Widely credited with launching the food-in-pubs revolution when it opened in its current form in 1991, the Eagle has long since passed into both legend and middle age. Still, if some of the kids it inadvertently spawned put half as much effort into their food as the Eagle, ‘gastropub’ might not have become such a dirty word – this high-ceilinged corner room remains a cut above the competition. Globetrotting mains are chalked twice daily above the bar/open kitchen, the service is peerless (especially during lunch, when the place is humming) and the tables remain slightly too close together.
You can just drink but few do, aware they’re missing the big-flavoured likes of moreish tomato and bread soup; daisy-fresh scallops, pan-fried and served on toast with chorizo; and succulent leg of lamb with Jansson's temptation (a potato gratin-style Swedish dish). Draught beers include the Eagle's own IPA and a couple of options from Hackney Brewery.