The Half Moon

This pub is normally full of students from Queen Mary and some older people who live in the area. I used to go there all the time back when I was doing my masters and have some late drinks before going home or a full English after a big night out.
Being in Victoria Park for fireworks night I thought I’d come back to this pub because I haven’t been in the past two years and I was happy to see that it hasn’t changed. Despite being a wetherspoons I’ve always liked the food there, the Tennessee burger was one of my favourites and there are a lot of cheap drinks deals to cater for the student crowd.
In general I was happy I was back there and I still think it is a nice pub but the crowd does not match my current life stage (a bit over cheap shots and getting IDed). Also I would not travel an hour across London to get there on a regular basis.
However if you are a student and live in the area you should definitely make this your local.

Great pub, wetherspoons so you know what you get, plenty of seating but can get busy, outdoor area is nice, plenty of choice of drinks, especially during the beer/​cider/​wine festivals, good food

It’s spoons. It’s full of students. It’s fine.
Pretty good for groups, nice smoking area WITH HEATERS!
Staff are friendly, food is average stuff-​your-​face kindof food, nothing gourmet but good pub lunch.
Very casual, usually a little busy inside; you may be forced out into the cold, but its pretty enough in the rather large smoking area.

Close to Stepney Green tube station and Queen Mary as well.
Big place, although it’s quite packed in the evenings. Drinks are cheap, don’t have to queue a lot, so it’s perfect for a low-​budget night out in nice atmosphere.

As this is a Spoons, after all, I must use my handy dandy Wetherspoon rating system. And I give this one 4 heaping spoons up. You just can’t use the same scale as for a regular public house, because let’s face it, Spoons are a different kind of free hosue.
The Half Moon stands defiantly in the dreaded Mile End area, basically connected to the adjacent Queen Mary Uni. Many I time I have dropped by before an evening out in the area and ran here after class. Hell, I have even had a drink here on the way to class…
Yes, the carpet looks a bit like Kesha threw up a psychadelic pattern after a few too many cocktail pitchers. And yes, I have witnessed a mini fight among inebriated freshers at the end of a night here. However, overall you do see a lot of students here which make it feel significantly less sad than your average Spoons. The food and drink are uniform so let’s focus on some of the things that make this place unique.
There are these strange glass doors which are a bit out of place considering this building used to be the Half Moon Theatre of East London. The interior main hall makes this historical factoid pretty clear with a expansive domed ceiling. The other parts of the Half Moon are decorated in glass and geometric yellow shapes cutting through the overall maroon wallpaper. It’s funky. There is a nice outside beer garden which is separated from the main area with the aforementioned full length glass doors. And as crowded as it tends to get, I always find a place to sit and never feel like I am far off the age group around me, which is not something I can say of most Spoons.

Weatherspoon chain. Always the same menu same decoration. The garden is really nice to drink with friends. Food is just usual pub food. Cocktail is nice and cheap if you use the deal.

The Half Moon has some of the most inexpensive pub food in London, yet I would say it is among the highest quality food I have found. The Half Moon became my normal pub of choice, because I knew I could get an excellent meal at a great bargain a compared to the rest of the area. Food is served promptly in comparison to having to wait almost half an hour for a burger at some pubs (Silver Cross). Many of the premium food choices also come with an alcoholic beverage (or non) for under a total of £7. The menu and beverage choices at the bar is extensive and well balanced and offers specials throughout the week. Couldn’t hope for a better place within walking distance!

It really is funny seeing reviews from people new to the UK. This is cheap because it is a Wetherspoons. Simple. As Wetherspoons go it is cheap for London (the City etc have higher prices). So… dirt cheap drink? Yes. The usual selection of ales that are interesting? Yes. ⁶⁄₁₀ quality food? Yes.
No surprises but beware… it can be horribly busy (witness aforementioned non-​locals including students from nearby Queen Mary Uni) so you often won’t be able to get a seat. The décor is also pretty horrible and you get a fair number of locals tanked up on cheap beer shouing on. But on a good day it’s ideal for cheap food and decent beer.

This place is spookily cheap, and often has an outstanding selection of craft beers from around the world. The crowd is none too cool or pretty, but you can change that by bringing your own group.
Fact 1: Their food is not good, but definitely worth the pittance you pay for it.
Fact 2: Sometimes you can score a deal where you get a free beer with your food, or a free food with your beer if you want to see it that way – it is THAT cheap.
Fact 3: I got two cans of Six Point Sweet Action for £5. That is better than Brooklyn bar prices, or sometimes even Brooklyn grocery store prices after tax.
Fact 4: Double Hendricks G&T is 4.50.
What deal with which devil gave you these powers, Wetherspoons? You put the spell on me!

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Obviously. Being near a college campus and all I think this place is pretty decent. With tuition to pay and books to buy, no ones looking to pay for a wine and dine type of meal. You want food, you want alcohol, and you don’t want to break the bank getting it. The atmosphere of this place is pretty chill. I like the architecture, I like the décor, and the food passes. What’s nice is that they have some deals in the afternoon and certain items are 2 for 6 quid.
I’ve had the fish and chips, beer, and breakfast here. The fish and chips was a tad overdone but it was still crispy good. Beer is beer which is pretty standard. As for the breakfast, I thought it was an excellent deal! Refer to the picture I posted to gauge the deliciousness. Obviously, breakfast is easy as heck to make, but hey I like it!
Overall, it won’t give you an orgasm but you will enjoy it. If you’re buzzed, who cares anyways right? Plus, this place is an excellent hang out sort of place. Bring some friends, grab a beer, get some cheap food.

Ein ehemaliges Theater im Bezirk Tower Hamlets wurde in einen Pub der Kette Wetherspoons umgestaltet. Das übliche Sortiment gibt es hier, mit günstigen Burgern, Steaks, Curry, verschiedenen Bieren und Cocktails und so weiter. Studenten-​Rabattgutscheine werden angenommen.
Die gesamte Gegend ist eher südasiatisch (v.a. bengalisch) geprägt und die Mile End Road wird eher von Fried-​Chicken-​Restaurants gesäumt, so dass ein «traditionell» englischer Pub hier eine wertvolle Seltenheit ist. Die Nachfrage scheint zu stimmen, es ist zur Peaktime äußerst gut besucht und man muss eventuell auf einen Platz warten.
Nur war mein Chicken Breast Burger nicht ganz durch, wo das gerade bei Geflügel so wichtig sein soll. Aber ansonsten war es sehr angenehm.

Though the exterior of this building might be impressive, thanks to its conversion from theatre into drinking establishment, this is certainly not reflected in the interior which sadly looks like every other Weatherspoons bar in the world. The carpet looks like something your grandparents would find quite fetching and dotted around the place are various pictures and fittings which whilst trying to hold on to some of the history of the premises only serve to remind you of the downhill slide this property has taken.
This is the most likely place to find your local alcoholics, owing to the absurdly cheap drinks and food on offer. Unfortunately you pay for what you get and the food is dire whilst the drinks although quantiful are generally of poor quality.
The outdoor seating area is the one saving grace and can be quite pleasant on a warm afternoon. Not a place to linger for long but a decent place to kick off a cheap evening.