London’s Best Beer, Pubs and Bars updates
East London — Other locations: Ilford
The Bar, Gants HIll, Ilford IG2
Bar
19 Seven Ways Parade, Woodford Avenue, Ilford IG2 6JX
T (020) 8551 7441 W thebargantshill.co.uk
Open 1200-2330 (2400 Fri-Sun)
Cask beer 2-3 (local), Other beer 1-2 keg
Outdoor Front terrace on street
Fri, Sun live music, Sat karaoke, pool, big screen sport, occasional beer festivals and meet the brewer evenings
Observant readers of the guide may well spot the vast swathe of suburban east London between Leytonstone and Upminster where I’ve been unable to recommend a single notable beer outlet. This little place, simply titled The Bar, goes some way to plugging the gap with its dedication to offering a modest but well-kept range of local microbrewed cask. It’s in an unpromising location deep in 1930s suburbia, in one of a parade of shops typical of its period right by the busy, and recently refurbished, Gants Hill roundabout on the A12, with the tube station beneath in a labyrinth of subways. A sports bar interior with a plethora of big screens entertaining what when I called on a Saturday afternoon was an all-male clientele didn’t bode especially well either. But it didn’t win the local CAMRA branch’s Pub of the Year award in 2011 for its industrial keg lager, as owner Darren Bullman is clearly passionate about his beer.
The cask ales – always two, expanded to three at weekends – are sourced locally, with beers from nearby Ha’penny often available, and Brentwood and Mighty Oak often spotted too. They’re in top nick, well promoted through posters and tasting notes, and sold at a discount to card carrying CAMRA members. The craft choice is slightly widened by the likes of Fuller’s Honey Dew on keg. And there’s just enough pavement width to make the outdoor seating worthwhile. Quite a find especially considering the area, though note there’s no food other snacks.
Visitor’s note. The imposing art deco barrel vaulted spaces of Gants Hill Tube station influenced the Moscow Metro, as London Underground architects advised their Soviet counterparts in the 1930s.
Underground Gants Hill Cycling LCN+ 55, Redbridge Greenway Walking Link to Redbridge Greenway
The Nightingale in Wanstead’s worth a visit if you’re really desperate to find a decent pub between Leytonstone and Gants Hill. It’s a proper local’s local. Haven’t been in for a while but had about six handpumps on, all in good nick.