The Holly Tree in Waltham Forest

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 food. Great table service. Welcoming staff. Gorgeous clean traditional style pub as in brown tables and a fireplace.

This is my favourite roast in London. I go back here every time I’m in the area, been there at least 4 times. Everything is perfectly cooked. You cannot go wrong

Having read the reviews here, we were wary when our dining companions booked here, however we were very pleasantly surprised. The staff were pleasant and professional. The pub is clearly popular and was extremely busy for Sunday lunches. We were 4 adults and 2 young children, and were seated at a nice large table. Our order was taken at the bar, and we were served promptly. The roast meals were good, with very nicely cooked meat and vegetables and tasty gravy. I’ve give 4 rather than 5 stars as the vegan nut loaf was stodgy and not very tasty, and we would have liked other options than a roast meal for children as ours don’t much enjoy it. They did love the puddings and the mini railway though! The staff were super-busy but coped well. They almost forgot our puds, but brought them swiftly when reminded. Overall a good experience and we all said we’d happily return. There is also an adults only dining area, which is a good idea.

Nice Vegetarian Roast ruined with very strange Clove tasting gravy. Change the gravy and you have a winner!

Visited on Father's Day. As you would expect, it was very busy, but staff were working hard to maintain service. We were shown to our table and given a menu. After about 15 minutes waiting, we decided to go to the bar to get a drink. Whilst waiting to be served we noticed another customer ordering food, so decided we would put in our order, not having been told, that in fact, this was the process for placing an order, rather than this being taken at table. At about 4.00, an hour into our visit, I went to the bar again, and said that we had been in the venue for about an hour, and still had no food. I said I felt that given the length of wait, a complimentary drink would be appropriate and the member of staff said she would look into this. I returned a while later and was told that as the wait had only been 40 minutes (from the time that we stumbled on how to order food), a drink would not be offered, as there was a 40 minute wait time - I pointed out that this had never been communicated to us. When the food did arrive it was very tasty, and we all enjoyed the meal greatly. And to re-iterate how hard working, and pleasant the staff were. It was the lack of communication and wait time that is responsible for the review not being as positive as it should have been.

I come to this pub all the time. It’s near my house and has a brilliant beer garden. The food is good, beers are good and beer garden is amazing. My problem is that the staff are so miserable, rude and grumpy! I really want to keep coming here but every time I come, whoever I’m with, they always comment on how rude the staff are. I know the general public are annoying, I know there are loads of kids there, and I’m sure it can be annoying. But it really is getting a reputation for just having miserable staff and it will start to put people off coming. Please cheer up!

Had the roast chicken, roast potato's which were hot and vegetables which were lukewarm and everything coated in a dark gravy, which in the dim light made it difficult to distinguish everything on the plate. For dessert I had the apple crumble with mixed berries and custard, it was like eating gravel and the custard had the consistency of water and the whole thing was cold.

I like this pub and I like the staff. However, when arriving for Sunday lunch (pre booked) we were told the table would only be ours for 2 hours, after which we would need to “go outside”. Plenty of other tables seemed to be booked only once, yet we could not move as apparently everyone had asked for a specific table. Unlikely. It’s a pub, not Le Gavroche. We declined to stay, which is a shame as we were planning a long afternoon relaxing. The attitude when doing so was also poor. Management might want to look up the word “hospitality” and ask themselves how this experience compares to it.

Booked a table for 7 adults and children via email. Turned up and was put on 2 separate tables different sides of garden. Asked to be moved so we could all sit together - surely the point of booking? guy behind bar wasn't accommodating and understanding. Seemed annoyed I had even brought it up and eventually after back and forth he found us a table together. He wasn't apologetic or understanding, just said that's the way we do it here. When i explained i had booked and obviously we wanted to all sit together at lunch and maybe put that in booking notes or communicate that when people contact you, he shrugged and walked off. So uninviting and rude.

