The Cock Tavern, E8

Fine old ex-Truman's pub, reinvigorated as a no-frills alehouse with only limited seating around the 'L'-shaped bar. Little in the way of decor, but there appear to be some of the original glazing, tiling and fittings intact. Claims to have Hackney's smallest beer garden. Dimly lit, though, as the sun goes down. Fine array of 16 handpumps, of which seven were drawing cider and six real ale (including a fine Siren Undercurrent Oatmeal Pale Ale at £3.60) on this visit. Also has a row of eight craft keg taps. Top notch!

Back in on a Sunday lunchtime and it was a much more pleasant experience than the first time I visited on a Saturday evening when it was rammed to a level to be uncomfortable. As others have reported the Cock Tavern follows the now usual formula for this new breed of Craft and Cask pubs with its minimalist internal décor, bare wood floor and bare plain painted walls and a large chalk board on a far wall. The difference here is that the large array of pumps and taps around the bar are clipped so you can tell the beers from the bar, whereas the chalk board gives you more information to what’s actually in the fermentation tanks and conditioning in the microbrewery below your feet. Tried a couple of the Howling Hops brews in the shape of the Rye Wit IPA and the Milk Stout and the latter was particularly good.. Definitely highly recommended for anyone with a liking for Ale, but this type of place will not be everyone’s cup of tea, as proved by the three high viz jacket clad builders that wandered in from an adjacent building site and walked out again when they couldn’t see anything dispensing Stella or Strongbow.

The new(ish) - 2012 - sister pub to the Southampton in Kentish Town and in here they brew (Howling Hops). Like the Southampton, it’s a traditional aged building. Classic London flat-iron shaped exterior with some traditional tiling and signage (ex-Trumans). Like the Southampton, it’s alehouse-spartan-chic inside the opened-out interior, a no-frills wood floor and seating place. A bit on the gloomy side, maybe. Upright piano spotted. Huge amount of pumps at the bar (was it 16?) with a large selection of ales and ciders, with a few from Howling Hops alongside guests. My Howling Hops Oatmeal Stout was in fair form. Also an impressive range of ciders and some craft keg and bottles. Like the Soton, no hot food - just pork pies and scotch eggs. Well-worth seeking out, although for me it didn’t quite hit the high of its sister pub on first viewing, though I’d had a few hefty ales by this point. Handily located close to the station so you don’t need to venture too far into the badlands.

The Cock Tavern is situated in the middle of Hackney. The pub still has its original Trumans signage on the corner front. Once inside there is an L shaped room which is bare boarded,the seating is normal tables and chairs,there was a very good choice of real ales on the bar,too many for me to take in at this time of day,i had a drink of beer from Howlings which i think began with Sun,this was a nice drink. The pub was packed on my Saturday evening visit,no doubt for the real ales on offer here. If you like real ales this is the pub to visit. Pub visited 4/10/2014