Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub

I don’t think this pub will be to everyone’s tastes as it’s a bit rough around the edges, but I think it’s quite unique and will probably ride the tidal wave of gentrification that’s hitting Walthamstow quite well.
It’s a large pub, but due to the layout it naturally always feels cosy like you’re in a small village local. They play background music but it’s good and not too loud so it adds to the atmosphere.
The clientele is a complete range, and the prices are cheap for London.
The best thing is how much effort the owners put in to putting on events — the theatre room upstairs hosts theatre, comedy, live bands and anything else they think people will come to. There’s no resident food but sometimes they have various things outside like pizza or falafel.
At the moment it still feels a long way from the typical refurbishment, hike in prices and craft beer, and change into a semi-​gastro pub that affects so many pubs like this, hopefully with whatever Walthamstow brings in the future it can retain the individuality that makes this pub so special.

I’ve known this pub for three years now. As an essential aspect of the Walthamstow community, it hosts a range of pop-​ups, gigs, etc. I’ve been to both the pop-​up Thai restaurant and wood oven pizza, which were fantastic. Unfortunately, the actual pub doesn’t serve food.
The pub staff are always really nice even when they’re busy. The clientele range from older men to hipsters to young professionals to everything in between. It’s a really good place to grab a pint and they even allow four legged friends.
I had a lovely time here last night listening to a blue grass band. There was lots of people there and even some dancing. The atmosphere was great and we really enjoyed ourselves!
Now that I’ve listed all the positives, I do need to talk about the negatives. The pub needs a restoration as it is beginning to look a little worn. For example, the carpets need to be replaced and it could do with a fresh coat of paint. However, the place is pretty clean for a pub! This is pretty minor as the other elements are way more important to a night out.
On the other hand, this is also part of the vibe. Overall it’s a charming aspect of the community that I’m glad is around!

Really pleased I found this gem. An old school pub untouched for what seems an eternity didn’t entirely excite me. But the beer is well prices with a couple of decent she’s each time I’ve been. Music on all the time, and it’s got a really nice atmosphere with old regulars mixing with the trendy young things who’ve moved in nearby. Oh and the pizza tent outside really does top it off… point with fresh pizza always gets a bonus point!!!

This pub has a nice olde look to it and the beer selection was way way more interesting than I anticipated. Lots of new ones for me and I followed the crowd in selecting Buzz Light Beer, the honey-​est flavoured bee-​er I hive ever tasted (haha sigh). It was rather nice.
The icing on the cake? A falafel tent erected outside the pub. You can order there and they will bring the delicious result to you at your table in the pub. Not sure how often that is the case of course, but if its outside I would recommend it.

Went to the opening night of It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman!
Nice fringe theatre based upstairs of a very lovely large pub, a very intimate theatre experience. Very easy to get to from Walthamstow Central Station, about 10 minutes walk. At the back of the pub is a pool table and an area selling clothes. Very relaxing and homely atmosphere.
I love Superman comics and this did not disappoint. So tongue in cheek, lots of humour and a very fun production. Very catchy songs. The flying sequences are innovative. Loved it! A full house too. Highly recommend it if you love Superman! Playing until 22 March 2014.

This is a grim and grimy pub redeemed only by the fact it has an enterprising producing theatre upstairs, and occasional foodie nights like a wood-​fired pizza oven two or three evenings a week and occasional Indian pop-​ups. Otherwise, the clientele is a bit scruffy and the facilities pretty uninspiring. Plus it’s the ‘wrong’ end of Walthamstow: the station/​bus station is a ten-​minute walk, parking is a nightmare on the narrow one-​way side streets and there is nowhere decent to eat nearby.

Fab pub — great beer, nightly entertainment and a friendly vibe. A real community hub & also theatre upstairs with regular productions and gigs. We love this place.

Lovely pub. Great selection of ales, rolling selection of pop-​up street food, nice community vibe and good fringe theatre upstairs.
Reason it doesn’t get 5 stars? The horrible state and smell of the loos and the sometime variable quality of the ales.

Really friendly staff and a good vibe.
I would love to see a little more cozy seating, and a dimmer on the lights!

My favourite pub in Walthamstow!
Not only are the staff warm and welcoming, the actual pub is large but still retains character.
The theatre upstairs brings a welcome culture injection to the area, with musicals, plays and comedy nights which will hopefully appeal to most people in fact tonight I will be going along to see Scott Capurro, and have seen Richard Herring this year too!
there’s also other events such as the Short Film Club, which is always great.
Thursday nights are Kimchi nights and the chicken wings are to die for. And Sunday afternoons from 1pm, Bun gets his roast on and they are actually really good esp for a pub roast!

I like this place and would use it more often if the selection of draft beers was a bit more adventurous. Not necessarily the ales, which I know nothing about, but the lagers etc are all a bit ordinary. No draft Peroni or Staropramen, for example just cooking lager and San Miguel, which isn’t much better. How about Brooklyn or Sierra Nevada? Aspall cyder would be good, too. I’d like to visit more often.

A lovely pub. Lots happening. Theatre, music and community events. Our Residents Association meets there and the pub is always buzzing with life.
Best of all a great range of beers. Not sure they do food. Never asked.

Great little theatre pub with a good range of quirky and inclusive events ! Nice surprise to find.

The best pub in Walthamstow. Once neglected, the new (ish) owners have restored the giant Victorian boozer sympathetically. Great real ale, plus coffee and tea, lunches, wines etc. Plus there’s now a theatre upstairs, with regular comedy nights etc. and downstairs The Red Room holds community meetings, artist shows etc. And at the bar, regular retro and jazz bands add to the ambience.
The true brilliance of The Rose & Crown is that it’s not pushed away the old punters. There’s still plenty of Arsenal fans and hardened boozers, now mixing with artsy types, community activists and trendy «Village» types. It’s a true community hub, that’s friendly and welcoming to all.
It’s definitely a grown-​ups pub — not many people under 30 in here. But that caveat aside, it’s great. Far better than The Castle, Nags Head, Village etc. IMHO. And far more worthy of support.

The Rose and Crown on Hoe street is probably my favourite pub in Walthamstow. The new owners have put a lot of effort in to refurbish and rebrand the place as a theatre-​pub. Tucked away up a tight staircase is a room above the main bar, which they can use for live music, plays or art exhibitions. We went last year to see the excellent musical ‘Nine’ by All Star Productions. They also have a monthly open mic stand up comedy night called ‘Glee 17′ which is surprisingly good although some of the performers look absolutely terrified and I can’t help but feel sorry for them.
So last night there was a new play showing, ‘Benchmarks’ by Whats In a Name Productions. We went along with our new neighbours to check it out. The room was packed so we could only get standing tickets at the back which was a slight pain, but I was delighted to see the pub doing so well and hope that it will convince them to keep putting on shows like this and supporting local small theatre companies. The play itself centred around a park bench paced in centre stage, and told the story of six people whose lives unfolded in front of us as they met around this bench during the course of a day. We had the park keeper worried about keeping his job, a jogger trying to set up her own bistro, a middle aged lady whose marriage was falling apart, a teenage mum, a bag lady and the property developer wondering if he should buy the park to build on. I think the cast did a great job of keeping everyone engaged and I hope they will be back with another show soon!

Beautiful old Pub once shamefully neglected (I once lost a shoe on the sticky carpet), now lovingly restored to reflect its architecture. The good range of food and drinks.
Not actually seen the theatre part, not sure if it’s open yet, but will update when I do.
Hosts the famous McGuffin film quiz every month.