We went for Sunday lunch with our grandson. No kids food available at 3pm. Table not cleaned. Later order of food (chips) for grandson arrived first. Adults order took just over an hour to arrive. Two approaches to staff proved fruitless. Manager unhelpful and no apology apart from “we are very busy”. Food mediocre.

Great bar staff let down by an indifferent kitchen sums this place up for me. Good selection of beers, but the website menu in no way reflects what is available when you arrive. Chose this place for dinner with a friend as they had two vegan mains on the menu, with healthy options. But in reality the choice was just a salad small plate and a desert. Asked the helpful staff member if adjustments could be made - they then had to run to and fro asking the kitchen. A good kitchen would have sent someone out and known what vegan is. I would not be confident in ordering vegan food from this kitchen team, whose only suggestion was a halloumi wrap and then the same with the halloumi removed - when it was pointed out halloumi was dairy. Nothing extra added. The pub was more or less empty, so you’d think they would make the effort. A real shame, as it’s a nice spot, but I’m likely to go elsewhere - eg the Forest Tavern - in future.

Booked as advised in advance and stressed our old legs couldn't cope with benches and got the best four table in the house. Dinner served in ten minutes the whole beef roast everything with proper lush trad greens and all. Beautiful.Service wonderful. Staff would be better uniformed or badged up but that's me being olde worlde in a very community young recently moved in from Hackney etc crowd. Table service would be better buy hey Mrs we moved on. Just a wonderful experience amongst stuffed birds in cabinets and lovely surrounds. Nothing to fault. Busy as busy can be from 12 on the dot

Visited on a Saturday lunch time. Lots of families with children, understandably. However, some were much more considerate than others, and the few that treat it as a crèche tend to spoil it for the rest. The beer was excellent, but the risotto was terrible and certainly not cheap. I would have complained but staff were too busy, and I've had no response to an email on the subject. Shame, as previous meals there have been OK.

The Holly Tree is arguably one of the most popular Gastropubs in the Forrest Gate area. It’s large, has an adult only section and plenty of room for families with young children (and boy does it fill up with families with young children). It has a massive outdoor space which makes it an easy go to when the sun is out and is more than dog friendly. On weekends the miniature train runs around the site, the kids and adults alike really enjoy it. I must say I do too. There is a good beer selection which cycles different options each month. The food is good, but the menu could refresh more often. However the service is hit and miss, beyond a couple of quality gems it’s Russian roulette. I’m never sure if the chatty chap from last weekend will even acknowledge me today. There is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to basic service and staff training. Indoors is considerably over heated, so a spot outdoors is our go too. Would I go back? Yes I would and I do, but with completion close on the heals of the Holly - we often choose somewhere else.

A bit basic in terms of food and the service from door to bar to everything really was below average. I think if we had a different option in the area they d never see us again. It a shame though that typically they will...

My son and I had a lovely catch up lunch and food was delicious as ever! Drinks were a delight too. Very nice and friendly staff and gorgeous decor which is always a plus! I always leave the Holly Tree feeling very happy!

Been here for a few meals since discovering this local gem a few weeks ago and yet to have a dish that disappoints. Menu seems to change frequently with excellent choice for vegetarians. Wines are very good too and like that it has a adult...

My sisters and I came for lunch last Tuesday -on a recommendation! The food and the welcome definitely lived up to it! Lovely welcome and atmosphere, friendly , clean and a brilliant train station👌✔️. Take the children and have a meal out! Christine

Thank you to all concerned, a large group of family and friends met for food and drinks on the Friday evening. Food, drink and surroundings excellent. Thank you to all the staff ❤️

We visited for lunch on a Friday, without having booked a table. The staff found us a table and then were kind enough to move us to a sunnier table, as it was a pretty windy day. The staff team were all very pleasant. The...

It was great to go out for a meal (outdoors but heater and umbrella). We walked in without booking with only a little wait. Food was good, but food service slow but perhaps to be expected as the 1st Saturday reopening after shutdown. Will be...

