June 1, 2009
Large, corner pub managed by Individual Pubs Ltd, and operates as their flagship pub. Up to 16 real ales available on handpump; many more ales served during festivals held around three times anually. Real ale is mainly from the Milton Brewery in Cambridge, with guest ales frequently featuring from micro breweries in the southeast, east and northeast of England. Of particular interest are beers from the Nottingham Brewery, well worth a taste, when available. A quality food menu is offered by chef Simon, who sources food locally wherever possible and specialities include venison stew made with Milton NERO; homemade pasties, quality sausages and soups. Staff are friendly in this establishment, and visitors to the Pembury should note that it is a quiet venue with no music, TV or gaming machines. The pub is also quite large and has a dinner hall feel to it when you first visit but this soon wears off once you make friends in the pub (you will) and of course enjoy the beer range. Recommended. The pub is hosting its next beer festival from 15-19 July 2009

October 22, 2008
I don’t know why people think this is that out of the way, it really isn’t. 10 min from Liverpool station so what and so worth it. My second favorite place in London. Much bigger than expected. I felt a bit akward as it was just the bartender, her friend and me on a Thursday lunch. 7 hand pumps while I was there. Place felt really empty. Prices were good and the 5 pound lunch special - one food dish and half a pint of your choice was absolutely the way to go. Had sausages with mashed potatoe and onion gravy that was one of the best mash and sausages I’ve had. Despite being by myself, I still liked the atmopshere. I ended up speaking to the bartender at length about beer and travelling. Very good vibe here. An absolute must if you are visiting London.

October 18, 2008
Lovely place firmly tucked away in Hackney, far from the ordinary tourist routes. It is a trip, but it’s worth it. Take the train from Liverpool Street Station to Hackney downs or from Highbury & Islington to Hackney Central. From the outside it looks like an old bank office. Fairly spacious and doesn’t really look like a traditional British pub. Serves up to 16 cask ales, many of them from the excellent Milton Brewery (the imperial stout Marcus Aurelius is a must if it’s on). Several guest beers as well. Very good pub food. Friendly and efficient staff, with a decent idea about what they’re serving. Great place, definitely worth a detour.

August 14, 2008
Pembury Tavern is definitely a must-visit pub in London for real ale lovers. It is easy to get there with your tube card from Liverpool Street Railway station to Hackney Downs station on the over ground rail (zone two, about eight minutes). At least eight hand pulled cask ales, most of them from Milton, but also including guest beers from Milestone (during my visit), all in perfect quality. Some interesting bottled beers from Germany and Belgium. Informal, charming and airy place with a laid back, relaxing interior. Music free (at least during our visit early on a Tuesday afternoon). Walls and roof decorated with a decent collection of pump clips. Good food (beacon and cheese sandwich). Excellent service (12.08.2008).

July 20, 2007
Excellent selection. The website has a reliable and up to date list of what’s on sale or in the cellar. Always have a real cider available. Nice atmosphere. Stripped wood type feel but not in the modern cafe/bar style. Friendly and knowledgable staff. Regular beer festivals (although note that not all the beers listed will be available at the same time). What more could you want? Perhaps a nearby underground station. Haven’t eaten there.

May 30, 2007
In total there are 16 hand pumps in the Pembury, and you can rely on at least seven or eight being in use at any time. The food’s great too - there’s a proper kitchen here, with a proper chef working in it. The pub is large, open and airy. It’s been criticised for lacking character, but I think that’s a bit unfair. All the great pubs of today, with decades (sometimes centuries) of history behind them, had to start somewhere. Right now this pub is still fairly new, but already has a well deserved rep as one of the best places in London for real ale. The selection of Belgian and German ales in the fridge isn’t to be sniffed at either, and real cider is always available. The Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood (SPBW), an older and even more trad jazz group than CAMRA, named it as Greater London Pub of the Year. I like it a lot too.

March 29, 2007
Really like this place. Big seating area, with pool and bar billiards. Nice long bar, with up to 16 casks on and just one lager(Budvar)! Which is very rare for London. Nice selection of bottle beers including some notable Belgian and German beer. Food is really good, and they have good deals on weekdays where you can get a good size sandwich and half pint of beer for £5, pretty sweet deal (available form 12-3pm i think). Lots of Milton beers available aswell as a lot of guest beers. Their mini festival was great too. Wish this place was a little closer to me.