Hoop & Grapes, EC4

Visited 07/04/26. Visited previously 06/12/18. Cask here was four handpumps offering their own Whitstable Bay Pale Ale, Bishop's Finger, Spitfire and Master Brew. Keg offering of their own Whitstable Bay lager, Spitfire lager, First Drop Session IPA, Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale, New Zealand hazy pale ale, and Iron Wharf Stout. Away keg beers were Guinness, Moretti, Hurlimann lager, Singha and Orchard View cider. Well-advertised, newly re-opened as an expensive refit. Ground floor is bare boarded with wooden bar counter on the right-hand wall just inside the entrance. There is leather banquette seating in the attractive leaded glass window to the right of the entrance and along the left-hand wall serving small tables with stools the other side thereof. Some similar seating arrangements near the stairs and in the rear right-hand corner beyond the end of the bar counter leading to a small and attractive rear outside seating area. The terrace Bar and the Parsons Parlour are upstairs, but I didn't go up to check out on this visit. No screens in the ground floor bar, quiet background music, ambient lighting made for a very pleasant reacquaintance with this venue, although I suspect the small ground floor bar in less clement weather and busier parts of the day/week could make it somewhat noisy and crowded.

Recently reopened by Shepherd Neame after a five year closure while the surrounding side was being redeveloped. The interior now has a smart semi-traditional look after a £1.8 million refurbishment in the narrow rectangular bar and in the Terrace Bar and Parsons Parlour above. There is also an attractive little yard garden at the back. With all four handpumps in use, I found the expected Master Brew, Whitstable Bay Pale, Spitfire (£6.55) and Bishops Finger being served.