Manageress really rude on one occasion - awful customer service here. They also never reply to emails about bookings no matter how far in advance - at least 3 friends and I have tried several times and they just don’t even bother to reply to...

After our walk visiting the nearby Wanstead Park and Flats, we dropped into this recently refurbished pub and what a lovely way to finish the day after such a wonderful walk, if you haven’t read my review on Wanstead Park, it’s there for you to...

We used to go to this pub before it was done up and go regularly now. Although it looks a lot better, as an enjoyable experience, it isn’t a patch on what it was. Bar one or two, the staff are cold, rude and characterless....

Not impressed at all. Ridiculously overpriced drinks, particularly the wine, and not the friendliest of staff either They also have the utter cheek to charge 10% for “table service” Which considering you are not allowed at the bar, Is forced on you unfairly as you...

So glad to have found this pub! There aren’t many good pubs in the area (getting there) but this was great, we actually visited twice in one week! Decor was beautiful and food was delicious! The date pudding with toffee sauce was very yummy. Will...

After walking out of a pub chain due to the lack of cleanliness and social distancing etc we came to the Holly Tree (we should have just gone there first but that’s another story). What a difference. The Holly Tree takes the regulations seriously, but...

I took my two grand children (3 & 6 yrs old). Long story short a start member seemed to take a dislike to my grandkids. Demanded that they stay seated, they had gone to the fence to watch the mini railway, which was why they...

Ok food and drink and fairly quiet, table service was good and I would come again definately. Can get a bit noisy in the greenhouse bit when busy

Visité aquí con un grupo de amigas. Cargo por servicio "discrecional" agregado a CADA ronda de bebidas.La camarera nunca mencionó el cargo por servicio. Cuando consultamos el cargo, ella pensó que "discrecional" significaba ¡su discreción, no la nuestra!Estafa para un pub que es caro de todos modos.El pub debe pagar al personal un salario justo y no estafar a los clientes.

Visited my nearest local pub this week with my son for lunch. Great food as usual and wine. Staff on the lunch shift was excellent and very friendly despite being run off their feet. Very good on their covid safety measures.

Went in recently for lunch. Food was very good especially with new gov incentive. Train was in operation and kids loved it.. beer a little on the pricy side though

Teníamos buenos asientos reservados para nosotros en el jardín trasero. Sin embargo, cuando llegamos nos dijeron y extra 12. Se agregaría un cargo por servicio del 5% a cada pedido. Estaba un poco sorprendido por esto. Primero pedimos bebidas como siempre, luego pedimos nuestra comida y aceitunas para que vinieran con nuestras bebidas, pero solo vinieron con nuestra comida principal. Disfrutamos nuestra comida. Mi papá y yo disfrutamos del pescado con papas fritas, pero nos decepcionó la salsa tártara porque había una cantidad muy pequeña y no sabía muy bien. Mi madre pidió el pollo cajún y realmente lo disfrutó.Mi consejo si vas allí, pide todo de una vez.Es cierto que son tiempos inusuales y estaban muy ocupados.

Esperé más de media hora por una mesa un miércoles por la noche y luego una hora y veinte minutos más para la comida que fue fabulosa cuando llegó, excelente personal y dinero de descuento en la comida porque nos quejamos, pero esperar la mayor parte de dos horas estropeó la noche. Recomendaría reservar con antelación. No fuimos los únicos que se quejaron de la espera,

Excellent reassuring Covid safe precautions which made us feel very safe. Staff friendly and cheerful.

My partner and I recently went back to this pub, which was one of my favourites in the area. I was quite disappointed to find out that due to Covid-19 safety regulations, the client is required to add an extra 12.5% service fee for table service. I understand that pubs must follow governmental regulations and agree with it 100%, however I do not think it should be the client to cover the extra cost for this. Two pints plus service was almost £14. Safe to say we won’t be going back.

