Fitzgerald’s pub (formally the Elephant’s Head)

Clapton, Food & drink, Planning & development

Noticed last night the Fitzgerald’s on Lower Clapton Road was boarded up. No real loss, but wonder if anyone knows what is happening to it? A decent boozer (not too trendy, but not too sad alcoholic) would be good…

43 Comments

  1. @dang1es – well, it was for sale when we did our pub tour recently, so I guess it’s been bought and awaiting refurb. Hopefully not to be turned into badly build flats…

  2. Shame shame. When we went in there on our tour it was amazingly naff, in a good way. Mirroring what @saladefolle said, hopefully it will remain a pub.

  3. There’s a piece about it on the estate agent’s website, see link. Bit worried about the way they hint that there’s not as much demand for pubs any more. I disagree – I think there’s more than scope for a decent boozer in the area, as Antic appear to understand with the opening of the Clapton Hart.

    http://www.agg.uk.com/news/2011/handsome-pubs-lure-investors-not-drinkers

  4. thanks for the info @jason shame it’s not good news. i agree with you that this area could support a decent pub, hopefully someone will give it a go

  5. It has great scope to be a good pub, great location and lovely frontage. And the elephants head is a fantastic name. Can one you buy it and restore it, thanks 🙂

  6. we need to club together, community ownership! 🙂

  7. I noticed that the developer who is converting the former Cricketers pub also has permission for this site;http://gracewoodgroup.com/groups/gracewood-development/current-developments#ad-image-6“Gained planning consent for 5 x residential units 1 x commercial unit””Construction Spring 2013”Fitzgerald's“

  8. Looks like there’s hope for this place. While the plan granted for the Cricketers saw a catastrophic loss of ground floor space and a change to A1-3 retail, the plan granted on this site saw virtually all of the ground floor area maintained and it still being kept as a pub (A4) – though this category does have permitted development to change to any other retail use, which means they wouldnt need planning permission should they subsequently decide to change it. http://idox.hackney.gov.uk/WAM/showCaseFile.do?action=show&appType=Planning&appNumber=2012/2123 “

  9. As @line1 pointed out on another thread some time ago, Fitzgerald’s currently has a license application pending so it looks as though it’s staying as a bar of some sort. I noticed today that they’ve started fitting out the interior, but can’t determine too much at this early stage other than they are constructing a bar. The license is in the name of Scofflaw Ltd. Can’t find out much about the company but I believe ‘scofflaw’ is a cocktail term, so a cocktail bar would be my best guess.

  10. I assume they’ll be changing the Oirish pub name, hopefully back to the original….

  11. @GavinRedknap I hope so too. Although the developer seems to have gone to the trouble of retaining and painting the Fitzgerald’s signage. It did cross my mind that a ‘Scofflaw’ cocktail bar in Chicago was opening a branch here – their branding would fit into the new East End London very easily – but that’s obviously a wild speculative leap.
    https://www.facebook.com/ScofflawChicago

  12. I found some more info….
    They were advertising on gumtree but the advert is dead, the info from the cached version includes this info:

    new bar & brasserie opening in Hackney, East London.

    opening in February 2014.

    The style of food will be rustic French, using simple, fresh ingredients, façon grand’mere.

    The dining room will hold 120 covers, so the ability to handle high volume is essential.

    If you are looking for an exciting new challenge for 2014, please contact Mark or Rory at Scofflaw Ltd

    So, a french restaurant cc/ @saladefolle @dang1es @jason @robbieds

  13. Good find. But I’d be surprised if they could fit 120 in there. Might that be a different venture?

  14. The planning application mentions some extension work, including a loft conversation to create a new floor. The ad mentions a flat for the head chef, but I wonder if the covers were over a few floors that it would make 120.

    Saying that, the plans currently have residential on most of the floors.

  15. I just found my photo of inside the pub, for anyone that didn’t visit, it used to look like this.

  16. Well it looks as though my cocktail bar speculation was wrong and @ewebber is right. Just asked a guy inside who said “a restaurant, opening in 6 to 8 weeks”. Sorry I didn’t get any more.

  17. Yes! I like being right.

  18. You guys are amazing sleuths.

    Another day, another restaurant in Clapton to guzzle up all my money.

  19. @ewebber a French restaurant… I promise it’s not me who’s behind it. (and yes, you do like being right ;-). @robbieds that can be the venue for our next date. Incidentally, Candela has become a bit of a habit lately – can’t stay away from the mojito!

  20. ‘Tête de l’éléphant’?

  21. …or is it actually going to be a bar?

    https://twitter.com/BonnevilleE5/

    Unless it’s going to be both?

    Stumbled across the twitter by accident…

  22. Nice find Robbie, so another bar on the way. The Lower Clapton Road pub crawl gets more feasible

  23. Love this original feature they found

    Origional features innit.

    From their instagram

  24. via Twitter “very definitely bar/restaurant”

  25. Cool, thanks for asking them (I had a queued up tweet to do the same!)

  26. I think I’m right in saying it’s being done by the same guy who did The Hemingway on Victoria Park Road E9.

    • …and the Hunter S Pub on Southgate Road N1

  27. The Hemingway and the Hunter S are both from the Seven Eights group http://www.seven-eighths.co.uk – no mention that it’s the same group, although could be one of the same people.

  28. But I’m pretty sure it’s the same guy. I think he sold Seven Eighths last year to set up new venture.

  30. Now I feel as though I’m stalking the poor chap;
    http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/ruairi-gilles-work/55/863/1a5

    • No this not at all creepy 😉

      • Sorry @ruairigille if my inquisitiveness over-spilled into intrusiveness – no malintent honestly. Good luck with your new venture and I’ll no doubt introduce myself to you when you’re open.

        • Quite alright, I should be flattered 🙂
          We’ll open Easter weekend! See you soon.

          • Oh the internet! Look forward to the opening 🙂

  31. I know, although it is legitimate that companies house stuff is public domain. Either way, I think that’s enough information to back up the theories here, and we can let them tell the rest of the story!

  32. He’s probably now wondering what on earth he signed up for now.

  34. Now on Instagram; “Opening soon, Hackney’s latest and greatest bar & restaurant. Follow to see how we’re getting on.”
    http://instagram.com/bonnevilleclapton

  35. why cant i see any recent comments on these threads despite being emailed when there’s a new comment?

    By the way good luck Ruairi if you get this!

    • Some of the recent comments have been ‘replies’ to other comments and so appear further back up the thread. (But I think there are other problems too.)

      • @benjamin When you say other problems, can you clarify? If they are technical, then I can look at them.

        @GavinRedknap if you click the link in the email that has the # at the end e.g.
        Comment Link: http://www.yeahhackney.com/fitzgeralds-pub/#comment-66221
        It will take you to the comment that it’s notifying you about.
        For clarity, I’ve just removed the second link that takes you to the thread without the specific comment link.

  36. Ah. Right you are.

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