The Holly Tree in Waltham Forest

Friendly staff and great food. I always enjoy coming here with a group of friends.

Very beautiful place, I had a tasty vegetarian burger and lovely chilled beaujolais wine. The manageress was so helpful and kind and helped my friend needing accessible access and seating in the back garden on a very busy day. I would highly recommend and return to this pub.

Top pub! Always welcoming and best beer selection around

Pretty building / garden with nice bartenders and fun atmosphere. They also do good oat milk coffee which is rare in pubs!

Disappointing and Not Family-Friendly Don’t be fooled by the “child-friendly” claim — our visit to The Holly Tree in Forest Gate was anything but welcoming. From the moment we arrived, the landlady made it clear that kids weren’t wanted. Her attitude was cold and uncomfortable, and when I politely asked if there was an issue, she snapped back with a rude and unfriendly response. Regardless of the miniature railway, this place is clearly for the big kids only. If you’ve got children, don’t waste your time — this pub is not inclusive, not friendly, and definitely not for families. We won’t be back.

Un gran pub y dog friendly. Ambiente encantador. Gran lugar para una reunión familiar que incluía el perro de mi hija. El martes por la noche era la noche de la hamburguesa, así que eso es lo que todos teníamos, incluyendo una opción vegetariana para los que no comen carne. Tardaron un poco en llegar las hamburguesas, pero estaba muy sabrosa, así que vale la pena esperar. Camarero muy amable que apreció mi SOH.

Beautiful interiors and friendly staff make this pub a joy to visit. We have been a few times n now and always enjoyed it. As a bonus there is a child free area as well as the child friendly main section. Try the burger!

It’s a great location and has a lovely big garden. In the summer the garden becomes a bit of a crèche, lovely if you have kids, but not so great for any adults wanting a nice drink in the sun- just something to consider. The food is reasonable but the menu hardly changes. The staff are mixed, a couple of them are very unfriendly. The Guinness is not good at all in my experience, stick to ale or lager if you’re a beer drinker!

Really disappointing interaction with staff member which left us leaving really upset and not buying any food or drink as planned

Great selection of beers and a miniature railway!

My favourite place in east London! Amazing food, best roast in town, great beer garden and good vibes always. Ps. you should try the drag bingo, it's so much fun!!!

My favourite pub! Excellent food and family friendly. The atmosphere and staff are fantastic, can be quite busy when there's a big event. Great beer garden too!

Always a good time at the Holly Tree, especially on a sunny day! Amazing place tucked away by the Wanstead flats. Great atmosphere on the weekends with amazing food and great wines.

Amazing local pub with incredibly helpful staff and a great selection of beers at good prices as well

Lovely local pub with a great variety of beers, and a welcoming atmosphere that feels like a real community hub. Extremely family and dog friendly too - the place is buzzing on Sundays!

All of the staff were so knowledgeable and welcoming, a great local pub - will definitely be coming back!

Seriously loved my visit to The Holly Tree! The food was spot on so we got a few dishes to share with the group. It has such a cosy, welcoming vibe and we enjoyed playing some of the board games on offer :) Plus, the staff were an absolute delight – so friendly and made us feel really looked after.

Great place - very hospitable and accommodating. Staff are lovely and the food is even better!!

One of the best beer gardens in London on a sunny day. The team are always polite and friendly even when it's crazy busy. Seems like a well organised set up. Adults area inside relaxing vibe and the drinks list is extensive and interesting. Always has good music playing and not too loud!

I came in on Saturday night and had such a lovely time! Really lovely staff and the orange wine is a particular favourite of mine! Great atmosphere to have a fun eve with friends

Best pub in the area. Loads of indoor and covered outdoor space, not busy during the week. Friendly staff, good food, well-kept real ales and usually a real cider too. Oh, and a TRAIN. You should definitely come here.

Poor quality coffee and service without a smile. This place used to be lovely but unfortunately has gone downhill over the past year or so.

Very rude staff member, I believe he maybe the manager. The manager said they had no chips or fries on a Saturday, but yet serving both with main meals. I ordered meals with chips and both were available. He also said they had no glasses available when I asked for a glass of water with ice for my son. However they had glasses when I ordered my drinks! Terrible service, will not be returning! Consistently rude every time I come. I refuse to give the benefit of the doubt again! Such a shame as the pub itself is really nice! From having read the other reviews I see rudeness is a theme.

Lovely family+ dog friendly pub. Great food and great service. Recommend the Holly Tree burger 🍔 👌 Hoping to try out the mini railway on my next visit 🤞

Great atmosphere. All the staff are very welcoming and friendly. Dog friendly too.

