The Spurstowe Arms Hackney London bar interior

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The Spurstowe Arms

A Victorian Dalston corner pub with a large garden and a celebrated Dough Hands pizza residency.

★ 4.4 $$ Hackney, London Garden afternoons, pizza, Sunday pints, neighbourhood drinks

Published February 11, 2026 · Last reviewed May 5, 2026 · by the barsforKings editorial team

The Pitch

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.

At a Glance

Address68 Greenwood Road, Hackney, London E8 1AB

NeighbourhoodHackney, London

Nearest transitDalston Junction and Dalston Kingsland (Overground), about 6 minutes; Hackney Central nearby

Price Range$$

Drinks specialtyCask and craft beer, wine, wood fired pizza in the garden

ReservationsNo bookings; arrive early on weekends for the garden

HoursOpen daily into the evening; busiest Friday to Sunday. Check ahead for kitchen times

Best forGarden afternoons, pizza, Sunday pints, neighbourhood drinks

Plan Your Visit

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.

Get Directions Ask Our Team

68 Greenwood Road, Hackney, London E8 1AB

The Room

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 Drinks

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

Dough Hands pizza

The headline. The pizza residency is what turned a good local into a destination. Order one to the garden.

Cask pint

A proper pint of cask ale is the right match for the room and the food. The default order.

Rotating craft beer

The bar keeps a changing craft selection alongside the cask. Ask what is fresh on.

A glass of wine in the garden

The short wine list does the job on a sunny afternoon. Take it outside.

The Crowd and Vibe

The Spurstowe runs as a neighbourhood pub on weeknights and a packed garden destination on weekends. Saturday and Sunday afternoons bring Hackney's creative crowd in numbers, and the no bookings policy means the garden goes early.

Reviews praise the food and the atmosphere, with the occasional note on service consistency when it is slammed. Go early, claim a table, and let the afternoon run long.

What Regulars Say

Get down early on a sunny weekend. The garden fills fast and the pub no longer takes bookings.
Order the Dough Hands pizza. Locals and reviewers agree it is the reason the pub became a destination.
Treat it as a long Sunday afternoon spot rather than a quick pint. The garden rewards lingering.

Who It Is For

Garden afternoons

One of the best beer gardens in E8 for a long, sunny session.

Pizza and a pint

The Dough Hands residency makes it a proper food and drink destination.

Skip if you need a table booked

No reservations means weekends are first come, first served. Plan around it.

More across the city in our best bars in Hackney guide and our best bars in London roundup. Searching nearby? Try gastropubs near me, or browse the full London Bar Guide and every Pubs in London.

Inside the Bar

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Sources
The Infatuation (The Spurstowe Arms, Hackney); Time Out London listing; Spotted by Locals (Spurstowe Arms pizza); Yelp and Tripadvisor reviews (Greenwood Road).

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Photos via Google Places. London Pub Map · ZG PRODUCTIONS · Sophie Bruxner-Randall · Michael Woodside · REG