Dalston · Hackney
The Duke of Wellington
The early-1820s building that once hid London’s first pub theatre
- Address119 Balls Pond Road, Dalston, London N1 4BL
- Phone020 7275 7640
- Websitedukeofwellingtonn1.com
- OwnershipPart of Stanley Pubs
About The Duke of Wellington
A handsome Balls Pond Road corner pub whose back room housed the Sugawn Theatre from 1967 — one of London’s original pub-theatre venues — behind an elegant timber-and-glass Victorian screen.
The building itself goes back to the early 1820s, but its most interesting chapter came in 1967, when the back room was converted into the Sugawn Theatre, one of the first pub-theatre venues anywhere in London. The bar retains a Victorian timber-and-glass screen, a panelled counter and a mosaic floor spelling out the pub’s name underfoot. A late-2025 refurbishment brought in new management without stripping out the period detail.
On tap
Rotating cask ales alongside the usual lagers and ciders.
Food
A pizza-led menu, served into the garden in summer.
More pubs in Dalston
- The Prince GeorgeA Victorian corner local with the CAMRA-listed interior to prove it
- Shacklewell ArmsA 1970s Saint Lucian social club turned indie gig venue
- The Three CompassesTime Out’s pick for best boozer in E8