Turn left out of Mile End Station and then right up Grove at the lights. Carry on up Grove Road under the railway bridge. You'll see the pub in front of you on the right.
Street View - click to see the area around the Victoria
The Victoria is a former traditional local's pub which has transmuted into a rather more idiosyncratic beast. Now predominantly a music-led pub you'll find an excellent jukebox, DJs and live acts throughout the week. The decor is a bit of a mishmash, essentially a cross between the boozer it once was and an East London bar, with an intentionally squat-like feeling. Apart from the music, there is plenty of other entertainment, the most obvious of which being a ping-pong table out the back. Retro/ironic film nights appear on Sundays and you can even attend a jumble sale or get your haircut - a good example of diversification, we suppose. There was also a Nintendo 64 sat in the corner and while this reviewer enjoyed a trip down memory lane planting proximity mines in Goldeneye, we felt a vague unease that it wasn't the place for such things. If an N64 gave us nostalgic feelings, we suspect that it was like witnessing ancient history for the young overtly fashionable student-types who sparsely populated the place. This demographic was mirrored by the bar staff who (although friendly) were as slow and ditzy as was humanly possible - look out for them presenting shows on E4 in the future. By the time we left (about 8pm on Saturday night) it was picking up, but wasn't exactly bustling yet; for that attribute the nearby Palm Tree more than provided what we wanted.
reviewed: 09/01/2010
pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)
click for directions to Victoria from wherever you are
beer garden
live music - loads of it
ping-pong, Nintendo 64
WiFi hotspot
jukebox and DJs
