Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 32 and Version 26 of King Edward VII, E15 4BQ

Version 32 Version 26
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Pub near [[Stratford Station]], offering a rotating range of bottled beers as well as cask ales. Also known as "King Eddie's" or "The Prussia", the latter being a reference to its pre-WWI name, "The King of Prussia". It [http://eatoutmagazine.co.uk/stratfords-king-eddies-pub-secures-its-olympic-legacy changed hands] in June 2012, but a year and half later not an enormous amount seems to have changed.
 Pub near [[Stratford Station]], offering a rotating range of bottled beers as well as guest cask ales and interesting food. Also known as "King Eddie's" or "The Prussia", the latter being a reference to its pre-WWI name, "The King of Prussia".
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There are four handpumps on the bar. On our March 2012 visit these offered Eddie's Best (the house ale, brewed by Nethergate), St Austell Tribute (£1.70/half), Bombardier, and Woodeforde Wherry; while in February 2014 the options were Hop Back Summer Lightning, Purity Mad Goose, Sharp's Doom Bar, and Bombardier. A pint of lime and soda in February 2014 was a shockingly expensive £3.20 — the soda came from small bottles, which gives some excuse for the price, but they really should have warned us about this before starting to pour it.
 There are four handpumps on the bar, which on a March 2012 visit offered Eddie's Best (the house ale, brewed by Nethergate), St Austell Tribute (£1.70/half), Bombardier, and Woodeforde Wherry. The options have been roughly similar to this on all our visits, going back to 2008.
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On our evening visits here (a Monday in March 2008 and a Thursday in September 2008) it's been quite full, though we managed to get a table both times. At the second of these they'd closed the kitchen for walk-in diners since they had a couple of large groups who'd reserved tables for dinner and the kitchen had reached capacity; on this visit, we had a little trouble hearing each other speak over the music and the conversations of others.
 When [[Kake]] and James visited late on a Monday evening in March 2008, the place was quite full but we managed to grab a table in the back room. Background music was reasonably interesting, and just on the right side of "too loud". On a Thursday evening visit by [[Kake]], [[bob]], [[ilmari]], and Ryan in September 2008, it was very busy and they'd closed the kitchen for walk-in diners since they had a couple of large groups who'd reserved tables for dinner and the kitchen had reached capacity. We again sat in the back room and this time had a little trouble hearing each other speak over the music and the conversations of others.
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On our lunchtime visits (a Wednesday in August 2008, a Friday in March 2012, and a Saturday in February 2014) there have been a fair few people in, but plenty of spare seats. On the first two of these visits there were several other people eating lunch; this wasn't the case on our 2014 visit but this could have been because it was quite late for lunch (gone 2pm).
 However, when [[Kake]] visited on a Wednesday lunchtime in August 2008, there was no trouble getting a table even though there were a fair few people in eating lunch. The music was jazz this time, quiet enough that it mostly hid behind the noise of conversation. On a Friday lunchtime visit in March 2012, it was much the same, with several people in eating lunch but plenty of choice of tables.
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According to the King Eddie's website as of February 2014, food is served noon-10pm Mon-Sat and noon-9pm Sun. The menu aims for pub food, but on the interesting side, though vegetarian options are scarce; see [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/12266264866/sizes/l menu photo from February 2014]. In the past they've also had specials written up on a blackboard, though this wasn't the case on our most recent visit.
 Food is served noon-10pm Mon-Sat and noon-9pm Sun. The menu changes regularly but examples can be viewed [http://kingeddie.co.uk/food-menu.php on their website] or on Kake's Flickrstream: [http://flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/2352891584/ March 2008 menu], [http://flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/2746844998/ August 2008 menu], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/6865523036/ March 2012 menu]. The style is pub food, but on the interesting side; it's not just freezer-to-microwave stuff. They also usually have some specials written up on a blackboard (the one on Kake's August 2008 visit was "mushroom soup with soft herbs" at £4.75).
