Since the arrival of a new landlady and head chef just over a year ago, the food offering at this Stoke Newington stalwart has gone from strength to strength…
Come hungry if you decide to dine at The Three Crowns, the iconic pub that has occupied a large plot on the corner of Church Street and the High Street in leafy N16 since the 1600s. The portions here are generous to say the least, with the Pie of the Week – a delicious chicken and tarragon on our visit, large enough to give Desperate Dan a run for his money! Indeed, everything we ordered came in such plentiful portions – pulled pork croquettes and endive and blue cheese salad to start, followed by aforementioned pie with mash and peas and confit duck with lentils for mains; we very nearly had to forgo pudding, but our charming server gently urged us towards a sticky toffee pudding and a pecan pie, and we dutifully obliged! Our feast was accompanied by a bottle of the house red, a fine Spanish Garnacha, which went down a treat – so much so, that we cheekily added another two glasses to the bill.
Having dined so finely, it comes as no surprise to learn that the head chef here is Ousmane Gaye, formerly of Holborn Dining Room, Roast and Asia de Cuba. He was brought in to head up the kitchen when Stacey Thomas took over managing the pub at the end of 2022. It’s thanks to their joint efforts since then that The Three Crowns has now regained its status as one of the area’s best gastropubs.
However, such is the size of The Three Crowns that it could easily feel rather impersonal, but with its long, central bar and clever sectioning, it manages to give off a cosy, laid-back vibe. Indeed, it’s a place that can be all things to all people as evidenced over the course of our lunch, with tables filling up around us with a very mixed clientele. From the pushchair toting mums gathering for coffee and a grandma treating her granddaughter to burger and chips to the sharp-suited young men (probably local estate agents) downing pints and a hipster couple sipping cocktails, it’s good to see The Three Crowns enjoying pride of place at the heart of the community, a position it has occupied for hundreds of years, and for many, many more if its current form is anything to go by.
threecrownsn16.com
175 Stoke Newington High Street, London N16 0LH
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