Whatever the price and quality of the gastropub fare (pork belly and mash for a tenner, roasted root risotto at £7.50), this is a proper Portobello local. The majority of the jolly, bohemian-minded punters hanging around the pleasingly sparse, open-plan interior – probably at the bar – seem cheerfully merry whatever the time of day, which istestament of sorts to the agreeable atmosphere cultivated by the matey staff.
There’s music three or four nights a week; the rest of the time, it’s a free for all, with unshaven musos hammering back Black Sheep, Staropramen, Kirin or Leffe. A couch in one corner affords comfort to couples.