I never went to the original Holly Tree so have nothing to benchmark against however what is lovely about this place now is -food always great, Sundays roasts are spectacular-every single member of staff has a positive energy and always happy to engage-the gardens are beautiful and I love the train but doubt I'd fit into it these days In consideration of a previous review I'm more than happy to pay for quality service if it goes directly to the staff. Since lockdown it's been a really challenging time for me and I for one am delighted to be back in the bosom of a local hostelry that provides what the area needs, in a lovely space with lovely regulars as well as staff. The Holly Tree, as with all hospitality establishments, has been hit hard by the pandemic after only recently reopening so please visit and experience it for yourself - you really won't be disappointed.

The Holly Tree opened on 4th July and slapped a 12.5% surcharge on every order due to Coronavirus. Vat has been reduced to 5% therefore they are making 27.5% additional profit on every order. Disgraceful profiteering. It’s the closest Pub to my business premises and I doubt I’ll ever go there again

Perfect food, perfect drink and all set in beautiful pub. To top it all off the staff were absolutely lovely.

My partner and I were so excited for The Holly Tree to open, and it has definitely become our favourite and most frequented local.The beer, ale and cider list change a lot so you can try something different if you are into that..the food does too but they also have the staples - dangerously tempting burgers and the all important sunday roasts.The management and staff are always friendly, even when it's heaving, they say hello and goodbye. I love that we now have a pub in the area that invites old, young, kids and dogs to enjoy the atmosphere of a good community pub.Weekends are busy and fun - and they're open every lunchtime so handy if like me you work from home sometimes. The place is so big, they never mind if you grab a few coffees and settle in for an hour or so on your laptop. Winning all round, and looking foward to using the beer garden in summer!

Visited Wednesday 26 Feb for night drinks - both chaps behind the bar were excellent - would recommend highly

I had a fabulous time here with the whole family. There was Comfortable seating in the conservatory for my elderly relatives and the kids loved the garden, train and the kids roasts are the percect size. The staff recommended good drinks and know their stuff. We will happily be returning again and again.

I organised a family event here as it appeared to be child friendly with the train and both the playground and the lake across the road. We had a sitting at 12pm for lunch. We were seated in the patio area along with many other families. It was quite cold so they had a heater. However it was an open electric heater and right next to the door to the toilets. My 4 year old cousin waited for her mum by the door and her dress almost caught alight. It had melted and stuck onto the heater and had to be ripped off by her dad. I do not want to think about what may have happened if he didn’t see her. When we complained the manager sent a member of staff to tell us they would refund the cost of the dress, no apology in sight. We continued with our meal and not one member of staff asked if she was okay. When this was pointed out to the blonde manageress she said she was told no harm was done. No apology. No remorse. Absolutely pathetic customer service and a health and safety hazard. To add insult to injury she tried to justify this by saying the heater is only on while the room warms up! Paid the bill and left.Food: standard roast dinner, skimpy portion of lamb, red cabbage way too sweet, bit overpriced.Drinks: A member of our party complained about a sloppy Guinness pour and asked for another, member of staff claimed that is how Guinness was poured and they would all be like that. Evidently pissed off when asked for a different drink.Honestly, I’ve come across poor customer service in London regularly but this pub tries to come across as a family friendly local pub.If that is what you are looking for, try the forest tavern closer to Forest Gate station. Great staff.

I organised a family event here as it appeared to be child friendly with the train and both the playground and the lake across the road. We had a sitting at 12am for lunch. We were seated in the patio area along with many other families. It was quite cold so they had a heater. However it was an open electric heater and right next to the door to the toilets. My 4 year old cousin waited for her mum by the door and her dress almost caught alight. It had melted and stuck onto the heater and had to be ripped off by her dad. I do not want to think about what may have happened if he didn’t see her. When we complained the manager sent a member of staff to tell us they would refund the cost of the dress, no apology in sight. We continued with our meal and not one member of staff asked if she was okay. When this was pointed out to the blonde manageress she said she was told no harm was done. No apology. No remorse. Absolutely pathetic customer service and a health and safety hazard. To add insult to injury she tried to justify this by saying the heater is only on while the room warms up! Paid the bill and left.

