The Crown, 223 Grove Road, Victoria Park

Now saved from tapas bar hell by Geronimo Inns, the outfit behind the Betjeman Arms in the new St Pancras Station, the fortunes of this pub are rising. Okay, so this is now a gastro-pub (but it was in its previous incarnation). The thing is, not only have they formulated a decent food menu, they have also managed to maintain a nice balance by serving a few ales and good wines too. All of this in a pub that is softly-lit and just across the road from one of the nicest parks in London. Our only criticism is the fake cow-hide obsession. The owners have clearly thought: why stop at covering bar stools when you can plaster it over whole swathes of wall as well? A minor point in an otherwise good gastropub that is aimed at the twenty and thirty-something white-collar market.

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