47 Aldgate High Street,
Whitechapel,
London,
EC3N 1AL
(020) 7481 4583
The ViewLondon Review
With the average price of pint hovering around £2.80 in England, the fact that pints of carefully selected ales are £2.65 a pint at this Aldgate pub makes it well worth seeking out.
The Venue
The pub industry may be a state of uncertain flux but the real ale market has bucked the trend, even making in-roads into the 21-40 year-old market. No longer is the ale market the preserve of beard-stroking miserablists and geography teachers.
The Hoop and Grapes is a Nicholson’s pub, perhaps most notable for having apparently survived the Great Fire of London. Nowadays, with its position on the invisible border between the City and East London, it does a brisk trade with after work drinkers and ale aficionados. A couple of minutes walk from either Aldgate or Aldgate East tube stations, it’s easy to get to, ideal for catching up with friends and spacious enough to provide for large groups or more intimate gatherings.
Inside, it’s very old school - wooden fixtures and fittings abound, leather button-down booths add an extra layer of quality and it’s all very traditional.
The Atmosphere
Bubbling mid-week, this part of town sees big-win City slickers wolfing pints down alongside a more creative clientele and students from the local campuses. Staff are quick, on-the-ball and friendly.
The Food
Sausages and mash are given pride of place on the menu. A filling option, they cost £5.95-£7.95. Steaks, pies and fish and chips are the other things you can choose from.
The Drink
Ale is the big attraction. On a blackboard behind the bar you will find a list of 20 ales, with the four that are currently troubling the pumps given a little tick next to them. Sourced from all over the UK, a recent visit resulted in the beautifully balanced Timothy Taylor and the maltier Doom Bar. Sharp’s Cornish Coaster and Old Hooky are just two of the others on rotation. A solid selection of lagers, wines and spirits can also be found at the bar.
The Last Word
Serving pints from award-winning producers at lower than the national-average price for a pint, the Hoop and Grapes is a good value stop-off for the capital’s growing legion of ale-lovers.
Hoop and Grapes has been reviewed by 2 users