Part of our Best Pubs in London microsite. Is your local listed?
There's no shortage of buzzy, boozey places to go out near Shoreditch station, but a good, solid pub? They do exist, but you have to walk a bit. The opening of the Knave of Clubs puts a fine drinking house within sight of the Overground roundel (just).
This is the corner house that was once Les Trois Garçons and, more recently, Dirty Bones. Both retained the fine etched glass advertisements, dark-wooden bar and other fittings from the days when the place was previously a pub (from 1880 until the 1990s). They were obliged to, as the place is Grade II-listed. You can see some evocative photos of the Knave in its 20th century heyday over on the pub's website.
This gorgeous interior is now back to its gleaming best thanks to a major refit. The motive force here is James Dye, partly responsible for giving us such hotspots as the Camberwell Arms and Frank's Bar, above that Peckham car park.
The drinks ethos is 'small number done well'. The bar has just three casks, and they're hidden round the corner where you might not notice them. Kegs are front and centre, with a dozen familiar and not-so-familiar names, particularly from Allsopp's. These include the revived Double Diamond brand. Short but well-crafted wine and cocktail menus complete the picture.
The place is perfectly pitched to appeal to both casual drinkers and those coming for food. It looks neither too gastro, nor too 'pubby', but somewhere between the two. Actually, it's reminiscent of the Well and Bucket a little farther along Bethnal Green Road, but perhaps a little smarter.
Like the drinks options, the food menu is also tightly focussed, with just three main options, including a rotisserie grill (and only one vegetarian option, sadly), though you'll find plenty of light bites. The chef comes from the Midland Grand restaurant in St Pancras, and a dedicated restaurant space is due to open upstairs soon.
Altogether, a very welcome addition to the area.
