A Victorian Dalston corner pub with a large garden and a celebrated Dough Hands pizza residency.
The Spurstowe Arms sits on a quiet corner of Greenwood Road, tucked between Dalston and Hackney Central. Built in 1862, it has served this stretch of east London for more than 160 years and takes its name from William Spurstowe, a 17th century vicar of Hackney. The pub draws Hackney's well dressed young creatives, and on a sunny weekend its garden is one of the busiest in E8.
The current draw is the kitchen. The Spurstowe runs a residency with Dough Hands, one of London's most talked about pizza makers, and that pairing of a proper neighbourhood boozer with serious pizza is what tipped it from local to destination. The Infatuation files it among Hackney's go to pubs. It no longer takes bookings, so timing is everything.
The Spurstowe Arms sits on a quiet corner of Greenwood Road between Dalston and Hackney Central. No bookings, so get down early on a sunny weekend.
Inside it reads as a classic Victorian corner pub, warm and worn in the right way, with room to stand and drink. The real prize is the expansive beer garden out back, which fills fast the moment the sun appears.
The crowd skews creative and put together, and weekends bring a steady, social hum rather than a rowdy one. Get there early if the garden is the goal.
The bar covers the bases a good east London pub should. Cask ale, a rotating craft selection, and a short, drinkable wine list carry the drinking, and the Dough Hands kitchen handles the eating. Spotted by Locals singles out the pizza as the reason to make the trip.
Pricing is fair for a pint, with the food sitting a notch higher. Order a pizza to the garden table, pair it with a cask pint or a glass of something cold, and settle in. This is a session pub, not a cocktail stop.
What to order
- 01
Dough Hands pizza
- 02
Cask pint
- 03
Rotating craft beer
- 04
A glass of wine in the garden
