The Railway Tavern, Liverpool Street, EC2

This is a railway pub whose website states that it's in Whitechapel. Eh? This pub is no more in Whitechapel than it is in White Hart Lane. Reviews below paint an accurate picture of this unappealing place, devoid of décor with lavatories that open out into the main bar area, TVs, projector TVs, loud music and more games machines than your average amusement arcade. Indifferent staff served up Greene King's IPA and London Glory, Moreland's Old Speckled Hen and Brentwood's Golden Galaxy at a very reasonable £2.05 a half and good. I'd give this place 2 points, the extra point was awarded on account of the decent Golden Galaxy. Needless to say, I won't be returning.

Nothing has inspired me to return to this pub and dispite earlier attempts to make a sow out of a pigs ear nothing will. Bare floors and tables with a range of real ales that would make a alcoholic sign the pledge. Unforunately it appears to have survived the crossrail carnage,unlike the far superiour White Hart down the road. There is no justice.

The biggest inducement to drinking in this pub has to be its location directly outside Liverpool Street station. A two bar pub, the main room has wooden flooring for the most part, with a few tiles around the bar area. For some strange reason, most of the seating is in the shape of high tables and stools which doesn’t make for the most relaxing time. Big windows can be opened out to the pavement outside, but roadworks meant that this wasn’t really possible, with a few smokers crammed into the small passage of pavement still accessible. The room is fairly devoid of character, with a few crests hanging above the servery being the main attraction, although a couple of TV screens showing cricket captured a fair few people’s attention, as did the loud music blaring on a Wednesday evening. A passageway leads out to the smaller City Bar, also with bare floorboards and high tables. This room struck me as a bit tatty and uncared for, and the ale-free bar was a pain, as I ended up with a Guinness after the barmaid failed to point out that ale is available in the other bar. A small upstairs area is available with some comfy looking seating and is probably best utilised by diners wanting to try the decent looking menu. Hand pumps eventually located, I suddenly wasn’t too upset with my Guinness, as an entirely underwhelming selection of Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale and Morland Old Speckled Hen was awaiting me. I can’t really find much to get excited about with this pub. It’s not the worse place you could find yourself in should you be passing through the station. I suspect you could turn up again a few years later and find things exactly as you left them. An unadventurous, generic pub experience.