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[[Kake]] first tried the food in August 2008, before the change of management. The lentil, mushroom, and coconut dahl with rice (&pound;8.50) <small>[http://flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/2743075742/ photo]</small> was quite disappointing. The dhal was overly sweet (it obviously had some kind of sweet chutney mixed in; I suspected this from the flavour and it was confirmed when I found a few chunks of the stuff). Extremely indistinct spicing too; I couldn't distinguish a single individual flavour. It reminded me of the curry powder/banana/desiccated coconut "curries" my mum used to make in the 1980s. The oddness of the dish was only amplified by its being served with rocket. The rice was fine though, and both rice and dhal were provided in generous portions. Another nice touch was the enormous linen napkin I got brought.
 [[Kake]] tried the food in August 2008. The lentil, mushroom, and coconut dahl with rice (&pound;8.50) <small>[http://flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/2743075742/ photo]</small> was quite disappointing. The dhal was overly sweet (it obviously had some kind of sweet chutney mixed in; I suspected this from the flavour and it was confirmed when I found a few chunks of the stuff). Extremely indistinct spicing too; I couldn't distinguish a single individual flavour. It reminded me of the curry powder/banana/desiccated coconut "curries" my mum used to make in the 1980s. The oddness of the dish was only amplified by its being served with rocket. The rice was fine though, and both rice and dhal were provided in generous portions. Another nice touch was the enormous linen napkin I got brought.
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In February 2014, after the change of management, [[Kake]] was again rather disappointed with the food. Confit Gressingham duck leg with bean cassoulet, buttered leeks, and mash (&pound;14) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/12265673285/ photo]</small> sounded good, but the duck was dry, the "cassoulet" was actually tinned mixed beans and sweetcorn in a rather unpleasant tomato-chilli sauce, and the gravy poured around the side had very little flavour. (No linen napkin this time &#8212; just a paper one.)
 Pub quiz is on Sunday night, and there's an open mic almost every Thursday (but not <i>every</i> Thursday &mdash; call ahead to check).
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According to the King Eddie's website as of February 2014, pub quiz is on Sunday night and there's an open mic almost every Thursday (but not <i>every</i> Thursday &mdash; call ahead to check).
 [[Kake]]'s verdict: I like this as a pub, though I much prefer it in the daytime to the evening. I do suspect my not-very-good lunch was a one-off "miss", as a couple of people have told me how good the food normally is, and I would be more than happy to give the kitchen another chance.
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[[Kake]]'s verdict: I like this as a pub, though I much prefer it in the daytime to the evening. I wouldn't eat here again unless it was something very simple as an accompaniment to beer.
 Accessibility: One step down to get in. Half a dozen steps up to the back room, from which the toilets are also accessed. Not sure about the saloon bar.
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Accessibility: One step down to get in. Half a dozen steps up to the back room. Two steps to the saloon bar at the side, from which the toilets and beer garden are also accessed.
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* [http://www.inaccessible-uk.com/show.php?id=130 Accessibility review from Inaccessible]
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* [http://web.archive.org/web/20080108174447/http://www.timeout.com/london/bars/reviews/10860.html Time Out review]
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* [http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/king-edward-vii-london Yelp comments]
 * [http://www.qype.co.uk/place/198768#reviews Qype comments]
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<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], February 2014. Opening hours and food times taken from the King Edward website, February 2014.</div>
 <div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], March 2012. Opening hours and food times taken from the King Edward website, March 2012.</div>
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category='Beer Garden,Featured Article,Function Room,Good Beer Guide 2008,Good Beer Guide 2009,Good Beer Guide 2010,Open Mic,Pub Food,Pub Quiz,Pub Quiz On Sundays,Pubs,Real Ale'
edit_type='Minor tidying'
 category='Beer Garden,Featured Article,Food Served Evenings,Food Served Lunchtimes,Function Room,Good Beer Guide 2008,Good Beer Guide 2009,Good Beer Guide 2010,Open Mic,Pub Quiz,Pub Quiz On Sundays,Pubs,Real Ale'
edit_type='Normal edit'
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formatted_website_text=' class="external">kingeddie.co.uk'
host='2a00:1098:86:4d:c0ff:ee:15:900d'
 formatted_website_text='http://kingeddie.co....'
host='81.187.166.218'
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latitude='51.541001'
 latitude='51.540490'
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longitude='0.002677'
major_change='0'
 longitude='0.004273'
major_change='1'
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summary='Pub near Stratford station, with real ale and food.'
 summary='Pub near Stratford station, offering guest beers and interesting food.'

