The Scolt Head Pub

Dalston, London –

With its little beer garden, ever-changing menu, and three airy rooms, The Scolt Head is a relaxed neighborhood pub that manages to satisfy a wide range of people – and even a few dogs.

Although named for a nature reserve that’s little more than salt marshes and sand dunes, the venue boasts an eccentric and colorful décor of mounted steam engine dials, farmhouse-style portraits of roosters, and a wine list laid out on a giant pegboard.

Locally sourced specials change daily, but steak and chips and scotch eggs are frequent favorites with the laid-back patrons permanently affixed to the suede stools around the center bar, or reading one of the venue’s Penguin classics by the fireplace.

Monday pub quizzes and live music on Thursdays draw a festive crowd of young professionals and students to one of the back rooms –home to a projection screen for big game days – while the older locals tend to stay up front or join larger groups in the dedicated dining area.

Though weekends get a little busier, space is rarely an issue, except maybe during the summer months when everybody – young, old, two-legged, and four – basks in the sun on the front patio.

A good old-fashioned pub ideal for an early drink, a bit of live entertainment, or just a mellow night, The Scolt Head makes it easy to get comfortable and hard to leave.