Just round the corner from the revitalized (and frankly rather homogenized) Spitalfields Market is the Water Poet at 9-11 Folgate Street, E1 4BX. It’s a lovely pub (a very pub-y pub in fact) and, as far as we can tell, a brilliant place to visit whenever folks might find an opportunity (yes, they’re open on Sundays!). At the moment, an especially good time to drop by is Monday through Friday during lunch to sample the Water Poet’s 50 Minute Crunch Munch special. For the time being, diners can enjoy a two course lunch for £9.95 or three courses for £12.95.
We swung by with a friend yesterday to have a go at the Poet’s lunch special and were most impressed with the range of dishes available. Mushrooms and herb butter on toast made for a delectable starter, as did our friend’s chicken and vegetable soup (with tarragon and bread dumplings). Lamb and celery pie with mash and curly kale more than satisfied our palette and our tummy while our companion found no reason not to finish his heaping serving of Moules Mariniere. Bread and butter pudding for Londonist and an orange and almond cake for our dining comrade rounded out our ample midday repast that, in addition to be filling and tasty, was the quintessence of value for money dining.
Lunch special or not, it’s easy to rec the Water Poet. Among the many reasons are its large outdoor (covered) seating area, a billiards room with two tables, an eclectic mix of funky and refined furniture and décor and well the simple fact that the Water Poet is a pub with lots of character and a far cry from the GBK, Giraffe, Leon etc etc etc crowding in nearby.
