Birdcage, E2

Situated on Tower Hamlets’ flower-powered Columbia Road, the Birdcage has been here since the mid-18th century though was probably rebuilt in the 19th and has since lost its raised parapets despite retaining attractive green glazed tiling as well as some decent Truman’s regalia to the front and rear. Now part of the Draft House chain and despite being a very cold night I didn’t experience a drafty house – does this company mean Draught House by any chance? Anyway, until recently this was a bit of a dodgy boozer but has been transformed into a family/hipster-orientated pub with an attractive interior, seemingly toned down quite a bit since some of the earlier reviews. Just how much of the original interior remains isn’t obvious, but the field panelled bar with pot shelf certainly looks authentic, though as mentioned, the bar back is of rather tedious glazed white tiles. Nevertheless, it does indeed feel more pubby than you’d expect, though the log burning stove being lit would have been a bonus. Furniture is mixed and conventional, the floor is bare boarded and I didn’t see any TVs; music was muted. There were paper menus on tables which I didn’t get to peruse though I don’t think that this is a gastropub in the true sense of the word. The barmaid was friendly and efficient though presided over just two ales: Sambrook’s American Red and Siren’s Six Nations’-influenced Ruck ‘n’ Maul at £2.10 a half, served in a wineglass. I wish I’d spotted the ABV as it weighed in at a rather weedy 3.5% making it a bit bland. With Friday and Saturday 1.00 am licences I could easily have spent some time in here as on balance this is a nice pub, making for a great triple when combined with The Royal Oak and Marksman, but a wider and more interesting selection of ales would result in a higher mark, as would a nice fire to keep out the Draft.

Located at the western end of Columbia Road, famous for its weekly flower market, this is another outlet for the rapidly expanding Draft House chain. They’ve done a reasonable job of keeping the pub’s Victorian East End boozer feel, but have updated all the furniture and given the place a good lick of paint, leaving a nice contemporary feeling pub that should have a bit of crossover appeal. The interior is set out in a broad L-shape, with a similarly shaped servery along the back wall. The room is bare boarded and the bar has a nice dark wood counter and matching canopy supported by nicely carved pillars. However, the bar back is a victim of modernity, having been given the white tile, craft beer look. For me, one of the highlights was the wonderfully patterned ceiling, which gently glowed in the muted evening light supplied by a series of attractive lamps. Banquette seating is available under the windows, with high tables and stools closer to the bar and some canteen-style tables and benches in the front left corner. The room runs a fir way to the rear and back here you will find a mix of pew and low stool seating. This area offered the only free seats when I visited, but the nearby toilets smelt so awful that I had to give up my seat and move well away from them. The colour scheme is a mix of grey and green, with some wine glass print wallpaper thrown in for good measure. I noted a few music themed items around the room, including a framed old NME cover and some LP sleeves, with the traditional East End upright piano also present and correct. Three ales were available at the bar – Sambrooks Pump House Pale and two from Thornbridge; Kipling and Hirundo. As you might expect, there was a wide range of craft keg and bottle/can options, all detailed painstakingly on daily printed menus. This chain tends to offer cheap cask ale on one of its handpulls, and on this occasion it was the Kipling that had the discount, with a pint marked down from £4.50 on the menu, to a very reasonable £2.90 and in very good condition to boot. I’m really warming towards this chain, as unlike other craft beer chains, their pubs all feel very different and have a lot more character as a result. The good value beer and extensive selection of craft options are also big plus points and I’d say this place is well worth seeking out if in the area.

Cant add to much to Steve and Rex's findings below,very lively on a Saturday evening,it was more pubby than I was expecting, thats not a bad thing in my book,a very good bottle selection was on view and I had the best beer of the day on cask, Tiny Rebel Cwtch. The only slight downside was when asking about any CAMRA discount available, the girl serving had no idea what I was talking about, it was late into the days drinking and I couldn't be bothered to press the issue.Anyhow a quite enjoyable pub.

This is the latest addition to the ever growing Draft House chain. I hadn't visited this before it re-opened in its current guise, but it's certainly got a modern look inside. Having said that, inside it still has what looks to be the original ceiling decoration and entrance vestibule, while on the exterior is the original Truman's signage, and green tiled walls. The furnishings are a mixed bag of settles/pews, banquettes, benches, small stools, standard tables, and with only a couple of tall tables/tall stools. Modern touches include the large fishbowl lightshades, perhaps intended to give a "gaslamp" look. The music being played got a bit loud and raucus by 16.45, but not so loud as to inhibit conversation. But on to the important stuff. The three handpumps were clipped for Sambrook Wandle, Henry's Hop & Rye, and Five Points Hook Island Red. As well as the ale clips, they all also had a "SALE" clip on them as well. Asking about a CAMRA discount, the barman confirmed that it still applied, but not during January when all three ales are on sale at £2.75 a pint. That's good enough for me. For some reason my companion went for the Wandle, which is only second behind London Pride as his favourite beer, but I opted for the stonking 6% Hook Island Red. A new one on me, this turned out to be absolute nectar of a full flavoured beer. A bargain at £2.75. All the optics behind the bar seemed to have bottles containing different coloured liquids attached to them, and an enquiry of the barman revealed that they all contain something called "cocktail", apparently already made up to speed things up when it gets busy. I can't imagine why anyone would want that when you can have Hook Island Red at £2.75 a pint, but I suppose it takes all sorts and there's no accounting for taste. Food didn't seemed to be ridiculously priced, but I did spot at the bottom of the menu that a 12.5% service charge is applied. Steak and ale pie, plus mushy peas and green liquor or onion gravy is £7.90 - mash is an extra £1. I also noticed something else that came with either "farmhouse saison or French picpoul". Delicious probably. Despite the fact that this is no longer the traditional boozer it no doubt once was, we enjoyed the hour or so we spent in here. Excellent beer at knockdown prices probably helped a lot to increase our enjoyment.

Now re-open by the Drafthouse chain.Smart comfortable L shaped bar.Nice original tiled exterior and a large Watneys lamp but cheap looking pub sign.Cant really comment much on the interior as I was a bit distracted.Four cask beers on and about a dozen keg.Good beer range but not cheap for keg.