Part of our Best Pubs in London microsite. Is your local listed?
The Approach, on the approach to Victoria Park, is one of those stolid boozers that seems to always get things right. They've got a roaring fire in winter, a pleasant outdoor space in summer, good ales all year round, superb celebrity-endorsed food, and they even let us win the pub quiz once.
Catch it on a quiet night and the atmosphere is intimate. Candles flicker at tables while a stridently wooden interior mellows the jazzy music. We're not so sure about the pew seating, though, which troubles the back over a long session.
Otherwise, full marks (to the pub, if not quite to our quiz team). The ales are occasionally adventurous, with tipples from small London microbreweries such as Dragonfly alongside more established options. When you've had enough of the beer, there's also a small art gallery upstairs.
