Duke of Wellington, Hackney  

Once you go beyond the Tesco on Morning Lane in Hackney, you don't have high hopes for anything particularly appealing, which probably helps make The Duke of Wellington all the more of a pleasant surprise. From the exterior it looks well maintained, painted in a relaxing shade of dark green, while the garden off to the side, with it's neat lawn and trio of apple trees, is bettered only by the nearby Chesham Arms. Once inside you'll find a simple but attractive enough pub. There's a functional metal gantried bar, while off to the left is a nice alcove with leather armchairs. Round the corner is a pool table, while the presence of two dart boards and a darts team indicate some local enthusiasm for the game. Service from the girl behind the bar was superb - attentive and friendly - and while we could only find generic lagers on tap, we did spy a rather good array of bottled ales. Our Sunday afternoon found it fairly quiet here, but hopefully it picks up in the evenings; from our first visit, this would appear to be one of the best pubs in Hackney Central and we'll definitely be returning again.

reviewed:
15/06/2008

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

selection of bottled ales

beer garden with covered area for smokers

1 pool table

2 dart boards and board games

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