Tap East

Even urban shopping malls leave a slightly suburban taste in my mouth. So it is with Westfield's Stratford Mall. But to find Tap East in among all the glitzy food shops, well... that's a great growing Vibe. First of all, it may one of the few of the 200+ stores in this Mall to have the feel and decoration of a London neighbourhood. As a High Street pub, Tap East seems authentic.

Their list of bottled Belgian beers has many of the classics and it's nice to know I can easily get a repeat. There were ten taps (mostly Brits) plus three engines working (two more being babied.)

Service was extraordinary. Not only did the bartender know his stuff, but I asked for his favourite bottle shop in London and he told me ! Selection is plenty good, being curated to the classics; but also the micros and nanos of East London.

I've been through Westfield Mall every day this past week, but I never got as far as Tap East. I didn't have time to try food. But, I hope I've found my neighbourhood pub amidst Stratford's sameness.

February often: revisits several times, this has become a convenient and good watering hole with good restaurants and a Waitrose all in Westfields' Eastern Market.