The Dissenting Academy

Back in the last century Stoke Newington was home to the headquarters of the British Communist Party, which in some small way defines it – even still – as a centre of radical, bohemian thought - apparently. Now, just down the road in Newington Green, the area’s former socio-political glories are being restored if only by the name and inspiration for local boozer, The Dissenting Academy. Named after the buildings where freethinkers came to discuss the issues of the age, The Dissenting Academy’s current inhabitants claim that they adopted the moniker because they too came to upset the status quo and veer beyond the beaten track down a path named ‘non-conformity’. But does it all add up, this ‘desire to challenge the norm’? Well, first of all, let’s just make the point that The Dissenting Academy is a lovely pub. We’ll give it that. The spacious interior has a welcoming warmth to it despite the size, you’ll find just the right balance between battered green chesterfields and battered red chesterfields and a healthy amount of music nights throughout the week. However, we wouldn’t go quite so far as to call this an ‘inspirational pub’ (as their website does) just because it has an Obey Giant and a vast painting of Bill Hicks hanging on the wall. But hey, we’re not squares. We love Bill Hicks, we laugh at his jokes all the time. And we think Obey is a great brand. Truly. So…

Back on track. On the taps there is a tasty lineup of rotating ales, which makes this what you might call ‘a beer pub’ these days. That means that you can find ales and lagers beyond the standard. On the matter of food, it is traditional pub grub all the way, which is no bad thing at all. We eat a perfect ham, egg and chips on our visit, which comes as a reminder that all pubs should be serving this classic – forever. So, The Dissenting Academy; well worth popping in for good ales, ham and eggs and a dance at the weekend. Just remember, the freethinking, radical non-conformity is all on you.

The Dissenting Academy

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