This modern pub in South Hackney has food and drink to charm but cries out for a little feng shui.

The Venue
The Lauriston is a spacious pub on the cusp of the Victoria Park Village roundabout. Its original wooden floors are stained dark to match the gastro trend, the walls are a deep blue and the look is completed with raw metal capping on the large wooden bar opposite the entrance. Glimmering orbs hang from the ceiling, casting soft light over the bare wooden tables below.

Unfortunately, the layout of the tables is a regimented Wagamama approach and feels a little like a canteen. Although the style and substance of the furniture is of a high standard, it feels uncomfortable and there is little space to relax. The pub feels too much like a restaurant to just pop in for a drink and doesn't have the type of atmosphere that makes you want to stay beyond a meal.

The Atmosphere
The Lauriston feels too much like a restaurant to just pop in for a drink and doesn't have the type of atmosphere that makes you want to stay all day. You should expect to come across the odd athletic rugby type, mother and child, and laptop-lover mulling together in the dim evenings. The staff are friendlier than some of the other pubs in the area but this isn't enough and the pub could really do with either accommodating more sofas or more intimate tables.

The Food
The main dish at The Lauriston is the pizza, and there's a big range of gourmet toppings available. Baby octopus comes with prawns and squid beneath the cheese, English breakfast is covered with tomato, sausage and bacon and there's the self explanatory roast chicken. The lunchtime menu offers smaller bites like salads and ciabattas to tide you over until pizza time.

The Drink
The wine list on the blackboard offers a good selection. The Columbard Chardonnay is as crisp as the November chill and the Grenach Syrah red is a popular choice. Heineken, Amstel, Bitburger, Leffe and Peroni make a good range on draught but the choice of ale is lacking, perhaps not fitting in with the feel of the place.

The Last Word
An interesting range of stone-baked pizzas, a long list of quality beers and a great location make The Lauriston worth making up your own mind about.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (1) image gallery (7)