The Perseverance

It’s a bit of a ‘traditional’ boozer that hasn’t been updated in a while, and I don’t really mind that. However, the staff are absolutely useless. Genuinely took me 25 minutes to get a single pint.
Shitty pub with absolutely nothing going for it. Avoid like the plague. Go to the Sebright instead.

Listen, it is what it is.
My Granddad gave me one piece of advice, and that was to never drink in a pub with a flat roof. If you’re British, you’ll get it.
What I mean is that there are few places where you can watch 3pm kick-​offs, have a decent-​priced pint of Guinness and generally enjoy a pretty laid-​back afternoon with a few darts thrown in. Not thrown in at us — at the board. The Persy is one of these.
Don’t come here expecting to be wowed. Come here if you’re into what it is — unpretentious, welcoming and a good place for sport.

Cute and cozy! I’m new to London and this is one of the first pubs I’ve been to, so I don’t have much to compare it to. A little bit overpriced though.

The only good thing I have to say about this place is the owners were being perfectly candid when they dubbed their poky little hole «Perseverance». It was only with great Perseverance, that we actually managed to endure it for more than 15 minutes (actually only because there was a huge fight on, that had already started, and there were no other venues to watch nearby…).
Firstly they only finally got the fight on the telly in round 6 (halfway through!), and even then they couldn’t manage to figure out how to change the channel on the big screen TV outside, where we had been reserving front row seats for (although we weren’t that perturbed, as only half of their free standing heaters were actually functioning). Surely the could have persevered a little, and figured out how to change the channel outside? Hell, I bet I could’ve done it for them if they’d just allowed me to (I did consider asking to take control of their AV systems for about 30 seconds actually). Who doesn’t know how to work the channels in their own pub? Had all the staff had a little too much to drink already?
After persevering relentlessly to try and order food (well, the definition of food comes into question… lets just call it sustenance), they eventually realised I had perseverance in truckloads, and hence promptly labelled me a riotous trouble maker. Food was finished now, whereas the previous 2 occasions I had asked, they said they were too busy and I should come back later. After finding a new spot to nestle in and watch the fight, we thought all was not lost.
5 minutes later they came and forced us to move so they could open the door behind us to bathe our newly found nest in frigid Arctic air from outside… nice…apparently the health and safety regulators were in the area, and were on a warpath raping, pillaging and generally tormenting nearby night spots. They had to put their defences up…(Does anyone actually know any rule about a requirement for at least one door fully open in a full pub??? Yeah, I thought not… must just be because of the label I had been giving as an anti establishment extremist for politely requesting sustenance on a cold, rainy wintery night at a venue that supposedly specialises in said sustenance).
Well, we refused to give them our money after this, and spent the rest of the fight dry, a small protest… We did not have the perseverance to continue the battle afterwards, and promptly left.

WORST. PUB. EVER.
1. Do not advertise food at your pub if you don’t have any.
My friend Mike asked for a pasty on three different occasions. The first time he was told that the bar was too busy and that he should come back later. Because you know, apparently throwing a frozen pasty in the microwave is a very time consuming process. BTW, if you’re too busy at the bar, you might not want to sneak on to the beer garden for a smoking break. If you have time to smoke, you have time to push a button on a microwave. He was blown off a second time until they finally just told him that they had no food.
2. Do bother to actually buy the match. Because you know, your de-​scrambler might be on the fritz.
When we first arrived we were told that the match would be showing in the pub garden. So we made our way out, found a really good spot and waited for the match to begin over a pint and Al-​Jazzera sports. (Yea. Exactly) 20 mintues later, I overhear that the third round has started. We investigate and find out that the pub is working to get the match on. A few seconds pass and a message flashes on the telly «channel cannot be descrambled». Translation: Our de-​scrambler isn’t working properly which is why you’re watching Arabic sports. I suppose actually buying the match for the night would have been too logical. Luckily it was working inside.
3. It is illogical to allow punters to play pool and darts during a major match especially when the board and table are directly in front of the telly.
The pool players had the common sense to stop the game but I’m not even sure why they were given the equipment to begin with. And who decides to start playing darts during a boxing match. Especially when you see a group of people standing in the same area watching the event? I even found a seat and was very annoyed when I had to move.
4. Health and Safety requires that you keeps a clear path to the exit. Not that you keep the door open on a wet and rainy night!
So after I moved to allow the aforementioned dart enthusiasts to play their game, the pub owners son decided that he needed to prop open the door behind me and that I had to move my seat. I had no problem moving my seat. But to tell me that I had to endure that blast of cold air because of health and safety is disingenuous. Luckily we were able to nuzzle our way between the dart players, the pool table and the gust of cold air. Interestingly enough the front door, also known as a second means of egress, wasn’t propped open. We’re convinced they did it to annoy us.
Suffice to say I will NEVER go back to this place.

So my friend and I were staggering home from The Dove last week, and decided to pop into The Perseverance for a cheeky pint on the way home. Granted, I’d probably had enough ale for one night but nevertheless I pressed on. And I rather enjoyed myself.
The Perseverance is a gritty East London boozer, with all the simple trimmings required for a pub: tables, chairs, TV screens for the boys to wath the football, and beer. Oh and I can’t forget the local folk.
Unpretentious, warm and simple: the classic combination for a traditional London pub.

I actually find this pub to be a breath of fresh air from the pretentiousness of Broadway market. Located just over the canal from the main strip, it has a completely different feel to the rest of Broadway Market. It is a down to earth, working class pub with an honesty that gives it real character.
I went for the first time on Sunday to watch the football match with some friends. They told me they had found the ideal place to watch the match, and they were right. We had a big screen T.V. all to ourselves in the covered beer garden out the back. Although it’s the middle of winter, we were kept warm by pay-​as-​you-​go heaters, a novel idea if you ask me and well worth the small amount of loose change spent to keep warm. Plus, it isn’t often you get to smoke somewhere warm these days.
The pub does not have a food menu, but I don’t see that as a problem. After all, there are a huge amount of restaurants within walking distance. What I recommend is buying a pint, some crisps and/​or nuts and sitting down to watch the football, or engaging in a real pub sport like darts or pool.
If you are feeling like embracing a bit of modest pub culture with all its trimmings, then you should go to the Perseverance. The décor is tacky and the carpet could do with being replaced, but what fun would that be? The locals are friendly and help to give the place its charm.