Queen's Arms

As E17 grows in popularity among young home-buyers, we’d expect a few more places like this rather smart corner gastropub to begin appearing. At the moment, it’s a bit of an oasis, with food a good few notches above trad pub grub (home-cured herring with creme fraiche, say, or calf’s liver with polenta and spinach). At the bar, a rotating array of real ales and a good wine list (with carafes perfect for a gentle weeknight meal) keep drinkers happy. It welcomes kids at certain times - they’d be mad not to, around here - which means it’s not always the place for a contemplative pint, but there are other pubs around Walthamstow for that. We like the Queen’s Arms: it’s just the right balance between posh and prosaic.