The Marksman Hackney

My partner and I had our wedding reception at Marksman and I can’t recommend it enough for a private event! Jessy and the whole team went above and beyond to make this day so special for us and our 60 guests. We had incredible service, amazing food and drinks and flexibility in accommodating all our needs. Everyone had a wonderful time. Thank you!!

This is the Marksman, a classy venue, even down to the script used for the signage. The white and green paint job stands it out yet more, as does the small roof terrace with its parasols and cupola. A large white glazed free hanging lamp adds to a very definite upmarket appearance. It wasn't always so though. If you search google images hard enough you'll find the same pub with heavy blue signage. The paint job was white all over, but in need of a pressure wash and there was a huge advert board on the side. As time passed the curve of the outside upper floor wall received a mural of a long ago battle, no doubt giving rise to the pub's name. Even older pictures show a brick facade with pillars and Vesy's Brewery emblazoned across the front. Others show the pub was selling Everards and Godsons beers, and the older windows seem to have been replaced by upvc. The year 1865 is carved into the pub's frontage, it's seen so much change since then. Was there a golden era here I wonder? Indoors the current iteration of the pub is understated, traditional and altogether pleasant. There's still a curtain around the door, most of the chairs match and there's wood panelling throughout. The beers are good with Lost and Grounded, Kernel, Five Points, Deya and Lucky Saint on offer. Prices range from £6 to £7.75. All in, a lovely pub with some real history over the years. I bet the drinking style, punters and the conversation have changed over time as much as the appearance. I'd love to have visited for a bev in those earlier days.

+6

I rarely link pub food with good food, but Marksman Hackney delivered a solid night. The curried lamb bun was the standout, and the chicken pie nailed comfort whist the rib was average and dessert felt ready for an upgrade. The cosy pub vibe and warm crowd made it a great place to linger with friends.

I always have an incredible time when I come here!! Great for grabbing a drink or having a meal! I also recommend their private events option. I had a party to celebrate my 5 year anniversary of living in London and was very well taken care of!

Fantastic experience here! We had a reservation for 3 on Sunday and was able to add an extra person at the last minute without any issue, very thankful for them accommodating the change. Atmosphere was very cute and cozy but not cramped. Table was plenty big for the food and drinks. We all got the set menu with different items and were very happy with our food. We are not locals so I can’t speak to the authenticity of the dishes, but the quality was fantastic. Very well done dishes. Timing of the courses was great and not too fast or slow. Staff was friendly and helped us pick a good “traditional” dish for the main as that what we were all looking for. I will note that I didn’t see many vegan or vegetarian options on the menu. There are some gluten free options but not explicitly marked as such. Wouldn’t recommend if you have someone in the group who has these dietary restrictions. There are options for alcohol free beers. I would absolutely go back here again to try other dishes. Lovely!

+2

sunday dinner to die for! delicious food, with a wild variety, a very open and relaxed pub, where all are welcome! would definitely recommended the chicken, so big and filling! the sides are to die for, and the desserts were incredible! 100% would come back!

If love simple food, yet tasty and authentic that’s the place for you. I started with a cider really good, I ordered bread and butter simply awesome, last I had a chicken pie just delicious. Please note as a French/Italian I am rather picky and exigent about food…

The food here is incredible. Everything we ordered was delicious and would highly recommend the pie. I had the oysters and then shared the chicken and mushroom pie & chips with my fiancé. The only regret was that I had no room for pudding because there was no way I was leaving any of that pie! Have already booked to come back to celebrate a family birthday. This is the king of gastro pubs!

+2

Tried this place for Sunday roast on our last day in London. Sat upstairs where it's a bit more chill. Very buzzy atmosphere downstairs. Service was great, food as well ... duck liver parfait was so good ... Great place!

Enjoyed a traditional Sunday roast here today.. I chose the chicken which came with tomatoes and gem lettuce, others enjoyed the rump with carrots and Yorkshire puddings or the cod… the meal was exactly what you want and expect for a roast.. we were offered additional gravy and horseradish which was generous.. staff were lovely and attentive.. overall a great lunch experience!

