Let’s now rewind to July 2014: this was opening night when the pub once known as The Torriano relaunched under its original name, the Rose & Crown.
This month, therefore, it’s their 10th birthday no less. This popular backstreet boozer was early to embrace North and East London craft beers, while more recently, their well-curated roster of streetfood pop-ups – like Wilde’s Deli and Two Als – has kept the spot an essential destination. And, incidentally, that cute subterranean courtyard has hosted many a landmark Kentishtowner birthday.
The actual building isn’t a standard pub either, as you’ll have observed if you’re a regular, although a watering hole of sorts has existed here since the middle of the 19th century.
Called The Rose & Crown, it was demolished and rebuilt in 1937, for decades serving as an off-licence. Here, take a look above at how charming it was.
Fast forward a few decades and as The Torriano, it was known for crepes, cocktails, comedy nights and live music. And its atmospheric interior was frequented by a genuinely bohemian 1990s and noughties crowd, including, at the height of his fame, Pete Doherty and entourage. Its existence was routinely threatened in the late 00s when developers applied for planning consent to turn the property into flats. The result was a high-profile campaign to Save The Torriano; you could even by a CD and T-shirt.
Now the Rose & Crown with ten years under its belt, happily now its future seems safe. So owners Chris Hurd, Theo and Ben Caudell are celebrating their first decade for a whole week, with the excellent on-trend Deya Brewery dishing out (limited) free drinks, and the bar offering 10% off all drink purchases from 10pm until close.
In October 2024, Kentishtowner will celebrate its 14th birthday (unbelievable, right?). But with the demise of our free monthly print titles due to local advertising revenues in freefall, we need your support more than ever to continue delivering cultural stories that celebrate our neighbourhoods. Every reader contribution, however big or small, is invaluable in helping the costs of running the website and the time invested in the research and writing of the articles published. Support Kentishtowner here for less than the price of a coffee – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
