Who would have thought it? An innovative, exciting and critically acclaimed gastropub located in the heart of the East End’s Stepney Green. L'Oasis is a real find.

The Venue
When planning a night out, Stepney may not be the first place to pop into your head. L'Oasis may just change that. Located along the Mile End Road, close to Queen Mary University, you definitely won’t be able to miss it. A large sign proclaims its existence and a pleasant frontage invites you in – it looks upmarket, perhaps a little out of place, but is certainly enticing.

Inside is a different issue. It’s a proper East End pub with a twist. And that is the theme of this venue – it’s got all the basics but has added its own stamp on everything. Betty Boop figurines adourn the shelves around the main bar area, and there is an odd, but rather endearing collection of a larger Betty statuette surrounded by an old jazz band. Bizarre, right? Totally. Also of note is the art that adourns the walls – every 6 weeks a new local artist is commissioned to hang their pieces on these walls. There’s also a gallery upstairs where they can showcase their work. This is a truly excellent idea that gets to the heart of the community spirit this pub exudes. It’s free for these artists to hang their work here, the only money that exchanges hands is a small commission if they sell any of their work.

The pub itself is pretty charming, solid wood tables line the large bar area, and they’re able to accommodate large groups. It’s definitely a pub, and it’s not trying to be anything else. And it really works. Upstairs and down there is other dining areas, available for private hire.

The Atmosphere
This is what the East End is all about: friendly staff; an extremely welcoming and down-to-Earth owner; and normal people enjoying a night out. L'Oasis attracts a lot of students, but don’t let it put you off if you’re not into that scene – it doesn’t come across as studenty. The buzz of the place is palpable, as people enjoy their meals with laughter and loud chatter, and it makes for a fun night. Just be aware that it gets very busy, so be sure to get in early and don’t get too annoyed if you have to wait a while for the food – just chill out, enjoy a drink and take it all in. This isn’t a restaurant but it’s not trying to be, and therein is its charm.

The Food
Don’t be put off if you have to order your food off a large blackboard as opposed to a menu – it’s totally worth it. Who would have thought that food chalked up on the wall would turn out to be so impressive.

Starters at L'Oasis include a range of what you’d expect – from oysters to a soup of the day, but highly recommended is the Meze Platter. Hummus, olives, roasted vegetables, cheese, and olive oil all come on a mind-bogglingly huge plate with pitta. And boy is it good. A big, hearty starter that is more than enough for 2 people, and could be a main meal all in itself. It’s impressive, fresh and better than most pubs jumping on the Mediterranean bandwagon. The homemade hummus is especially pleasing, being moist and of a perfect consistency. Simply delicious. With starters averaging at around £5 per person, it’s fantastic value for money and wholly unexpected for a pub – rivalling decent restaurants.

After such good starters, you’ll be forgiven for being nervous of the mains not living up to the standard. Well, don’t! Again, there’s an excellent selection plus, great vegetarian options that actually sound appealing to meat-eaters. Still, you’ll be mad not to choose the leg of lamb. Maybe it’s a dubious choice for a pub, as it’s quite a tough dish to get right, but boy do they get it spot on. The lamb comes off the bone with ease, but isn’t crumbly. Instead it’s a supple texture that practically melts in the mouth. Perfectly cooked, it comes with unusual accompaniments. No mash or greens here. Instead it’s cous cous and roast vegetables. Don’t imagine cous cous as the little grainy supermarket stuff – these are large granules that aren’t chewy or grainy, but instead add a simple flavour that works perfectly with the lamb. This is great as the main focus of the meal is moved to the meat, whereas with a large roast with all the trimmings it can be hard to pinpoint where the action is. The roasted vegetables are roasted right down so they all dissipate in the mouth without any crunch. It works, perfectly. It’s rustic, hearty food, above what most pubs offer bit without any of the pretension you might expect from a gastropub trying to compete with the big boys. At an average £10-£15 a dish, it’s great value for money.

If you can possibly fit in a dessert, which you’ll be hard-pushed to do, then the offerings aren’t as substantial as the starters and mains, but still very tasty. All the bases are covered, chocolatey goodness, treacle puddings and cheesecake. Definitely try the cheesecake. A Baileys cheesecake with butterscotch sauce is really delicious. Perhaps a little gloopy – it could do with firming up – and not really tasting of Baileys, it’s still a good choice for anyone who like their desserts creamy. The butterscotch adds a nice sweet tang that works well with the creaminess of the cake.

The Drink
So, this is a pub and that’s where it excels above the restaurants. They can offer a large selection of draught beers for those who don’t want a bottle of wine. But they also take their gastropub status seriously with a good selection of wine and even the occasional wine tasting event, which is a nice touch. Basically, there’s something for everyone, and not at the overly steep restaurant prices.

The Last Word
L'Oasis has been critically acclaimed and it’s easy to see why. Not a gastropub by numbers like so many jumping on the bandwagon, it maintains its pub status, isn’t pretentious, and still manages to offer art and top-quality food. Worth the trip to Stepney.

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