We came late to this gem completely by chance & were graciously seated just as the kitchen was closing. The food presents amazing value & the service was super friendly & professional. I will be back!

Amazing experience and meal ! Everything was perfect from the staff so nice, helpful and efficient, to the food and atmosphere ! I had family visiting for the weekend and wanted to give them great and enjoyable Sunday roast. We ordered couple of starters (Jerusalem artichoke and lamb buns were delicious!) and then got the short ribs to share coming with potatoes, celeriac purée and roasted carrots, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. We added the cabbage as sides. And couldn’t resist to order the duck and wild leek), simply gorgeous! Few words about the dinning room. You have 2 different place either the pub or the dinning room (Nordics style). Too really different vibes. Dinning room feels lighter and relax. Marksman you hit the spot ! Huge thumbs up to the team behind this place. (Special shout-out to the Canadian waitress 😉) Will definitely come back.

We went here for Sunday roast and it was delicious. The beef was well seasoned and perfectly medium rare and the broccoli was very nice. I would definitely recommend based on food and ambiance! It was quite expensive though and the service could use with some improvement.

Went for the Sunday roast. Staff were very accommodating of my dog and for people with disabilities. The rib roast was expensive but worth every penny and the level of cooking was truly exceptional. This was maybe the best roast dinner I've ever had.

The best pub in London: the food is amaaaazing! Such a great experience.

Set in the heart of the Hackney Road in East London this is very much a traditional old pub with the downstairs looking like it's been kept in that style but the upstairs has been turned into a quirky and slightly retro dining room. You can just pop in for a drink and try one of there great local ales & lagers as we did a few weeks ago but it's mainly a food place. While we were here last we looked at the menu which is changed daily , plus in seeing some of the food being served made us want to come here for lunch and yesterday that's exactly what we did. When you book there is no guarantee where you'll be seated but on this occasion we were seated upstairs. Which was nice and a totally different atmosphere to downstairs especially yesterday as it was very busy. When you look at the menu you'll see that the dishes are certainly different to any where else , but after they were explained but one of the very friendly staff we made our choices . Firstly we started with some Olives & Black Treacle Sourdough Bread . The we had our starters which were Devilled Mussels & Monks Beard and to say the Mussels were amazing is an understatement and my Tamworth Blood Pudding & Parsley which was heavenly Then it was time for our mains of Braised Lamb , Peas & Wild Garlic (sadly no pic) but was fantastic and my fabulous Roast Hereford Rump of Beef which was simply stunning as were the Yorkshire Pudding , Roast Potatoes & Veg. These were matched with a delightful fruity Red Wine from Portugal After a little rest it was time for desserts a delightful Sheep's Yoghurt , Rhubarb & Rose and a delicious Chocolate Burnt Milk & Barley matched with a nicely chilled Banyuls a French Sweet Wine This brought an end to a truly memorable Sunday Lunch and I can honestly say it won't be to long before we return as the food was amazing and each member of staff was so warm and friendly.

Amazing pub food! Came here on a Friday although a friend recommended Sunday roast the most. I had cockles with cherry tomatoes, turbot with brown shrimps, and a fantastic dessert comprised of barley mousse, chocolate ganache and sour cherry. Top! ...and the best oyster I've tasted in London. Real surprise! Must try pub!

🚇 Hoxton 🍺 £6.50 Lost & Grounded Keller Pils ❤️ Proper pub meets posh nosh . The Marksman is located on Hackney Road which is on the border of Bethnal Green and Haggerston in East London. The nearest station is Hoxton which is a five minute walk away. . This 1865 built pub is owned by Tom Harris and Jon Rotheram who previously worked at Fergus Henderson’s iconic Michelin starred restaurant St John in Smithfield. . The decor in the bar is traditional with some gorgeous mahogany panelling and mirrors. The leather sofa benches around the edges of the bar makes for a comfy stay, it’s easy to get in to the swing of it here. Upstairs is the bright and airy dining area which was designed by an Italian designer, the dining are leads to a roof terrace which is a real bonus for the warmer months. . The beer line up is diverse, there are craft options from local London breweries plus beers from further a field. Now on to the posh nosh, the menu is full of mouth watering dishes which you know are going to be top notch given the the owner’s background. . The atmosphere here was fantastic, there is such a local proper pub feel here. I was with my brother who loved it, he was in his element chatting to locals, playing with a dog, he really rated this boozer. . I was pleasantly surprised by the @marksman_pub , I was expecting a gastro that alienates the pop down the pub for a pint punter but it doesn’t, it welcomes. This is a proper pub that offers a bit of posh if you want it, the decision is yours. I really enjoyed The Marksman, top pubbing! . ℹ️ Info correct on visiting 22/10/22

