Howl at the Moon
I'll admit that when I saw the name on the map and the description, I wasn't overly enthused about venturing here. AND the photos on Google Maps just don't do it justice. This is such a quirky little pub on the corner of a side street and I was surprised how utterly charmed I was with this place. It helped that there was a little Irish band that set up in the middle of the room with a fiddle, a flute, and a guitar to play some tunes.
Give this beer a try: Magic Rock Inhaler Juicy Pale Ale (4.5%)
The beer. They’ve got a Camden Hells and the Whit (the white beer brewed by Camden), as well as some new interesting craft beers that I haven’t seen in most other places. In addition to the standard Bud Light, Guinness, and Camden beers on draft, the rest of them were all unique names that I haven’t run across. They also have their own lager - The Howl Lager, which I’d suggest tasting before getting a pint of. It isn’t everyone’s taste, but it’s a light, slightly more bitter lager. If you’re a basic pale ale fan, then there’s plenty to choose from here: DEYA Brewing Company’s Into the Haze IPA, A Session IPA by Cellar Boys (something I’ve only had in bottle form until I came to this pub), and a Stone & Wood Pacific Ale.
The ambiance. My initial thoughts were "a little bit tiki without the cringe"... It's an eclectic decor, with a bit of a tropical vibe, but then there's an Aer Lingus sign and a clover behind the bar which would lead you to believe it's actually an Irish pub. The red, white and blue USA sign also leads you to think of Irish American... There's wooden booths that line the sides by the windows and a large table in the middle. As mentioned in the intro, there was a little Irish band that sat in the middle and were playing Irish tunes while we were there, which greatly added to the ambiance at 3PM on a Saturday. But I also think we may have stumbled upon a special event, as there was a hen in there, and I have a feeling the band may have been with them. In any case, it added something very charming and special to the entire environment. The crowd was very laid back, with a mix of clientele - from families having a drink after brunch, to smaller groups of 2-3 people just looking for an eclectic beer collection in a chilled out environment. There are also quite a few tables outside in the front of the pub, and since it’s situated on a quiet side street in Hoxton, it’s quite pleasant to sit outside when the weather is good.
The food. We didn’t eat here, but they do have a food menu, and there were definitely people there eating lunch so next time, I’ll give the food a try and update this entry.
Any extras. They allow dogs - there were two hanging out while we were there. They also turn into a nightclub later in the evening - we were there in the afternoon on a Saturday, but I could definitely see how this place would be popular in the evening.
The wrap up. We stumbled upon this pub during my first adventures in East London, and I would’ve stayed longer if we weren’t on a mission to explore as many pubs as possible in East London. That being said, it’s a great place to go in the afternoon for drinks with the family or friends, or even on a date, and given its popularity as a nightclub, I think this is a pub you could consider good for daytime and nighttime drinking.
Average price per pint: £4.20