Really love what happened to the Holly Tree during 2019 - amazing transformation. The interior decor of the main building is lovely. Friendly and competent staff. Usually a welcoming fire lit in the snug. Have made use of the board games on offer, tried the Tuesday pub quiz and oh yes, had some good meals there. Not been in the train yet. Still love the Forest Tavern too, put it's good to have choices. Thanks.

Never been before - trekked from across the flats. Fabulousand tasteful refurb of a large Victorian pub. One end was rammed (Sat eve), birthday party, loads of kids. The other end ("Adults only") much calmer with only loud and drunk hipsters to be noticed. Fantastic idea to have kids free areas - I so wish more pubs would do this. Pubs should be adult places, and so many are like kindergartens these days with the little darlings running wild whilst parents sit oblivious.Food was so-so, and they will have to rotate their very short menu to get us coming back regularly. Chips were nice, fish was ok but batter pale and flabby. His chicken was declared reasonable.Good range of beers/ciders, including a scrumpy that was rather insipid. Overall a very nice pub which I dearly wish was in South Woodford.

Thankfully there is an adultas only section as otherwise the whole pub would be taken over with little people! Good range of beers and very friendly service.

When for Sunday lunch with in laws and were all impressed with food and good service. We did get in early at 12 so got a nice table easy. Was busy by the time we left. Like the idea of Adult only section at one end. This is a pub I drank in for many years back in the eighties. They have done it really well. Only down side I think it's a bit pricey!!

Went today with my husband the bar was empty but the pub was very busy .. looked lovely. After waiting another 5 miunits a bar lady came ,by that time there were a few others standing at the bar .. so she started to serve those who came later .very annoyed as she should have firstly apologised for leaving the bar unattended and then asked who was to be served first! !!! Where was the training .. Even when my husband tried to attract her attention she totally ignored him ... We then walked out !!!We are locals just a 3 minute walk away and when we went to the Holly Tree before had no problems being served ... very disappointed.

Loved our delicious Sunday lunch at the newly refurbished pub - The Holly Tree. Such a welcoming warm atmosphere with loads of space, yes really nice and spacious. Fire going, lots of friendly people and staff that bent over backwards to help with a dietary requirement. We will certainly be going back. It was very dog friendly, a staff member came up with a clean bowl of water for our pets. I also loved the touch of winter berry decoration on the tables. Thank-you so much Holly Tree.

This was my second visit since the newly refurbished Holly Tree opened.

We popped in for a unplanned lunch today , it’s my first visit since the renovation and wow what a change it’s totally different and beautifully done out you can see a lot of thought and funding went into the refurbishment. We ordered the Roast chicken with red wine dish and vegetarian burger , wine and the Pecan cake with cream for dessert , everything was not only delicious but one of the very best pub meals we have had .

I visited the pub shortly after opening and was very impressed by the choice of drinks, quality of the food and the overall atmosphere. It didn't have music blasting in some other East London pubs and I can imagine sitting there for several hours.

I love this place! Good selection of beers and really helpful and friendly staff. The food is amazing and it has one of the best beer gardens around. Just wish I lived closer!

El árbol de acebo fue muy recomendable y puedo ver por qué. El personal es fantástico, muy amable y servicial. A mi esposo le encantó la elección de cervezas y me encantó la comida. La comida era perfecta servida en muy buen tiempo y con mucha variedad. . . Todos parecían contentos de hacer que nuestra visita fuera muy agradable. Un ambiente encantador en este lugar cumple todos los requisitos. Volveremos llevando a nuestros amigos con nosotros.

