The Astronomer, E1

Decent Fullers pub with a choice of 6 ales on when I called. 3 of their own with Wild Beer Quantic, Hogs Back TEA and Dark Star Hophead as guests. I went for the Hophead which was in good shape if a little pricey at £5.55. I liked this pub and would call again.

Previously the Shooting Star, this large Fullers pub was renamed the Astronomer in the summer of 2016 under the brewery’s Ale & Pie brand. The pub has an unusual layout, running around two side of a small square which affords plenty of outdoor pavement space which Londoners seem to love so much. You enter into the right hand part of the pub, where a couple of steps lead up to a sizeable, smart seating area to the right and the bar area over to the left. The servery has a long L-shaped counter and pleasant bar back, although seating in the area opposite is rather limited, with most tables situated beyond the point where the pub turns 90 degrees down the left hand side. Seating throughout is mixed but of a pretty high quality, although I found myself seated at a table to the right of the bar with unusual stools that were fixed to the table on swivelling arms. The decor throughout is smart, with various allusions to astronomy, although I wasn’t able to fathom what the pub’s connection with this field is. There are stairs at the far right end of the room leading down to the Hubble Bar – a large space with loads more seating in a typical cellar bar, with its own servery to one side. The usual range of Fullers beers were lined up on handpull and a very friendly barmaid served me a good pint of their Summer Ale – my first of the season and certainly a good advert for the brewery’s wider range. The standard Ale & Pie menu was available, but drinkers outnumbered diners by a huge majority, with just a couple of tables in the far corner settling down to eat. Whilst this lacks the visual impact of other Ale & Pie venues in the city, I thought it was a decent pub with plenty of seating, comfortable surrounds and some decent beer. There are a number of good pubs around this part of town so that I’m rarely stuck for inspiration when looking for a good pint, but there is always room for another good option and I’d keep this place in mind when I’m next in the area.