Vine

Yet another grape in the Realpubs bunch, but this one is intriguingly different - as it should be, given the company also runs the Oxford about ten minutes' walk away. Their fashionable solution is to offer around 25 cicchetti (Venetian tapas) all day, as well as a selection of starters and mains comprising classy Italian dishes and classic gastropub fare. As a result the menu is much larger than many food-minded pubs would deem sensible, but cooking from the shiny new open kitchen installed at the rear (the refurbishment works have been extensive, though decor is unfussy) is more than competent.

Highlights over a couple of visits have been the full-flavoured cicchetti of squid, tomato, chilli and garlic, and arancini (risotto fritters) filled with basil, plus a large plate of soft herb polenta served with sautéed wild mushrooms. There's a choice of around ten afters, though we suspect the ices are the pick of them. True to Realpubs style, the beers are interesting and well kept (local Camden Town Brewery pale ale is among the options) and the wine list holds some real treats. Perhaps best of all is the opportunity to sit under the elegant umbrellas of the pub's front terrace: without the red buses, you might think you were by the Mediterranean.