Old Ship Inn

Good food, a little pricey but nice atmosphere.

Having lived in Hackney for over 4 years, I’ve cycled by this pub numerous times, but had never been inside. However, after watching the Hackney Carnival parade, my friends suggested getting a pint, and the Old Ship Inn was the closest pub.
I’m so glad it was! I love this place. the atmosphere was completely unexpected. After walking through a long hallway from Mare Street (the main entrance is on a little pathway running parallel to Mare St), I ended up in a cool, cozy pub with interesting art, taxidermy and other things on the walls.
I didn’t try the food (the burgers looked good), but I did have a delicious Bloody Maria, plus they had a lot of different types of beers and cider on tap. My favourite part though was the Boilermaker special… a beer and whiskey shot for £6.I felt like I was hanging out in Williamsburg!
On top of it all, the bar staff were friendly and it’s convenient to get to. I’ll definitely go back.

We ate here on Saturday whilst watching the rugby, quiet pub, good food reasonably priced. Had burger and chips for under £10, was yummy. Beer seemed good. Understand it is being sold this week so will be under new management, hope it stays relatively hipster free, is a good spot for pre/​post Hackney Empire theatre.

On a late Sunday afternoon the place was empty. Almost. Think 4 other customers who left while I was drinking. And then nobody. We were alone. At least there was semi decent music to the deafening silence. Or maybe I should say the awkward stares from the staff. Me and my boy do have a habit of talking about inappropriate things in public. Hitler. Fields of rape (seed oil — not the other kind). Sleep rage. It’s all good.
What wasn’t good was £10.15p for a pint and a double gin. Gordens gin at that. And I asked for lots of fresh limes and got given a single lemon. After talking at some length about my addiction to gin with many limes. Listen to me barmaid please, it’s not like you had anything else to do.
Way too expensive for the location. It’s priced itself out of the game. This is Mare Street, not Broadway Market. I like the décor, but it’s more fitting for Shoreditch or maybe Angel, where people want to sit in a plush bar and pay muchly for the privilege.
On a more positive note I do want to go back and snack on their British Tapas. It sounds interesting. Will update once I get the chance to do so.

We tried phoning to reserve a table but no one ever answered the phone. I was passing by so popped in to check it out and reserved a table for the next day. The next day I wanted to increase my party by two people, tried to phone… No one answered. I emailed them as well. No reply.
So… We turned up and had no problem being accommodated. The staff were friendly and helpful. Although they didn’t seem too concerned about my complaint that no one ever answers the phone.
However, once the food came it was absolutely fantastic. If you have any friends who repeat the lie that English food is awful just take them here. The starter of smoked duck with beetroot, watercress and shallots was amazing. Despite the beef being a bit stringy, the Sunday roast was THE best that I have ever had. The desert of red wine braised pear and almond tart with clotted cream excellent too.
The starters and desserts are around £4.50 to £6.50 and the Sunday roast was less than £10. Other main courses are mostly around the £12 mark.

This pub used to have character (including a free buffet on Sundays!) but since the takeover and refit by Urban Inns it’s now just another bland gastropub. Fine if you like that kind of thing but not worth making the trip for.

I think once upon a time this was traditional and a bit grim, but it’s recently been redecorated by a small chain called ‘Urban Inns’. There’s also a few rooms upstairs so it’s probably a good place to put visiting parents if you’re Hackney based.
Anyway the pub is lovely with a big food menu and lots of cocktails. The pies are tasty but the best thing I’ve tried is the roasts. The idea is that if there are 2 or more of you, you can get a big wooden platter with all your meats and as many veg /​yorkies as you want and all help yourself. It adds an extra element of fun to stuffing meat in your mouth.
Extra bonus is their cocktails are 2 4 1 Thurs, Sat & Sun nights!

I used to LOVE coming here, untill the recent refurbishment. It used to be this ultra great place with a massive amount of space, huge sofas and wooden floors. Now it seems to have bought itself into the Hackney Bling, and sold itself for something its not. Im still not sure if it lies on the lines of Hackney Bling, or Islington Yuppie, but whatever it does its slightly too intense for what I want on Mare street. Think hip bold music, meets diamonds, chandeliers, and bad lighting. I feel a bit sorry for them, but obviously their doing well as it is alot more busier than it once was. I went here last for a slightly drunken tuesday night, and the place was rammed. Check it out and convince me otherwise.

The Old Ship is a classy joint in a rather shabby area. The owners recently refurbished the interior along with the drinks and food menus to give a bright, funky and modern feel. The new food menu is a big improvement — nothing revolutionary but the quality of the bar food classics (think scampi, burgers, etc.) has markedly improved. The pints are still, well, pints, and thankfully, the comfy old leather couches have not been discarded. If you are looking for somewhere cheap (ish) to stay, the Old Ship has decently-​sized double rooms upstairs for around £100.

Located in the heart of Hackney Central, The Old Ship is unlike most of the bars in the area. If you blink you will miss this pub, but once you are inside you notice that it is sticks out like a sore thumb on Mare St.
After having a make-​over, the Old Ship is now a trendy bar in a not so trendy strip.
The hip kind of dance music that was playing quite loud just didn’t do it for me. It is definitely not my kind of place, but if you are after something a little more up market that the other pubs around, you should give it a visit.
The beer is good and there is a decent selection of wines. The food menu looks quite impressive, and I have heard that the burgers are really good.

Because this pub is just around the corner from my brother’s I have been here a couple of times, and I must say I am quite impressed. It has just recently been refurbished, and the interior is now quite swanky. There is also a big TV which shows sports. The staff are friendly, which gives the place a good feel, and it serves some nice drinks, reasonably priced. A good place to have as your local, I am going to go back to try the Sunday lunch.