We all have a soft spot for the stunning Grade II-listed landmark building on Leyton High Road that has been dormant for a couple of years.
Opened in 1896, its Italianate style is distinct in the whole area, its original design, by John Johnson, the winning result of a Victorian competition for which there were 30 entries.
Upstairs is the Great Hall, but most residents – if you’re not old enough to remember its role as local seat of government pre-1965 – will remember its previous incarnation as the Leyton Technical, which opened in the wake of the Olympics in 2012 before closing post-Covid.
It’s been taken over by Remarkable Pubs, the group who run London’s boozers including The Shakespeare in Stoke Newington and Prince George in Dalston, as well as revived watering holes in our wider part of East London, such as Forest Gate’s Holly Tree (reviewed here) and the mighty Boleyn Tavern in East Ham (which we marvelled at recently here).
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The other day we met up with Remarkable’s Jake, who gave us a work-in-progress tour of the interior. “We really want to give our pub and respect the building’s history as the old town hall,” he says. “And we’re lucky enough to have a long enough lease for us to be able to spend the necessary money.”
What was the old Town Hall reception – and most recently a bar area – will be scrubbed up, with its original Victorian mosaic flooring restored, and vintage chandeliers installed. High seating will allow an easy entry point into the venue for those who just want to grab a drink.
There has also been a rethink of certain areas, such as new toilets upstairs at ground level, an open kitchen looking out onto what was (and will be) the main dining area, as well as newly constructed booths and snugs, and low seating to allow punters good views from its majestic late 19th century windows.
There will, he says, be a tribute to Leyton-born tube map designer Harry Beck, too – but you’ll have to wait until it opens to see exactly what.
The furthest room will be a games room, while the space nearest the outdoor terrace (also to be refurbed) will have a “conservatory vibe,” with greenery and houseplants aplenty. Meanwhile a jukebox will be installed in the main bar area, too, as in their other pubs, and the upright piano that was in the entrance hall will be replaced with a newer model.
As with the Holly Tree and some of their other pubs, there’ll likely be an Adults Only area too; as for the food menu, it’ll be similar to its East London siblings.
Excited? Watch this space when it opens in time for summer, so expect an early July kick off – just in time to celebrate the results of you-know-what.
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Leyton Engineer opens mid/late July on Leyton High Road E10. Follow @theleytonengineer
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