The Royal Oak, E2

A return the other night and the pub's still good, though with just London Original and TTL though on quality form; what wasn't so good was the dog and baby in a pram which could vie for road space with the increasing number of Range Rovers outside. As mentioned, the pub is a magnet for the East End film industry, attracting the attentions of Legend, Pierrpoint, The Missionary, The Kemps and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

A former Trumans pub half a mile north of the brewery, this is on Camra's national inventory of pub interiors, but only one star as the interior walls have clearly been removed. There's plenty of wood panelling to appreciate, and the bar counter is mostly original. There are two hand pumps, with Youngs Original and Five Points Pale on at the time of my visit. The Youngs was as good as it gets (NBSS 3.5). This pub deserves a better photo than mine, taken at twilight in January, and some of the others are cluttered with cars and people. Maybe I'll come back some time. Date of visit: 10th January 2024)