Last week, on a beautiful warm summer’s evening, we went to the opening night of The Leyton Star on Leyton High Road in East London. Along with family, friends and other invited guests we were there to celebrate the opening of Rob Star’s latest and fifth venue in the Electric Star Group, a collection of eclectic public houses across the capitals’ North-East neighbourhoods (see our previous article on the other four here).
Formerly The King Harold pub, the venue has been fully renovated and spruced up to match the group’s signature brand of friendly community hangouts, all welcoming and comfortable with fabulous food and an excellent drinks menu, but each one with its own personality.
The pub itself is big and airy, despite the dark colour scheme of the interior, which has once again been designed by Hackney-based artist Lady Ray. There is plenty of comfortable seating and high ceilings adorned with lights resembling disco balls. Quirky art hangs on walls covered in stylishly surreal wallpaper by Timouros Beasties and there is a re-commissioned fireplace, which will keep punters warm in the winter months. The centre piece is the impressive bar which has been painstakingly resurrected, after it had been ripped out and dumped in the cellar. It now serves a great selection of wines, kegs, cask ales and lagers, ciders, as well as cocktails.
The Leyton Star has a huge outdoor terrace, with plenty of seating, including a raised section with 8 private heated cabanas and a small function space. Here you’ll also find one of the two sparkling golden palm tree light fixtures, used as part of a set design on Paloma Faith’s Fall To Grace tour, which were purchased in a charity auction. The second tree was also in the beer garden when we visited, but I believe it might find its way indoors to the dining room eventually.
Like the other pubs in the group, The Leyton Star has brought in a street food operator to look after its hungry guests, in this case the acclaimed We Serve Humans, of ‘The Chairman’ burger fame, which was also served at the party.
Monthly tasting sessions and cocktail master classes will feature as part of a fun-packed program of events which includes Tuesday quizzes, Thursday night ‘two for £10 cocktail’ nights, DJs, sports screenings and the return of everyone’s favourite, Lucky Voice Karaoke. There is also an upstairs function room which will be available to local community groups during the week as well as for private hire on weekends.
The famous Locals’ Card is also in operation, with special deals for card holders, such as two burgers for £12 on a Monday or a bottle of prosecco on your birthday.
This is a fab pub in an area of London that was crying out for something like The Leyton Star, if the comments on social media are anything to go by.
We wish Rob, Sean (the pub’s manager) and the rest of the staff all the best and may your casks never run dry!
Opening hours:
Monday 4pm – 12.00am
Tuesday 4pm – 12.00am
Wednesday 4pm – 12.00am
Thursday 4pm – 12.00am
Friday 4pm – 1.00am
Saturday 12pm – 1.00am
Sunday 12pm – 12.00am
The Leyton Star
116 High Road
Leyton
London
E15 2BX
London-Olios 