Bars & Pubs

Comfortably negotiating Bethnal Green's changing fortunes, the Approach sticks to a tried and trusted formula: good beer plus good food equals good pub. The pumps have almost the full run, from Fuller's to several Czechs. Two blackboards list a host of unpretentious snacks and mains (jerk chicken, £9.50), enjoyed by a multinational clientele (French, Spanish, even cockney) of arty bohos and local families. Blazing heaters ensure the covered front beer garden is popular all year round. TV sport plays silently so the jukebox is uninterrupted, and cab telephone numbers are helpfully chalked up by the door to the popular upstairs art gallery (www.theapproach.co.uk).

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9