Need to try the Sunday roast here if the bar food is anything to go by. Highly recommend a nice dry Croation white wine they had. Dogfriendly in the downstairs bit.

the marksman is actually my local 'pub' / restaurant and for months we'd meaning to try the workers lunch - which it the time was: mussels, chips and a drink for £15. unreal value from a place which isn't super cheap. we sat outside but were pretty much the only ones in the pub, so service was super quick. got really decent sized portions of mussels and chips. would 1000% do this again + any other workers lunch they do

Definitely one of the best Sunday Roasts in London. Delicious, generous in portion and attentive service. Book in advance. Do not attempt to walk in without a reservation.

Fantastic food, perfect casual, knowledgeable service. Great independent beer, and low intervention wines.

10/10 experience! The vibe inside is fantastic—bustling and very much a classic gastropub atmosphere. We dined upstairs in the dining area, and the food was incredible. We enjoyed a white negroni and a bottle of orange wine, paired with the chicken and mushroom pie, which was honestly one of the best pies I’ve ever had! It’s not cheap (around £50 for a pie to share), but absolutely worth it.

Terrific food and a gastro pub sensation for us. The deconstructed butter chicken was terrific as were the Montgomery fritters were great. Not cheap but great food, wine, cider and beer. Be sure to make a reservation.

The food at The Marksman is fabulous. If I had to pick out one thing, it's the lamb buns, but really, everything is great. Good quality ingredients allowed to shine. Service was lovely, attentive without being hovering.

Four of us had a meal here in the upstairs restaurant. It was an attractive space and the table we had was a good size. ( I don't like tables that are very cramped). The food we had was tasty but the menu was quirky. There was only a limited choice of main courses and half of them were sharing dishes which made choosing something that pleased everyone more difficult. We had the chicken pie for two which I believe the Marksman is known for. It was very good but I like a pie to have pastry top and bottom and this was just a crust on top. We also shared a full roast chicken which the server advised would be good for 3 or 4 to share. No sides included with either dish and not much by way of veg on the menu. In fact it's not a great place for vegetarians if the offering on the night we went is representative. Service was friendly and helpful.

The atmosphere is very good, and there are many people having a lively meal and conversation, which is suitable for relaxing in the evening.

The food is incredible. Everything we ordered was delicious and would def recommend the pie. The service was too slow though but the waitress was very nice. I wish they served food on the terrace, it would def be a better vibe

+1

Very good shared plates in a locley atmosphere! The upstairs had very different vibe to the downstairs through interior design. Overall, lovely location with excellent food! Would visit again.

Had the 3 course Sunday roast. The starter was balanced. The trout, the cucumber and the super light cream cheese/crème fraiche. Really excellent! The Sunday roast. The beef was well cooked (massive portion) but the Yorkshire pudding and the super smooth cauliflower purée was the star! To be honest I trekked all the way for the burnt butter and honey tart. Personally the texture was too soft for me and it didn’t taste of burnt butter or honey. Had high expectations. But overall still a solid meal.

One of the best Sunday roasts I've had. I chose the beef option and the meat was excellent, and came with a giant Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, veg and pumpkin puree. The dessert however was very average and slightly disappointing for the price paid.

Excellent homemade pub fare. The pints were great, a wide variety of upscale pub favorites. The chicken pie was delicious, but its huge, definitely a sharing with 3 people the price is 50 pounds, too high for a pie.