Fantastic local pub with bags of potential, unfortunately let down by some rude staff. Totally baffling, since this pub could be so great! Brilliant atmosphere, love that children are only allowed in half the pub, cute little rooms, the garden's great. The Holly Tree used to be one of our favourite things in the area. We used to go often but after a quite rude incident with a particular staff member, will have to look for a new local, which is a shame. Felt horrible to be treated like that. Looking through the reviews it sounds like this is a common theme. Sort it out.

The team was super friendly and the food was absolutely delicious. They host a quiz night on wednesdays, which adds to the fun, and the atmosphere was just perfect. They've got a spacious yard that will be fantastic during the summer.

I love this pub. A) people friendly, b) great food c) dog friendly d) children friendly e) wheelchair accessible

Tuesday 10£ burgers are top notch here.

The staff here were excellent: friendly, helpful & good at serving which was even more impressive given the number of families there. The train rides are special! The HPA was great and menu had good choice too.

Very nice pub. Was the first time coming here, my friends recommended. Was quite busy and very nice atmosphere. Definitely come again when it is gonna be nice outside to enjoy the beautiful garden.

Cool pub with an unusually hostile child policy (for one with a ride on train) - we accidentally sat down in the adults only section with our 3 month old who was feeding. We were asked to move multiple times by different members of staff while I was breastfeeding our son which seemed unnecessary. The “children friendly” section is a lot less cozy and warm than the adults section.

Great pub good selection of beers. More expensive than a lot of pubs nearby but you get what you pay for

Great atmosphere, good food, and a decent wine and beer selection. We usually come for the roast, as it's always a winner.

Cómodo y bien decorado pub en una buena ubicación. Selección decente de ales, aunque caro para la zona. La comida, sin embargo, fue decepcionante. La caballa ahumada en la ensalada era salada y de mala calidad y las papas estaban crudas. El risotto era una pequeña porción de arroz frito saborizado. El pescado con patatas fritas era adecuado, aunque las patatas fritas no eran grandes y los "guisantes mushosos" eran solo puré de guisantes congelados. Si nos hubieran preguntado cómo estaba nuestra comida, nos habría encantado haber dado esta retroalimentación directa.

The best pub in Forest Gate. Amazing staff, fab food and atmosphere. All your favs when it comes to pub snacks too!

We visited on christmas eve ..wasn't very busy, we had a couple of cocktails which seamed to take forever to make.. the barman had to look at instructions on what to put in to the cocktail .so must be rare for them to make a cocktail wasn't good either was very strong ...its a nice pub definatly not a cocktail bar 😀..

Very friendly staff, great food and the pub is very homely with its coal fire and stained glass windows. Would highly recommend!

Great place for kids. They've got a mini train. Plus the outside space is set up for multiple large parties. Also did I mention they have a train?!

Walked about 6 miles on a day off work to get here and review, but did not disappoint. Such a cool space, both indoor and out, with friendly staff, great music and interesting and seasonal cask ale. Marvellous! #41 #46

Always a good time with lovely people who are able to accommodate you. Good beer and cider and fantastic food, lots of space too. Pub quiz every Wednesday

It was a very long all day session for a bit of a school reunion...

Brilliant Sunday roast and nice craft beer

Got traditional roast beef dinner

Mal servicio, la comida estaba fría y luego reservada con un plato fresco que estaba mal cocinado. Es una pena que el pub tenga un gran potencial.

Heard great things about the pub, but Sunday lunch was a big disappointment. Food took a while to come, then arrived cold. I was given a new dish which came out with the vegetables under cooked and tastless. No one seemed to care much the manager had no sincerity in resolving our issues. Will not be returning.

The staff is very friendly, there's a wide selection of wine and their calamari are to die for! Had a great time.

Best sausage roll I've ever had, tasty pint of sour and a train for kids to ride on.

The atmosphere was fantastic and the drinks were so ordinary.Virgin mary was a really bad choice. We visited on last Sunday and the service we got was very very bad. The staff were so so rude and not welcoming at all.

La ubicación del pub tiene un gran potencial y es triste verlo administrado por personas que simplemente no se preocupan por los clientes, lo que pronto llevará a la pérdida de negocio. Mi familia y yo estuvimos allí el domingo para asar. Nos sentamos una mesa de 4 personas donde agregaron 1 silla y taburete para que sea una mesa de 6 personas. Estábamos apretujados entre otras dos mesas, una de las cuales podía sentarnos más cómodamente, pero se quedó vacía durante todo el tiempo que estuvimos allí, a pesar de que pedimos una mesa más grande. Viendo las revisiones anteriores, también puedo confirmar que la actitud del personal hacia los clientes es mala. Todos ellos eran muy desagradables, como si no quisieran que estuviéramos allí. Alrededor de la 1: 30 pm subieron la música, lo que obligó a la gente a hablar más fuerte y hizo que todo el comedor fuera muy desagradable para un almuerzo de domingo. Por último, pero igual de importante, la comida es peor que la media. La carne era sosa, dura y tibia, apenas había salsa, la col tenía un sabor inusual a clavo, las verduras estaban casi crudas y las patatas tenían una consistencia extraña, como si hubieran sido dejadas en una placa caliente durante demasiado tiempo. En general, una comida decepcionante, bebidas caras y personal poco acogedor, lo que es una pena dado que es un edificio tan encantador. La gerencia necesita cambiar si quieren que este pub siga en el negocio.

