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Light, bright and a little bit California: decoratively speaking, Fugitive Motel is a breath of seabreezy air along the dingy stretch just down from Bethnal Green station. Light spills into a space filled with cacti, concrete and a timber-framed bar and, once darkness falls, a retro neon sign illuminates the place. Less uplifting was the service, with drinks slammed down on the bar abruptly and sighs given in response to fairly straightforward requests (like, ‘Can I have a pint, please?’). So much for world-famous American hospitality.
You can make your own fun at Fugitive Motel, though. It shows big-screen sports in the saloon bar, and there’s shuffleboard and cornhole if you fancy getting physical. I suspect many a good date night has already unfolded here. Bar snacks suit sharing, too – the pizza toppings showed that variety really is the spice of life, even if the sourdough base was a little bit more chewy than I like it. And I’d avoid the zucchini fries, which were cut too finely to withstand a bout in the fryer.
The best bit – aside from its dreamy décor – is the drinks range, with a heap of emerging low- and no-alcohol brands in the fridge, and interesting London, US and German craft beers on tap. And that’s alongside a kegged Espresso Martini: finding that on tap in London is like hitting the drinking jackpot.