The Angel of Bow, Bow, E3

Dating from the late 19th century as the Devon Stores, it was rebuilt in the 1930s and having undergone a series of names, was given the hysterical moniker of Liquor Inn in 2005, acquiring the current name in 2017. It still seems to attract some traditional and older locals, who seem to sit outside, though given the changes to the area, most of the customers are young professional incomers, attracted by the faux trendy interior. A modern floor gives way to pale grey walls, an attractive white cornice then a similarly grey ceiling. Furniture is completely mismatched with some rococo sofas and décor is minimal: a few gilded rococo mirrors, framed prints and the odd knickknack; mood music played at a reasonable level. The bar is modern, painted a dark unidentified colour with clear glass shaded lamps hanging over it. There’s no real bar back as such, just shelves supporting a phalanx of bottles; further lighting came from caged filament bulb sconces. There is a wide choice of board games and the gents has two doors, the one for the urinal labelled ‘One’, the door to the cubicle labelled ‘Two’. Staff were efficient, presiding over too many taps to recall, otherwise two unclipped pumps, then a real perry and Three Sods Summery Amber Ale served in an unorthodox way. The barman filled my dimple mug to about halfway up the final dimple, about an inch short. He then put it on the bar, me assuming he’d fill it further when the small head had subsided. He took payment, reversed the pump clip and walked away. There was little I could do about this, so retreated to my seat. The pint was superb, so can’t have been the bottom of the barrel; I don’t know what was going on. This isn’t a bad place, it’s just that it’s rather bland. There are far better pubs in north-east Bow, so I wouldn’t make the effort to return, but it’s fine for those who live locally and just want a pint and a bite.

Official site of The Angel of Bow - www.theangelofbow.co.uk

Official site of The Angel of Bow - www.theangelofbow.co.uk

Due to open as the Angel Of Bow on the 8th of June. Run by the Angelic Pub Company it will include a permanent selection of Redemption ales as well as some from East London micros.

This is a high street bar, with little to recommend it. But I had some hope on approaching it when I could just see over a car to the top of an 'A' board which said "Real....". Real ale? No such luck, it was advertising the Real Madrid v Barcelona match. Oh, well. Neither the San Miguel nor the Amstel were on, which left only the Fosters or Stella (£1.80 a half). The pub consists of a single, fairly large room with masses of empty space in the middle, and a few seats around the outsides. Most of the furnishings are pretty basic stuff, but there is a couple of Indian, or at least Asian, style carved wood banquettes. There’s also a pool table on the right, in front of a stage (although I saw no adverts for live entertainment). There’s little in the way of decor apart from a trio of glass framed sporting memorabilia on a shelf on the left. One was football themed, another baseball, and the third boxing. These are quite interesting features actually. What struck me as I entered (apart from the absence of handpumps obviously) was the redness of the place – red upholstered furniture and red painted walls. A TV was showing the racing, which seems to be the norm in this part of the world. This is an unremarkable pub that does no real ale. I doubt whether I’ll visit again.