La comida no es genial... verduras sin cocinar. Ciertamente algo ha cambiado aquí. La música es innecesariamente fuerte obligando a la gente a hablar fuerte para que puedan entenderse. Pidió al personal que bajara el volumen y estuvo abajo durante 10 minutos. Realmente no el ambiente que esperaba tener para el almuerzo del domingo con mi familia. Somos locales y solía gustar este lugar. Es discutible si volveremos o no.

It's been over a year since I've been at this place. However, the food is still good. The price is increasing slightly, but you can still get a roast dinner with a new realm of £20, so I bought one and my friend one. Great venue. I'm sure they have a lot going on during the week, and, of course, I'm always happy to come back again.

One of the nicest pubs I've been to recently, great selection of beers on tap, and the food was beautiful with very reasonable prices. The atmosphere inside and out was excellent, and it doesn't feel cramped like so many pubs in london

Very nice pub with an excellent beer garden complete with a ride on module train

Great pub... it's like being in West London..! As you can probably see it's a bit of an old post but I ve just come out there today at the best boulevard the guys are fantastic

A brilliant, lively and friendly pub. This is a large pub, with a brilliant beer garden featuring a train. The Sunday roast was excellent, service was quick and friendly, and drinks were reasonably priced.

Gorgeous pub with a really good roast dinner

This charming family pub offers not only delicious food and a wide selection of beers but also an inviting and friendly atmosphere created by its always warm and welcoming staff. The highlight for many visitors, especially families with children, is the delightful train that runs through the premises. This unique feature adds a touch of whimsy and fun, making every visit memorable. Whether you're there for a meal, a drink, or just to enjoy the train, this pub consistently delivers a fantastic experience for all.

Great pub. Food menu could do with a bit of a change / update.

Lovely selection of beers. Amazing service with a smile. The location and atmosphere is amazing.

Good selection of beers and tasty food, all set in a lovely, relaxed, cool but traditional pub setting

Very nice pub! Awesome outside area! Good beer selection! ...still didn t see the train in the garden in operation (hope next time), or England win a cup, but I guess that s not their fault

one off the best local pubs in the area

Amazing place, it has everything, train, steel band, great food, great service, would recommend.

Fui a Sunday Roast. Los tamaños de las porciones eran enormes y la comida era sabrosa. 7 de nosotros en la fiesta y a todos nos gustó su comida. El único problema que tuve fue que la copa de vino dada estaba sucia, cubierta de polvo y probablemente no había sido limpiada - mal los dejó salir, aunque ya que podría haber sido solo una desactivada, ya que las otras 2 copas estaban bien. Sentado en la sección de adultos, que se apreció en un domingo soleado. No es barato, pero no escandaloso en comparación con otros asados de pub, especialmente por el tamaño de la porción. Volvería otra vez.

Very nice local pub with good music, and nice people.

The Holly Tree is a lovely Pub and fabulous large garden for being in London There is a good choice and wines beers and pub food We have previously had a Sunday roast which was delicious and on this occasion burgers which where packed with flavour Unfortunately some of the staff looked very unhappy and where not particularly helpful or friendly Our children in the party were upset that the train finished early so they couldn’t have a ride without any noticeable reason Also they wanted to clear you out as quick as possible at as if they want to finish early

Great garden. Great staff. Decent food.

Pub fantastic, great atmosphere, but went on a Sunday for a One old birthday. Took 3 of my grandchildren, two are fussy eaters.. There was only roast on the menu, asked if they done chips, not on a Sunday, asked for not to have the childrens roast but to have just extra Yorkshire puddings , which we were willing to pay extra for, but they couldn't do that. So ordered a children's roast for my grandson to eat one yorkshire pudding. Very disappointing for them not to cater for children's needs on a Sunday.

Unbelievably horrible service by the people who work there. And don't count on the kids train, they have written working times on the board, but the train doesn't work anyways. Don't recommend this place unless you're in for a huge disappointment.

This pub genuinely has it all. Undoubtedly the best roast in the East End, dedicated kids area with cute mini train track, kids not your thing there's a kids free area, great selection of craft beers and wines, their quiz night is so much fun and the staff are all amazing, highly recommend!

Our favourite pub. Great food and selection of beers and lovely staff.

A lovely pub with a great atmosphere.

Great pub, excellent food and plenty of room so you don't feel crowded. The train is great for children.

