The Little Driver, Bow, E3

There were two ales on - GKIPA and London Pride - with a third handpump apparently unused. The GKIPA was advertised at £2.80 a pint, which is a very good price, with the Pride just a bit more expensive at £1.55 a half. Food is advertised on miniature chalkboards hanging from one of the walls, and included lots of pub grub staples, such as fish and chips for £6.95 and the all day breakfast for £5.50. The magnificent, and enormous, Hoare and Co mirror still has pride of place on the right hand wall, and the bar back is rather nice, with some excellent floral themed mirrors on either side of a doorway. The panelling on the lower part of the walls also looks pretty ancient as well. Furnishings are metal framed tables and standard issue chairs. Free wi-fi is advertised. Once you look closely, there's a bit more to this pub than is immediately apparent. It's very East Enders - I even heard one of the locals call the barmaid treacle, and as she was English no doubt realised that it was a term of endearment! This is a decent enough, unpretentious little place. A better ale selection would be a big plus, but nonetheless it's still OK as pubs go.

Situated on Bow Road, virtually equidistant between Bow Road ( District Line ) and Bow Church ( DLR) is The Little Driver, a Victorian era pub that has been opened out to create one large light and airy room, served by a central L shaped bar. The interior features the trademark high ceilings, tall windows and some fine woodwork behind the small bar, but what really stands out is the splendid large old Hoare’s & Co Brewery mirror that dominates one of the side walls. There’s also several old photos of the pub in its former Charringtons days. Sadly, the normal green tinged leaded windows are absent, apart from in one small corner. The pub sign depicts an old train and, whilst I didn’t see anything to give me a clue about the reason for this, the pub apparently began life as the waiting room for what was once Bow Road station. Reflecting the area, it’s very much an unpretentious pub for locals, with something of a basic downmarket feel compared to what I remember from previous visits. The pub feels a bit run down and tired – for example, the carpet is very worn in places and, on my recent Sunday lunchtime visit, the gents toilet was without lighting. The youngish East End girl who served me appeared rather sullen and disinterested – more akin to a Central London or West End pub. A small poster in the window was advertising traditional pie, mash and liquor with a much wider range of basic pub grub advertised inside. A reasonable pint of London Pride – at a very cheap £ 2.80p – was enjoyed, but the other 2 pumps were unclipped and I got the feel that real ale was not a big player here at all In all honesty, I found this pub slightly depressing and I don’t see a return visit on the cards

Located part-way between Bow Church DLR and Bow Road underground stations, this is now quite a basic pub but which was probably rather grander at one time. The 'J'-shaped bar has plenty of seating and a high ceiling, giving quite a spacious feel. The furniture is fairly traditional, but features such as the long bar back and the large 'Hoare & Co's Celebrated Stout' mirror add a bit of interest. Also has a beer garden (not visited). Only Pride was available from the three handpumps, but this was a reasonable pint at £2.80. Overall, all a bit 'faded glory', but not a bad spot for a quick pint.

Randomness Guide to London - Little Driver entry

Randomness Guide to London - Little Driver entry