It’s well worth a slight detour if you’re in the area – only make sure you come ready for a chatty evening
Located in the heart of East London lies a family-owned pub that feels like a walk back in time. Whether it’s the traditional carpets and furniture or the no-frills menu with pub classics, this boozer brings an old school atmosphere to an ever-changing city.
The Old Kings Head might be of a dying breed when it comes to pubs in London — which is exactly why it’s adored. Even though the area around it may have changed drastically over the last 20 years, The Old Kings Head has remained an ever-present fixture on Hollywell Road.
Located on a side street in Shoreditch where main roads such as Worship Street and Curtain Road see massive amounts of traffic and footfall, The Old Kings Head has become an attraction worth the detour. That is why owner, Carly Turner, is proud to run it.
She told MyLondon: “We are a family-run pub, which I think is a bit of a niche in this area. We’ve took it over 16 years ago. We don’t do any frills or bows. We are what we are.
“We shop local for our meat from Billingsgate Market and get our bread from local bakeries. We’ve got local artists with their pieces in the pub. Our pub is like a look back in the time. Simply put, we are a traditional pub.
“When we first took over the pub, it was predominantly bookmakers and printers in the area. Then, we got brokers and nowadays, we have a younger crowd. Ultimately, we get a real mix of people.
“We get older guys and locals in the morning having a drink; at night, it gets lively and buzzy with the younger crowd. If the sun is shining, it becomes almost like a street festival. It’s a unique, tiny, little pocket in Shoreditch.”
The traditional feel of the pub can be found in the food as well. A full English breakfast costs only £10; a sausage and egg breakfast sandwich on fresh crusty bread costs £5. On Mondays and Tuesdays, you can get a burger, chips and a pint for £12. When it comes to a drink, a pint is £6.20, showing how Carly tries to keep prices fair and affordable even as the price of running a pub continually goes up.
In November, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her Budget that business rates would rise for all businesses in Britain in April 2026. The Treasury announced in January that pubs and music venues will get 15% off their business rates bills from April as part of a major support package.
Carly said: “We survived Covid by the skin of our teeth and it’s been a tricky few years. It’s getting rarer these days to see family-owned pubs in my opinion.
“With cost of bills and everything around pubs skyrocketing, holding onto what we have has been tricky but we’ve managed. We’ve stayed consistent, stayed with the same tradition and try to keep our prices quite fair and I think that’s why people come.
“We are a pub, we’re nothing special and we try to keep the feeling that way. Our team is like a family and the staff are really important.
“The bar staff will always talk to you and they’ve been here for ages. We’re living in a different time now and everything is a fad and a trend but because we’ve stayed as we are, I think that’s why we get the people in. We are quite small but when the sun shines and it’s busy, it’s brilliant.”
One reviewer wrote: “Great local pub that is welcoming to people from all walks of life. Very traditional feel. Good bar staff. Reasonable prices for food. Nothing fancy on the menu. Worth heading down the side street for.”
Another wrote: “A typical English pub. Fun and welcoming. We had a great time and the people were very friendly. Perfect if you’re in the area.”
Sadly, the iconic pub cat is no longer with us but the traditional English pub still has enough charm and food worth the visit.
You can find The Old Kings Head at 28 Holywell Row, London EC2A 4JB.
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