Commercial Tavern

Bars and pubs Spitalfields
3 out of 5 stars
(15user reviews)

Its authentically traditional pub exterior jutting out into Commercial Street like a ship’s prow, the Commercial Tavern is a wantonly wacky revamp outpost of the Hoxton boho bar beat.

Polaroids of 24-hour party people, a whole wall of Interview magazine covers and a cluster of retro lampshades all point towards the venue’s underground bent, although the pretty young bar staff will still provide your change on a silver platter.

It’ll be too dark to see the beer taps on the brightly tiled bar counter, but ale drinkers should enjoy a pint of Meantime Helles or London Pale Ale, or Young’s Special.

If chat and early Bowie over the speakers start to lose their appeal, there’s a pool table filling most of a small side room; upstairs has its own bar.

Posted:

Venue name: Commercial Tavern
Contact:
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Address: 142 Commercial Street
London
E1 6NU
Opening hours: Open 5-11pm Mon-Fri; noon-11pm Sat; noon-10.30pm Sun
Transport: Tube: Liverpool Street tube/rail or Shoreditch High Street rail
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Average User Rating

3.3 / 5

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star:2
  • 4 star:6
  • 3 star:3
  • 2 star:2
  • 1 star:2
LiveReviews|15
2 people listening
1 of 1 found helpful

too trendy for its own good... rude staff, uncomfortable atmosphere, only for black framed glasses and tight turned up skinny jeans brigade. Avoid.

tastemaker

A quirky and trendy pub that always has a good atmosphere. I like how you'll often find people in the space out front on a nice day. It's a no frills pub and never been somewhere I've stayed all night but definitely one I always visit amongst others for a couple of drinks. 

tastemaker

For the young and trendy, this pub is an ideal hangout. Once you navigate your way through narrowly spaced picnic style benches at the front doors, you step into the wide front room of the pub with bar to the rear. An unmarked door to the right of the bar leads upstairs to the best tables which overlook the entire street and are tended to by a much smaller bar. As you continue around the first floor, there is another large table and you'll notice the eclectic decoration throughout. From antlers to Christian Crosses to cuckoo clocks, every wall and ceiling space has something to catch your attention.

This pub is incredibly busy most evenings and weekends with patrons spilling onto the surrounding pavement to hang out in the warmer weather.

There is a wide selection of spirits, lagers on tap and food available to order too. Located just down the road from Spitalfields market, and in the other direction, a few minutes walk from the Shoreditch Boxpark, it's a great local pub.

Tastemaker

Lovely pub on the corner of Wheler St and Commercial St. High ceilings, large windows, I imagine it’s great in the summer. I did get shafted by a so called homeless person who sold me a copy of TimeOut instead of the Big Issue, I was too tipsy on 10% stout beer to realise at the time.

Tastemaker

Surprisingly decent and cheap pizza in a chill pub atmosphere. Popped by here this afternoon and was impressed with the relaxed vibe and eclectic interior design. I ordered the courgette pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, rocket and goat's cheese. I was pleasantly surprised at how much rocket and courgette was on the pizza and how good the sauce was. The sourdough base is not as chewy as I would like but for pub pizza it's a good value.

Tastemaker

The Commercial Tavern on Commercial St is a firm favourite and I've been coming here for years, since I used to work in the area. It's got a number of important things. 1) plenty of space to stand and sit including an upstairs area. 2) Good selection of alcohol. 3) nice decor, a bit fraying and old but in a nice, comforting way. 4) Space to hang about outside or on a hot day, windows that open fully upstairs. 


Sure I'll be back soon.

Tastemaker

It used to be one of my favourite bars in East End, but with the avalange of new openings every week, I somehow neglected it in the last few years.It was good to came back. The shabby retro chic hasn’t gone away, the new staff is as friendly and helpful with suggestions as the ones I remember.

The beer list is endless. But you won’t find here any of the mainstream names. The offer is carefully selected. You can discover things like the Swedish Valkyrians Valkomst, which despite its 9.5% is smooth and easy as a cider (but be careful, the morning after may not be so easy:) The tavern has a little beer garden, but it's situated on a busy street, so it's not that nice, unless you like inhaling fumes.

tastemaker

One of my favourite Shoreditch venues.  Always a great crowd with one of the best decors in any pub in London - if you go upstairs (downstairs is a little dingy).  A brilliant array of drinks including a great Gin selection.  


The pizzas looked good although I didnt eat!  It can get very busy at the weekend but for a mid week drink (or date) its a great venue.


Also go upstairs to see the porn furniture - its a must see :) 




Awful service. Rude staff who think are too cool and too good and look down on customers.

Rude, rude, rude and just simply should not be serving people.

Avoid at all costs.

Tastemaker

20 minutes waiting at the bar for a drink - granted it was Friday at 8pm - for them to then tell us the card machine wasn't working and we had to queue downstairs!
Fair enough, some times that does happen but we had been waiting 20 minutes for the waitress to serve only 1 person, making 2 cocktails. She was so so slow.
Appalling!
Saying that there is a nice atmosphere and it is a quirky place with jazzy decor. Well located as well.

Tastemaker

Firstly they have a Dulux dog. They have at least 4 chandeliers on the ceiling of the bar. There is a pool table. I mean was else could I say.... I loved the decor. If we bashed heads of a 50s housewife, a deer hunter and an idiotic, pitiful hipster the Commercial Tavern would be the mixed up brains leaking out. 

The staff were friendly enough, as much as a hipster could be with a gun to their head. The seats were dare I say 'shabby chic', a mixture of different styles of furniture which in this instance worked. The atmosphere was not relaxed at all, in a way that everyone was trying to one up each other or even themselves to be that much cooler. The wall of Interview magazine covers is pretty good even if it is ruined by people sitting in front of it. If it didn't have the rubbish people in it, it would be my favourite pub.


The decoration is really amazing, although the staff was a bit unhelpful. Cool overall atmosphere.


Chic. The mystique, elegance and execution can be applied to everything about Commercial Tavern. A place that makes you come back because you didn't see it all or get enough.