Commercial Tavern, Shoreditch, E1

This is a rather hip Shoreditch pub with an unusual curved frontage which creates a quadrant shaped interior. The ground floor room is bare boarded and has an attractive servery along the rear wall. The bar has a padded counter front and decorative glazed tile counter top, an impressive relief carved access hatch and a comparatively plain, white wood bar back lined with mirrors, pump clips and a set of antlers. Some outrageous hipster chandeliers hang above the bar area, surrounded by a collection of mirrors, whilst a child’s BMX bike has been framed and hung on a nearby wall. The curved front wall has a series of semi-obscured windows, some of which have nice etched glass panes on top, with dreadful wallpaper on the walls in between. Hard, backless benches run under the windows, with plenty of chairs in support and through the remainder of the room, although a few high stools can also be found around a drinking ledge attached to a central support pillar. The room extends to the right, under a set of three angel’s wings, into a gloomy area where a few more tables and chairs can be found. Stairs lead up to a similarly shaped first floor room which I did not explore on this visit. However, I do recall drinking in this room many years ago, mainly because of the furniture, which had all been covered with soft porn decoupage – not the sort of thing you forget when you’re visiting with your parents, as I was back then! Some hip indie tunes played away during my visit and there was a huge overspill of customer out onto the fairly wide pavement out the front, with a few benches barely sufficient to cope with the demand. The pub has recently found its way into the Good Beer Guide and had four ales available on this occasion – Roosters Highway 51, Harbour Corniche Bitter, Titanic Plum Porter and Tiny Rebel Cwtch. The latter was £4.50 for a pint and in excellent shape – a very enjoyable pint that didn’t stay in the glass for too long. Food is also available and, whilst I didn’t see anyone eating, it seems to focus mainly around tasty sounding pizzas. This is a real hipster pub that seems to have become very popular over recent years, perhaps in part to the high standard of cellarmanship on show. I think you have to be in the right mood too visit a trendy pub like this, but I really enjoyed my time here and as a frequent gig-goer in this part of town, will add it to my list for a revisit.

A very good looking pub exterior being a grade II listed building, which probably explains why it has avoided being flattened in the regeneration of this area close to Spitalfields market. Yes, this is a dark pub internally, but if you visit on a dark winter evening the internal lighting and table candles kind of works and gives the place an interesting ambience. Interior is well described by previous reviewers and a decent beer range is on offer that does justify its inclusion in the CAMRA 2019 GBG. CAMRA won’t be bothered by the 10 craft beer taps dispensing a range of London Craft beers and some from farther afield, but you get the feeling the younger demographic this pub attracts are. But for us older farts there are four ale handpumps dispensing a good mix of beers from non-mainstream brewers and my pint of Ilkley Brewery Ruby Jane was well kept. I was missing the hipster beard to be completely comfortable here, but I still thought it was a good pub on the strength of my latest visit.

Good Beer Guide 2019 Tick. So damn dark inside, I thought it was closed on approach. Not helped by a couple of gentlemen of the street drinking cans and smoking non tobacco cigarettes on the door step. But open it is, and inside is a traditional pub layout, wooden flooring, furniture, single room, bar at front. Didn't recognise any of the hand pulls on but the New York, New York was worthy of inclusion in the GBG. Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2EXOu6d

Official site of The Commercial Tavern - www.commercial-tavern.com

Official site of The Commercial Tavern - www.commercial-tavern.com