Came here for a roast dinner on Sunday- a big group of us all served quickly and looked after well. The roast dinner was delicious. Extra gravy brought to the table without us having to ask! Great atmosphere in here- will be back!

Absolutamente me encanta este pub! Me alegro de tener esto en nuestra área local: el personal es amable y conocedor. Buena selección de vinos y comida sabrosa (hasta ahora hemos venido para el almuerzo del domingo y un par de cenas entre semana). Me encanta que sea amigable con los perros, y nuestra parte favorita es la de los adultos, que es muy acogedora. Se llena los fines de semana con un ambiente de pub animado. A veces tiene que esperar para tomar una mesa, pero el bar es muy largo, por lo que puede encontrar fácilmente un lugar para tomar una copa mientras espera.

Realmente hermoso establecimiento con comida increíble y buen servicio. A mi hijo también le encantó la comida de los niños y hay un jardín para que los niños tengan un poco de aire fresco. Es un lugar muy popular, pero eso es comprensible con lo encantador que es todo. ¿No puedo esperar para volver, mi hijo ya pregunta?

¡Realmente amo este pub! Tuve un gran asado allí con mis amigos. El personal es super amable y atento. ¡Todo ha sido pensado con consideración, desde el área de adultos, hasta los muebles, la decoración y el tren en el jardín! Todos son bienvenidos. ¡A lo grande todo el equipo!

Visité aquí un par de veces y cada vez el personal ha sido muy acogedor.

Acabo de almorzar el domingo aquí. Es muy ruidoso y eso está en la sección solo para adultos. La mesa era tan pequeña que cuatro no podían caber alrededor de ella correctamente - uno de nuestro grupo inclinó su cena sobre su regazo cuando se cayó de la pequeña mesa superior - ¡y perdieron mi reserva hecha una semana por delante! No es una comida relajante de ninguna manera. Pasó una hora antes de que llegara la comida. Tal vez sea mejor cuando se establezca, pero no volveremos por un tiempo. La comida estaba bien pero era demasiado ruidosa para el postre.

Evita este establecimiento como la peste un domingo. Hacinamiento masivo con menos de 35 Hipsters y poco personal. Obtuvieron nuestra reserva para mi comida de cumpleaños mal. Lo perdí. Luego esperé 55 minutos en una mesa muy pequeña con sillas MUY incómodas para una cena asada básica que no era particularmente barata. Mucho mejor VFM y servicio al cliente en otros pubs y restaurantes locales. Evitar.

Mi pub local ha sido renovado y ahora está bajo nueva propiedad. Francamente, el antiguo pub estaba sufriendo y necesitaba una nueva inyección de efectivo y vida y no sería injusto decir que se ha salvado.

A great local pub in Forest Gate, opposite Wanstead flats. Excellent play area for children. Large free car park. Pool table. Drinks below average. Good food, clean kitchen and bar. Has a DJ Friday nights

What a lovely pub. Sport on the TV and loved Mus Massala food lovely..I will be back for Curry Night Lovely Staff

Un gran pub, enfrente de un parque genial, habitual ambiente de pub, pero la comida era algo más! ! Señora genial poco va la cocina, la comida es de fuera de este mundo, los precios están muy bien comida aún mejor! Mus masala, asegúrate de que venga a visitarlo. Las alas son para morirse. La comida está muy bien hecho, especialmente el curry. Volveremos con amigos en cualquier momento. ! Servicio con una sonrisa, mejor que algunos lugares principales de la cadena.

A large public house serving a range of beers. Plenty of room although frequented by locals and people playing pool. Staff are friendly.

Probablemente no es un pub que sale de su camino para visitar, pero si vas a ir a salinas de Wanstead debe dirigirse aquí después, las bebidas son baratos (para Londres de todos modos) hay un buen ambiente y un jardín bien cuidado grande de cerveza. El árbol de Acebo también tiene el más limpio, neatest y menos mal los inodoros de pub en el que he estado.