Palm Tree

Lovely old pub, but sadly very expensive (£12.80 for two pints of cask ale and a vodka and diet coke: West End prices in Mile End) and my friend (who had just bought a pint) was refused a glass of tap water and had to fork out for a bottle.

Contrary to other reviews I had a brilliant birthday celebration at this unique pub. The landlord and landlady (Valerie) couldn't have been more helpful or welcoming. Fab wallpapers, great band, lovely atmosphere. A real treasure of an East End pub. Loved it.

If I could give this a star rating of zero I would. The landlord is deeply rude and unbearable. I have given this pub so many second chances thinking I had just caught him on a bad night. The tap water thing really irritated me the first time I went there, when, whilst purchasing a round of drinks over £20, he refused to serve me one glass tap water and instead directed me to the rather unpleasant and not particularly clean sink in the toilets. We had brought over 15 people to his pub that night. The second time, whilst still a student, he told us to "go back to where we came from" after a minor disagreement. It is disappointing to read about the homophobia experienced by others but I can absolutely imagine it. AVOID THIS PUB.

After paying £8 for 2 pints of Fosters tonight, I was refused a glass of tap water - they are charging £1 'service charge' (their words) if you want to drink water. Pretty sure that's illegal (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/opensecrets/2010/03/departments_differ_on_free_tap_water.html) but 2 male locals got really aggressive at me for questioning it (I am a 5 foot 2 woman with a broken arm, not that it matters), at 8pm on a Tuesday evening. I used to love this pub!

Yes, the pub has character and live music sometimes but service is abysmal. If you'd like to be in a cash-only, homophobic, unhygienic and sing-along 1950s atmosphere, you will feel at home. I love old east end music but it's just not worth it.

The landlord said he'd "keep some of my property behind the bar so I could pick it up when I left", giving no particular reason or any time for argument. However, as I didn't see him return behind the bar with my property, I went outside to investigate to find it dumped it in the carpark, presumably so it could get pinched. After retrieving it and asking him why he'd left it in the carpark, I got some lame excuses about "damage to others clothing", and that "His mate in a car was keeping an eye on it". We drank up and left. Avoid.

I went there tonight with my girlfriend and after we briefly kissed the bartender came over and told us she "couldn't have any of that here". Most homophobic pub in London. So much for the progressive east end.

Could be a good pub but the landlord is deeply unpleasant. Great location so it's always packed but try asking for a glass of tap water and you'l get an earful. The soft drinks are always flat and warm. It's my nearest pub and fine to sit outside of on a nice day but a long way from being a friendly local.

i paint my lips, pillar box red....

Had a great evening there with the live music. The patrons are wonderfully diverse, a sign of a great pub. Amazing atmosphere and great drinks. Best pub I have been to in ages.