Pub near Stratford Station, offering a rotating range of bottled beers as well as guest cask ales and interesting food. Also known as "King Eddie's" or "The Prussia", the latter being a reference to its pre-WWI name, "The King of Prussia".

It has three interior areas, as well as a beer garden out the back. The front bar has seating for maybe about 30-35 people, at sturdy wooden tables with upright chairs, and a small amount of standing room. The saloon bar isn't incredibly obvious, but is reached via a door to the right of the bar; it's sometimes booked out for private parties. Finally, there's another room reached via a half-flight of stairs to the left of the bar; this one is more spacious, with a couple of sofas too photo.

There are four handpumps on the bar, which on a March 2012 visit offered Eddie's Best (the house ale, brewed by Nethergate), St Austell Tribute (£1.70/half), Bombardier, and Woodeforde Wherry. The options have been roughly similar to this on all our visits, going back to 2008.

When Kake and James visited late on a Monday evening in March 2008, the place was quite full but we managed to grab a table in the back room. Background music was reasonably interesting, and just on the right side of "too loud". On a Thursday evening visit by Kake, bob, ilmari, and Ryan in September 2008, it was very busy and they'd closed the kitchen for walk-in diners since they had a couple of large groups who'd reserved tables for dinner and the kitchen had reached capacity. We again sat in the back room and this time had a little trouble hearing each other speak over the music and the conversations of others.

However, when Kake visited on a Wednesday lunchtime in August 2008, there was no trouble getting a table even though there were a fair few people in eating lunch. The music was jazz this time, quiet enough that it mostly hid behind the noise of conversation. On a Friday lunchtime visit in March 2012, it was much the same, with several people in eating lunch but plenty of choice of tables.

Food is served noon-10pm Mon-Sat and noon-9pm Sun. The menu changes regularly but examples can be viewed on their website or on Kake's Flickrstream: March 2008 menu, August 2008 menu, March 2012 menu. The style is pub food, but on the interesting side; it's not just freezer-to-microwave stuff. They also usually have some specials written up on a blackboard (the one on Kake's August 2008 visit was "mushroom soup with soft herbs" at £4.75).

Kake tried the food in August 2008. The lentil, mushroom, and coconut dahl with rice (£8.50) photo was quite disappointing. The dhal was overly sweet (it obviously had some kind of sweet chutney mixed in; I suspected this from the flavour and it was confirmed when I found a few chunks of the stuff). Extremely indistinct spicing too; I couldn't distinguish a single individual flavour. It reminded me of the curry powder/banana/desiccated coconut "curries" my mum used to make in the 1980s. The oddness of the dish was only amplified by its being served with rocket. The rice was fine though, and both rice and dhal were provided in generous portions. Another nice touch was the enormous linen napkin I got brought.

Pub quiz is on Sunday night, and there's an open mic almost every Thursday (but not every Thursday — call ahead to check).

Kake's verdict: I like this as a pub, though I much prefer it in the daytime to the evening. I do suspect my not-very-good lunch was a one-off "miss", as a couple of people have told me how good the food normally is, and I would be more than happy to give the kitchen another chance.

Accessibility: One step down to get in. Half a dozen steps up to the back room, from which the toilets are also accessed. Not sure about the saloon bar.

See also:

Last visited by Kake, March 2012. Opening hours and food times taken from the King Edward website, March 2012.

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