Great local pub. Really enjoyed the burgers, there’s a great range of drinks, and the staff are friendly and efficient.

Great Sunday roast, staff are often rude and look at you like you’ve taken a dump in their cereal, good beer garden especially with kids.

Bel endroit. Un pub où l'on se sent bien. Le service est rapide et sympathique Le repas est de bonne qualité et le choix de boissons est important.

Great pub, good food and lovely little train ride for kids

amazing food, and little hidden gem

Worst roast potatoes I’ve ever had. So dry that no amount of gravy will ever fix. The meat was good but for me the potatoes ruined it :(

Wonderful pub. Great selection of beer, both cask and keg, big brand and craft. Beer garden is brilliant. Great for families and chilled drinks with mates. Staff friendly and looked happy to be there. Their burger is absolutely brilliant.

Amazing Sunday lunch , fantastic staff, clean, inviting what's not too love ❤️

Best pub in the area by a long shot. Loads of beer options on tap and really good food. Sunday roast is always excellent here.

This place is great. Right on the flats and perfect for a post dog walk pint and slap up feed

They ran out of lamb that whose delicious smell was wafting out of the kitchen but otherwise couldn’t fault it. Being obliged to write more than one hundred words I would just repeat myself. Silly rule. They ran out of lamb that whose delicious smell was wafting out of the kitchen but otherwise couldn’t fault it.

Full of clowns and morons. Describing the service as glacial is too kind

Food when it arrived was fine. Not amazing but good pub grub. Kitchen staff were overwhelmed and understaffed. We waited an hour and 15 mins for kids meals with no warning that there would be a delay at all. Had we known of the delay we wouldn’t have bothered and would have gone elsewhere. Place was lovely and busy with a good atmosphere and pleasant staff but they just couldn’t cope with a sunny afternoon and the orders which came in it seems. Maybe on another day we would have loved it here.

They state clearly that the kitchen shuts at 4, except when it actually shuts 15mins earlier, cheers for that.

Food very good, great range of beer, good vibe generally and the train is a uniquely brilliant thing. My visit was a bit of a letdown because of the staff. They were all quite surly, grim-faced and unhelpful. No food menus were given to us, even though we were clearly there to eat, and when I asked at the bar the barman had no idea where I could find any. I found their attitude to be quite sarcastic - it wasn’t clear who was setting the tone for the team but it wasn’t enjoyable to interact with them. Also when food was brought over the waitress was confused about where to put plates. Odd. And our food plates were not cleared for a very long time. I also didn’t really like the two-hour table churn. Doesn’t make for a relaxing vibe.

Great selection of beer bar staff are really friendly top find Didn’t eat there

Pub is fantastic and use of the train is fabulous however if you have a dietary request it doesnt bode well. Sent food back as stuff id asked to be removed was on the plate and when it returned it was still on it... went back for a side plate and seperated myself but at £20 for just my roast dinner the disinterested and unhelpful staff member who took my food back shoild kf got it right... ex chef in a pub kitchen so this is completely avoidable imo.

Nice atmosphere I had the lamb that was nice but think i would choose the beef next time Lovely staff

Bar staff were really rude to us. The short gothy woman with pink/green hair has a real attitude problem. The worst part is I think she was the manager. It’s like she’s a stoppy teenager that hasn’t grown out of it. She has a world owes her a favour attitude. Just grow up or get another job. Seriously.

Great food, impeccable service and beautiful pub. However, a large proportion of the clientele seemed to be major contributors to the "OnlyInWaitrose" twitter account which made me feel really sorry for the people who worked there.

Good pub nice food and atmosphere. Wish they had more music focused nights.

It had always been our regular local,for years, but i hadnt been here since its been done up, Went in with a Friend, and was pleasantly surprised, it looked very nice, had a couple of drinks, quite expensive at £19.50 for 2 white wine spritzes, it was 21.20pm when a member of Staff started clearing the flowers vases of the tables, including ours , the sign on the walk said closes at 11pm, so i asked the bar staff if there closing already, she said yeah we can leave when everyones gone, it was clear they wanted to get home early, we wasnt going to leave so soon, as we were enjoying ourselves, but felt we had to even though it was still early 21.30pm, to be clearing the table whilst your still sitting there drinking i felt was very rude, and spoilt our evening, so wont be returning unfortunately, If it closes at 21.30, then that should be reflected on the sign, so rude,

Beautiful pub, great miniature train. But staff are inefficient at clearing tables and unfortunately multiple beers tasted badly kept

A nice little pub... food was really tasty and reasonably priced. Shame they got our booking completely wrong and gave our table away despite booking and arriving on time...

Family went for Sunday Lunch Carvery while on hols in East London. Beautiful place. Great food, exceptional staff. Can’t wait to go back.

Great speedy food and friendly staff, a good spacs to hang out just off The Cut.