The Greenwich Pensioner, Poplar  

Poplar is an area that rarely gets attention. It's surrounded on three sides by main trunk roads that whisk commuters to and from the City, Canary Wharf, over the river and points north and east. The area is a mix of old - early 19th century, with 20th century council housing plugging the gaps created by the Luftwaffe - bordered by the very new - Canary Wharf. It's not an area that people generally would seek out, but it's here you'll find the Greenwich Pensioner. And if you're expecting a traditional East End local you're in for a surprise - stepping through the door takes you from a dreary East End Street to an interior worthy of Wallpaper or Dreamspaces. The pub tries very hard, and largely succeeds, to create a contemporary bar/restaurant atmosphere of the sort that's popped up in Clerkenwell, Shoreditch, Hoxton and the West End over the past few years. If you're here for the ale you're going to be disappointed - with Guinness, Foster's, Stella and John Smith Smooth on the taps, but if you're into modern cuisine, wines, sprits and cocktails, then you'll be happy. It's a pretty relaxed place, everyone seems to know each other and the (table) service is knowledgeable, prompt, polite, friendly and justifiably proud of the standards. So, if you do live in one of the new developments nearby, you now have a handy place for decent eating and drinking (including a very good Sunday lunch) and the money you've saved on taxi fares will buy an extra cocktail or two.

reviewed:
10/5/2006

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gay / gay friendly

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