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Longtime denizens of E8 remember this place as Uncle Sam’s, an altogether fairly shambolic pub that found fame in the area thanks to its unexpectedly fine Sunday-night jazz sessions.
Led by guitarist Alan Weekes, the jazz remains, but this corner pub has otherwise changed a lot since it was taken over in 2008. It’s still not a room in which intimacy is easily fostered, and it usually seems to be either uncomfortably quiet (early in the week) or unbearably busy (Thursday onwards).
But at its best, the bar has a vibrant, kinetic feel, packed with matey refugees from the busier, younger scenes in Shoreditch and Dalston who like to party but prefer to do so in jeans that allow a little breathing room.