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Chat about:
Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Moby Duck
Submitted on Wednesday, 13th December 2017
With picture contributions to 1045 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (19 more images)
Detail Pages
The Little Driver, Bow, E3
E3
E3 2AN
Served areas
Reviews of The Little Driver (Average Rating: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Little Driver
This place dates from the late 18th century but was rebuilt in 1869, subjected to a refit around 1900, which gets it a place in CAMRA’s heritage pubs inventory, listed as being of Some Regional Importance.
I’m not sure of the name’s origin as there’s a depiction of a railway engine to the window, but I suspect this was once a drovers’ trail, along which drovers would drive their cattle to market.
This is a large pub with a commanding interior. There’s much rich wood carving in here with a deeply textured bar front which features a boarded apron, thereafter carpet (see photo). Still retained, are some partitions with cut and etched glass, similar to the bar back. There’s a column with ornate capital and very fine Victorian fireplace. Walls are off-white with a white Anaglypta ceiling, from which chandeliers hang, though much of the illumination comes from the multitude of TVs, which no one appeared to be watching, the customers being exclusively older males and very East End; the old-school landlady was chatting away to them animatedly, so she’s probably as much of an old fixture as many of the heritage fittings, the most striking of which is the massive gilded Hoare’s mirror (Hoare’s was based at East Smithfield to the north-east of the Tower of London and created Toby ale, both of which were acquired by Charrington’s in 1933). Furniture comprises normal tables and chairs and music played at a decent level, courtesy of a jukebox.
I had made an abortive attempt to come here about a week earlier, but was thwarted by not having access to something called ‘cash’. Having found some of this so-called ‘cash’, I returned only to find that like the previous reviewer, I was deeply disappointed to be confronted by a bank of three Pride clips and as no one could be seen drinking it, I decided not to take the risk so opted for a Neck Oil at the reliably unjustifiable price of £5.70, though cheaper than some, served by a friendly barmaid, though unquestionably a short measure.
This is an interesting pub, not least because of the heritage value. The ale choice – or lack of – is a bit of a disincentive to visiting on its own, but it makes a reliable contribution to a crawl of the area.
On 24th September 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Little Driver
The Little Driver is still much as Rex described it four years ago, in addition there were four tv screens placed around the room, two were showing football, sound up, and two horse racing, sound down. The pub was well attended on a Sunday lunchtime and the atmosphere was very east end. There are three hand pumps on the bar, but disappointingly all were clipped with Pride.
Despite the singular ale choice I quite enjoyed this pub.
On 27th November 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Little Driver
Central bar serves 3 real ales and food.
On 18th March 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
View more reviews of The Little Driver (6)
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- Randomness Guide to London - Little Driver entry
- Facebook - Little Driver
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Little Driver - whatpub.com
- Historic Pub Interiors - pubheritage.camra.org.uk
Hackney Wick, 1.5 miles, 29 min walk (show)
West Ham, 1.64 miles, 31 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Child Friendly : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Function Room : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Hot Food : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Jukebox : Yes last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Live Music : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 13 April 2022 by Tris C
- Real Cider : No last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
- WiFi : Yes last updated 24 September 2021 by Tris C
