The Princess Alexandra, E16

There's no real here and no sign of food on a Wednesday evening. Guinness is £1.75 a half. This pub still has its (post-war I think) two-room format. Both rooms are connected by the vestibule entrance in the centre, although both rooms also have their own entrance to the street. Maybe there were more rooms at one time, although I didn't spot any evidence to support that. It's very traditional in here, in that there are no tall tables/tall stools or sofas - just upholstered fixed bench seating and normal tables and chairs. This is a basic pub; in both rooms there were punters swearing. One guy in the Public Bar was using the 'F' word as his sole adjective. There were TVs around the place, and in the Saloon Bar there was a small stage on the left. I haven't yet visited every pub in Canning Town, but so far it seems to be a real ale desert and on the evidence to date is probably best avoided by the discerning drinker.

Old-fashioned boozer retaining two separate bars (connected only by the gents toilet) with the larger lounge having a small stage. Plain but tidy furniture and decor. Background music and sports TVs. Also has some wooden benches on a narrow fenced area at the front. No real ale, but at least keg Courage Best (£2.80) was on offer in addition to the inevitable John Smith's. Mind you, there was still the traditional plates of cheddar cubes and Ritz biscuits on the counter on a Sunday lunchtime.