bar staff can be slightly rude. I suggest if you need a meeting point before a night out in Shoreditch this place works.