A trio of London bartenders spruced up this old boozer on the edge of Victoria Park nicely. It’s not overly eclectic – art deco mirrors, smart chandeliers, gun chairs – and feels as if it’s been here for ages.
A small open-plan kitchen serves a dining room to the rear, where the frequently rotated menu might include grilled prawns and tapenade, or scotch egg, oozing yolk and served with piccalilli, with roasts on Sundays.
There’s a striking selection of spirits, with bourbons and rums especially well represented. The range of draught beers includes Meantime Wheat, Konig Pilsener and Heineken, with Deuchars IPA and Doom Bar on handpull and Peroni Gran Reserva in the fridge.
It feels like a pub to spend time in: plenty of board games, piles of retro magazines, (non-Sky) football on the projection screen and – this being Hackney – single-speed cycling sorts chilling out front.