The Leyton Engineer

You'll find yourself in a place that doesn't try too hard—which is exactly why people keep coming back. The Leyton Engineer does that tricky thing of being the kind of pub where regulars prop up the bar without making newcomers feel awkward, and where you can grab a decent pint alongside food that goes beyond tired frozen chips. It's the sort of spot that gets busy without feeling rowdy, somewhere between the Walthamstow Village end of things and proper working Leyton. The High Road location means it's caught plenty of footfall, but it's held onto its actual character rather than gentrifying into something unrecognisable.