Coin Laundry, EC1

A light and airy pub at the end of the popular Exmouth Market strip, whether or not it was a laundry in a former life I’m not sure, but it looks as though it could well have been with it’s large windows and positioned in site of a tower block. It has something of a bohemian atmosphere when we visited, and whilst certainly not the sort of cosy old pub that I would normally gravitate towards, it did nonetheless have a certain quirky appeal. The flooring was rough wooden boards, whilst a number of iron pillars supported the dark green ceiling. There were some areas of whitewashed exposed brickwork as well as one wall that was covered in some old patterned tiling, although sections of this had fallen off leaving rough cement underneath. A semi-open kitchen was in on corner and there were a number of old photographs of tube trains and stations, although it was not made clear what connection, if any, these had to the pub. A few large pots of foliage softened the atmosphere somewhat, as well as further shrubbery above the porch. The large windows let in plenty of light, and these include yellow stained glass along the top. A few low leather sofas were around the perimeter, with the remainder of seating arrangements consisting of larger tables for four or six punters. A rolled up projector screen suggests that major sporting fixtures may be screened. Beers on tap were all keg rather than cask and on this occasion included Thornbridge Hazy Session IPA, Partizan Brewing’s Porter, Wild Beer Bibble and Villages Lagoon Red Ale. The solitary cider meanwhile was Mortimer’s Orchard.