Bethnal Green pubs

Small and lively. Very lively. A beaten-up, beaming, good-humoured, ramshackle local that hasn't had a facelift in a very long time From the outside it looks about as appealing as a Rotherham v West Ham match in the middle of winter. It's on the ground floor of a block of flats and lies opposite the council estate that has featured in Little Britain. The pub sign proclaims that this place is a free house, but the choice of beer served at the horseshoe-shaped bar suggests otherwise. Although to be fair you couldn't fault the service. There is horse racing on some sort of mud racecourse on TV, but none of the customers are paying any attention. Music by old crooners drifts across the pub like a mild sedative for what seems like an eternity until one of the lager swilling punters demands that it be changed. It is immediately replaced by the sort of music you would normally be subjected to if you were on the phone to British Gas and got put on hold. Mmm tasteful. Another bloke answers his mobile phone: "I'm full of fahkin' Christmas cheer, what do you fahkin' want?!" Better leave this one to the locals. It looks scary, but it isn't at all. Humdrum, crowded and lively, if any accusation can be levelled at it, it must be an occasional over filling of trendy young things laughing too loudly in a very fake manner and playing on their mobile phones. This is the hideous future that is overrunning all of Bethnal Green. This attractive old East End boozer has been given the makeover treatment to suit Bethnal Green's new affluent young residents. Taking a Victorian building and turning it into a honeypot for the hip and trendy is fraught with problems, but the owners of this place seem to have been sympathetic to the existing architecture and decor. On entering the overriding impression is the size. This is a small pub. Next, you are visually assaulted by the floral wallpaper which resembles the aftermath of a bizarre GM experiment involving roses and a ton of horse manure. That aside, the pub feels warm and cosy. The beer options include Adnams Bitter and Broadside together with the usual selection of lagers. Wine is given greater emphasis than some other pubs and there is a small but well selected range on offer. For those whose livers are still shot to bits after all the Christmas and New Year excess there is a selection of herbal teas. On our visit soft jazz music and the wobbly vocals of Bryan Ferry dribbled forth from the speakers. The soothing musical notes and the rest of the pub ambience relaxed me so much that I almost slithered off my bar stool. Mmmm nice. Bethnal Green is a district of London which clearly embodies the paradoxes of modern London. This pub stands at the head of a T-junction which clearly represents three parallel futures for Bethnal Green. To the south, Cambridge Heath Road leads toward the Bethnal Green Road lined with small shops filled with Cockney families. This represents the past and a possible continuation into the future. To the north, Bethnal Green takes on a more seedy appearance. A huge billboard advertises an American style lap dancing club and points the way toward a proliferation of "pound in a pint glass" establishments. Old Ford Road springs off in a perpendicular direction and passes a collection of fine Victorian houses before arriving at a colony of hideously expensive new apartment blocks largely occupied by design conscious young professionals. This pleasant East End local lies at the centre of all this and the clientele reflect the surrounding environment. A scary looking man with an eye-patch inhabits one corner, whilst a smartly dressed young couple stand at one end of the bar and two builder types at the other end. The proprietors have obviously attempted to woo the public by being as inclusive as possible. The internal decoration is inoffensive and there are a couple of interesting little touches. A row of wine bottles behind the bar have been decorated in the emblems of London's main football teams and a stained glass window adorns one wall. A TV screen at one end shows regular football matches. The choice of beer was a little disappointing. No bitters were available on our visit only lagers or Guinness. They have a surprisingly broad choice of wine which is doubtless an attempt to lure folk from the Old Ford Road. The music emanating from the juke box ranged from Culture Club to Rick Astley and made no serious attempt to escape from the 80s. It's rare to find pubs in Bethnal Green that aren't minging or haven't gone all trendy so despite its faults I rather liked this place. This one is a small Victorian style pub that has been converted into a pseudo Mediterranean 'bar de copas' for the benefit of the New Bethnal Greeners. The inside has been stripped bare, the walls have been painted purple and the obligatory battered leather sofa has been moved in. Beer-wise its all a bit disappointing: continental lagers at an extortionate £3 a pint. We recommend you try the short but impressive list of cocktails instead. The best features of this pub are the novelty Wild West style saloon doors which lead to the gents toilets. Being surrounded by the wreckage of Cambridge Heath Road doesn't usually bode too well for public houses. This one squats at the end of a disintegrated parade of shops, its frosted glass windows seemingly designed to repel even the boldest of pub-hoppers. Surprisingly, rather than a punch in the face I received a cordial welcome, sat myself at the bar and enjoyed a nice pint of beer in subdued but comfortable surroundings. The barman was a gent, the other punters seemed happy enough and the aura of genial shabbiness was rather endearing. I haven't a clue whether it does food or has a TV. Not worth heading to the area for (is anything?) but decent enough. Despite its dodgy appearance, this is a fine pub. A mixed local crowd blends seamlessly with the newcomers. The atmosphere of harmony is enhanced by good beer and a range of pub-related activities including pool, Sky Sports and the occasional live music. The only slightly disconcerting thing on our visit was the noise of a dog going berserk behind closed doors, although if you keep the landlord sweet and buy plenty of drinks you should be OK. The ample fenestration shaded by Venetian blinds look out into bustling Bethnal Green. There's a mostly young crowd here enjoying, or should that be enduring, the blaring retro music. As Chris De Burgh and David Bowie take their turns to nauseate, my eyes wander and notice the collection of old boxing photographs on the wall. A sport which has its grass roots in this area..... Deceptively smaller on the inside than it appears from the outside, the result of a bizarre optical illusion caused by the clashing red walls and green carpet. A small black stage occupies the front corner by the window and a disturbing Tottenham Hotspur souvenir stares down menacingly at the pool table situated at the rear. The Shakes (as it is affectionately known by its patrons), is a stereotypical east-end boozer. Everybody seems to know each other. The youngsters congregate around the pool table and discuss football. The baseball cap wearing old men prefer to prop up the bar whilst coughing up copious amounts of phlegm. Apart from the ubiquitous Guinness, lagers feature strongly at the bar. Ruddles Smooth and Best are the only bitters and even these aren't hand drawn. Not much else to say really except that the toilets were surprisingly clean. Opening on 21st March 2008 Not reviewed yet.

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