The Sunday roast was fine, they have a set menu where you have to choose two plates, they did allow us to go for just one but were not very please with our request. The roast was good but on top of the extravagant price greens had to be purchased separately (I order a roast I expect a roast not half of one…). The gravy came 10 minutes after the food was served and was actually quite watered down unfortunately. The vibe is good but definitely would suggest trying to get a table downstairs in the pub rather than upstairs. Unfortunately I will not be coming back because the price was simply too much for what we got in food quality and the service at the end was nice but was not all through the service. I know they were busy but I feel it was lacking.

+4

Always heard this is one of the best roasts in London but found it all very underwhelming, unfortunately. The food we had was nice enough but as London restaurant/pub standards go, and the standards of roasts, it was unmemorable. Firstly its very overpriced. £38 for 2 courses. £42 for 3 courses. And the portions are pretty small. All our meals were just warm enough and there were barely any vegetables. The chicken roast for example came with no Yorkshire pudding and no vegetables, and the only vegetable side that could be ordered on the menu was cabbage. A roast should be served with a variety of vegetables as standard. Especially at that price! I had the vegetable pie which was nice but so small and served with nothing on the side. Bizarre. The vibe is nice enough inside the pub... cosy and intimate. The service was hit and miss. Overall pretty disappointed. I would come back for a drink, but not for the food.

Weeknight dinner for 4 people = £190 for food + £160 for drinks including service charge. We sat upstairs. Service and food were both very good (although probably overpriced for a gastropub). My main issue was with the drinks. My 3 friends all have wine qualifications. They ordered a beer (didn't like it), a martini (less dry than expected), and 2 £60ish bottles of wine (both below expectations). That doesn't seem right. For food we got the signature lamb buns, oysters, curried crab, devilled cockles, pollock & cuttlefish main, wing rib sharing platter, and 3 sides.

+2

We visited the Marksman for a Sunday evening roast and, while we enjoyed the experience overall, it wasn't particularly memorable. The staff were very friendly, though there seemed to be some confusion with the tables that night. We chose the two-course option for £38 and requested the bread and butter as a starter (this was extra), but it was served alongside our mains. The bread was served cold, and we both agreed it would have been much better if warmed. The chicken main was excellent and offered a more generous portion compared to the rump, which was disappointingly small. We also ordered a side of potatoes, but they lacked flavor and weren't salted to our taste. On a positive note, the desserts were delicious. Although the Marksman wasn’t our favorite spot for a roast, we still had an enjoyable evening overall.

Two oysters and a Guinness whilst sat at the bar I would seldom complain, but when they charge £2.25 to deliver them to the bar one has to question their use of service charges.

Was here last week for a Sunday roast and it was very underwhelming. Watery gravy, oily yet hard potatoes. As roasts go, I wouldn’t go here again for one. We were also upstairs in a small back section which was awful compared to the lovely decor downstairs.

The food was slow (we waited 2 hours) on a Friday evening and it was quite underwhelming. We ordered the seafood platter, extra oysters, Welsh rarebit, asparagus , Cull Yaw and chicken pie. The chicken pie was the best dish but £45 for a pie is punchy. I would recommend coming here for drinks but not for a meal.

We hosted a birthday dinner at the pub on 29 November. Of the 10 people that dined, 6 experienced severe food poisoning the following day with no common food or drink other than the dinner. Food safety problems aside, the response from the pub was entirely unacceptable, taking 10 days to respond after we informed them of a potential food contamination concern and simply stating that we could request a third party food safety review if we so desired. It is a shame because we are quite fond of the pub, but expect that more parties than just ours would have had the same experience and they offered zero recognition or sympathy for those affected. I would hesitate to dine here again.

My husband and I attended a very close friend's birthday celebrations as part of a wider group in late November and to say our food was disappointing would be a massive understatement. We along with friends experienced horrific food poisoning like nothing we’d experienced before and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. Sadly the Marksmen doesn’t feel the need to take responsibility and felt there was no need for compensation or a financial gesture. When 90% of a group are horrifically unwell I think acknowledgement is required. Very disappointing and I wouldn’t recommend to anyone who lives close by. Such a shame due to our waiting staff very accommodating and hospitable on the night.