The Little Mermaid, Hoxton, N1

Official site of The Little Mermaid - littlemermaidcocktail.com

Official site of The Little Mermaid - littlemermaidcocktail.com

The pub's website displays this notice: "Bacchus Pub & Kitchen closed on the 5th January however do not despair as we will be taking our award winning roasts with us to a new pop up location just down the road at Hoxton Street Studios 12-18 Hoxton Street."

This old Victorian pub is now branded as a "pub & kitchen" and it looks and smells like one inside. Most (but not all) of the tables are laid for diners, and all have a single red carnation on them. Furnishings are all standard issue tables and chairs, with no tall tables/tall stools or sofas. This is clearly an old pub - The Bacchus - which has had any pub character totally removed. There's a bit of the original tiling in the porchway, where the glazing also looks pretty ancient. Although there's a brass bound handpump on the counter it is only for show, as they don't sell any real ale - just lagers in the way of beer on tap (including Staropramen and Kozel (£2.10 a half)) and some bottles of bitter (nothing exciting) in the fridge. This place obviously regards itself as a gastropub. There was a chalkboard menu on the wall, offering main courses between £11 to £14, with nothing resembling pub grub. But the too loud pop music being played seemed a bit incogruous for a gastropub, and many gastropubs still manage to serve a decent real ale or two. I wouldn't normally have bothered with this place, but the nearby White Horse having committed PA#873a (erroneous opening times on website) this was the nearest option. I don't expect to return.