Beckton pubs

The Borstal of Newham.

Tollgate Tavern, 16 Mary Rose Mall, Beckton, E6 5LX

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This modern establishment, like most of the surrounding area, was conceived on a town planners drawing board back in the 1980s. Its location, around the back of Asda, is about as romantic as it gets in this part of London. Despite having the power to plan a utopian pub that fulfilled the needs of the community, they have instead created a dark and smoke-filled monstrosity. The dinginess is punctuated only by the brash lights of the many fruit machines. On our visit it provided some light relief from the DIY shopping hell of the nearby retail parks and even offered a surprisingly varied selection of beer: Staropramen, Murphys and two ales. The Hammers bar off to one side, cheered me up after wandering the aisles of B&Q. However, even on a quiet Saturday afternoon there were clues pointing to an altogether more sinister reality. Posters on the front door hint at an omnipresent drug problem and the man trying to sell us illegal DVDs only served to reinforce the notion that crime is never far away.

Reviewed by Paul Melton, July 2004

Telephone: 020 7476 3716

Nearest station: Beckton, Zone 3 (260 metres)