The new Draft House Tower Bridge completes an exceptional trio of sites for the beer specialists across London’s south.

The Venue
Residents of Battersea and Clapham have long been sampling the joys of the Draft Houses on Northcote Rd and Battersea Bridge Rd, and now the small group of public houses has ventured further north. Their latest venture is perched in the City within easy reach of Tower Bridge, with copious gleaming silver taps indicating this is indeed a mecca for beer lovers. Instead of the traditional pub feel there’s modern, minimalist furnishings and acid-green banquettes. You’ll also spy the quirky cartoons, artwork and colourful postcards that have become familiar to fans of the Draft House, as well as the exceedingly friendly service and cheeky personality.

The Atmosphere
This branch is smaller than the others, with a bar stretching between two small rooms. It is already a favourite with local workers though, who pack the benches and contribute to the chatty and friendly atmosphere. The Draft House aims to create the perfect pub, somewhere to converge and enjoy great beer, excellent food and good conversation – and this ethos has been successfully transported to Tower Bridge.

The Food
The food maintains the quality made famous at the other Draft Houses, with stunning burgers, steaks, traditional British fare (you can’t get much more old-school English than smoked hock and trotter on toast), fabulously sophisticated mains and delicious desserts. Desiree gnocchi with forest mushrooms and cheddar cream (£9.25) will have vegetarians swooning – the fluffy parcels of potato delicately doused in the light and creamy sauce are lovely as a starter or main. You’ll find many pub classics made with produce from all over the UK – east coast haddock, Arbroath salmon, Orkney bacon are just three examples. The beer battered east coast haddock with minted peas is a huge portion (but it should be at £12.75) and the Lincolnshire pork belly with black pudding hash, apple sauce and marjoram gravy (£12.75) is also richly special. When you hanker for some sustenance after all that beer, tuck into one of the house hot dogs with sauerkraut, it's guaranteed to hit the spot.

The Drink
This is clearly where the Draft House Tower Bridge comes into its own – its ‘flight’ of three 1/3 pints has introduced a whole new way of enjoying golden ambers and dark, malty ales (instead of confining yourself to one pint, why not enjoy three different types?). Even if you’re not a beer drinker, you might find a surprising favourites amongst the 20 on tap and dozens of bottled, both British and international, from just £3.50. There’s fruity, chocolately, honeyed, dark ales and more. It’s an almost overwhelming choice which includes local favourites like the Meantime London Stout from Greenwich as well as the German Schremser Naturpark. Lovers of the grape are by no means left out – a great wine list starts from £13.95 a bottle (and all bottles are also offered in 500ml carafe). The chenin blanc from South Africa’s Paarl region is refreshing and delicate and the 500ml carafe at £12 is an excellent deal. There’s an equally gorgeous sauvignon blanc from Marlborough at £26.50 a bottle, or if you fancy a red, the Chilean merlot/cabernet sauvignon blend is a nice drop at £17.75.

The Last Word
The Draft House Tower Bridge is not just a playground for lager lovers and ale enthusiasts, it offers a cracking feed and a friendly atmosphere, too. Wonderful.

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