Tap East, Stratford City, E20

A ‘craft’ beer bar and brewpub in the capitalist utopia that is the Westfield Shopping centre, set up by the same mob who run Uttobeer in Borough Market and the Rake next to, er, Borough Market. It’s situated at the far end of the centre from Stratford tube and is a lot closer to International, so be prepared for a long walk if you’re alighting from the Central Line. It’s tucked away round a corner from the food concessions. Fairly small in size with limited seating. As mentioned below, one whole side is poorly-fitted plate glass; we discovered just how bad on our visit when the cold was blowing through, making the bar almost as cold as the sub-zero outside. So much so that even the bar staff had thick coats and woollies – ridiculous. We remained wrapped and gloved for the duration. The décor isn’t too far removed from the general shopping centre vibe, though the wood panelled bar is interesting as are the mirror-tiled pillars. Less sure about the silly lampshades though. Beer-wise there were plenty of craft kegs and overseas brews, with six interesting cask ales, served well enough. Also some cider as well. There’s already a collection of old pump clips festooning the walls and the ‘in the cellar’ section threw up some interesting choices. They also brew here, and the equipment is visible through a glass door. I didn’t spot any of their homebrew on the pumps though. I really disliked my visit due to the intense cold (I’ll give them leeway given they only lease the space) but I’d give this a go in the summer as the beers were certainly appealing.

Randomness Guide to London - Tap East entry

Just a flying visit to this smart new brewpub, unfortunately, as I didn't realise how long the walk through the huge Westfield shopping centre from Stratford station was going to be. The small bar only has limited seating, supplemented by a couple of tables outside in the mall. The brewing vessels are visible through a glass door at the far end of the room. A good choice of real ales and craft beers was available from the six handpumps and ten keg taps, including two from Oakham, a Dark Star, Brentwood's 2.5% BBC2 and a couple of their own - Brown and John Edwin Bitter (£3.30). Overall, first impressions were pretty good and I look forward to returning when I have a bit more time...

Randomness Guide to London - Tap East entry