Age: A year or so – although the flagship in Bethnal Green has been around a lot longer.
Where exactly is it? Right there under the arches, its rear terrace overlooking the wonderfully reborn Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.
OK. So what goes on there? Beer. Tons of it. And, if you’re peckish, streetfood.
What should I drink? It’s a mind-boggling list to the newcomer, with 33 taps, from pale ales to milk stouts and still ciders. A basic enough Cologne Orbit Nico lager is listed first, if you’re easily panicked by choice. On our last visit we enjoyed the seemingly-ubiquitous Gipsy Hill Brewery’s Baller IPA – a hefty 5.6% with punchy lemony notes and even a dash of pineapple. Perfect by the 2/3 glass on a hot, sticky evening (but at £5 a pop it’s one to sip rather than knock back).
The interior: discuss. Railway arch. Benches. Some high tables and stools too. You know the score. And you can also sit out front amidst the fumes of the Albert Embankment.
And what do I eat? On our visit it was Yucatan tacos – three for a tenner or six for £15. Which seems decent value, with typical fillings like beef, chicken and jackfruit. Or there are plenty of nearby options, including our fave Portuguese Pico (if you eat one thing there, choose the octopus).
What’s the service like? A little surly, if we’re honest. A smile would be nice next time, OK? We don’t bite.
Do say: ‘Meet you here before the show at Above The Stag?’
Don’t say: ‘A pint of Heineken, please.’
