This well-presented gastro pub in Mile End isn't cheap but with its impressive service and divine dishes, you'll undoubtedly leave impressed.

The Venue
Situated close to Mile End Central Line station, near Mile End Road and a short walk from Victoria Park, The Morgan Arms is positioned just off the leafy Tredeagar Square. This well-presented area wouldn't look out of place in Chelsea and is a far cry from the kebab shops, dodgy looking characters and general grubbiness of much of the area. The green painted exterior of the pub has all the hallmarks of a modern conversion but the well-kept appearance is welcoming all the same.

Inside, the pub is divided into two sections – a dining room separated for people who are after a more formal meal, and a bar area which has a more relaxed feel to it. The latter is a dimly lit section and has a mixture of comfy sofas, low-level seating and taller butchers’ block tables. It nicely combines old-fashioned pub features, such as a blackboard and traditional-style pub area, with trendier seating and lighting, without being too bar-like or squeaky clean.

Slide through to the candle-lit dining area and you'll immediately feel at home. There are small and large wooden tables, cushions, vases, chandeliers and a large open-kitchen at the back, which you can look into to see your food being cooked. Modern artwork on the walls adds an up-to-date feel to the decor.

The Atmosphere
Unless you know that the trendy square and pub exists, you're unlikely to visit this place, so it's very much a locals’ venue. However, if you fancy a venture to Mile End, you'll be warmly welcomed as it's not pretentious or unfriendly at all. In a typical East London way, you'll find a varying clientele. You'll come across well-dressed locals, who live in the upmarket square, drinking alongside fashionable art students, who have digs nearby. Neither feels out of place. You won't find any stereotypical Eastenders but then this pub was very much designed to serve the immediate, upwardly mobile local community housed in the pretty, posh houses.

Staff are friendly, relaxed yet efficient and very knowledgeable about all the food and wine on offer. They're there when you need assistance but not too intrusive during your meal. The venue is consistently busy, so if you're looking to eat in the dining area, it's best to book in advance. Areas in the pub section can sometimes be reserved, too.

The Food
The menu at The Morgan Arms changes daily and, while there's a small selection of dishes on offer, the choices are crowd-pleasers. The prices are perhaps more than other gastro pubs in the area – you're looking at about £70 for two people for three courses, but the quality of food is extremely high and all the dishes are beautifully presented. All meals are a great size, too, with starters at a sensible size, main courses not leaving you unsatisfied and desserts large enough to share.

There are around six starters on offer, plus a daily special and these are priced from £4.50-£6. The pan-fried duck livers, lentils and red wine sauce is a great option if you fancy a starter but don't want anything too heavy. The meat is tender, succulent and not too fatty and is well complemented by the perfectly cooked lentils and subtle red wine sauce. If it's a meat-free option you're after, you won't be disappointed as there are several vegetarian dishes, which change frequently. The red pepper and goat’s cheese salad with a balsamic dressing is a tasty choice. The cheese is served warm but isn’t overcooked so the flavour is allowed to shine and the sweet red peppers are a great match for the tangy cheese. The subtle drizzling of balsamic vinegar gently sharpens the dish, too.

The menu has around eight main courses, plus specials, and all are priced between £9.50 and £18. If you're a veggie, you'll probably be a bit disappointed, especially after the varied starter options, as there's only usually one option on offer and it's a pretty uninventive dish, however the quality of the food makes up where this is lacking. The wild mushroom risotto (£9.50) is a pretty basic meat-free choice but is delicious all the same. The risotto rice is perfectly cooked – neither too sloppy, nor underdone and hard to digest. It comes with a mixture of small button mushrooms and wild mushrooms in the dish and the rocket complements this well. Where many gastro pubs serve up this standard meal with an unbearably rich or tasteless watery sauce, the risotto here is impressively full of flavour and very easy on the stomach.

If you're a fish fan, you'll be impressed with the open gratin fish pie with mash, a poached egg, leeks, white wine cream sauce and parmesan (£13.50). The tender cod and salmon pieces melt in your mouth while the creamy mash carefully takes the flavour from the parmesan and white wine cream sauce without being too rich and overpowering in taste. While you may think a poached egg could be a bit much in this dish, it actually goes very well and oozes beautifully over the mash.

Desserts at The Morgan Arms are traditional British favourites. They're big portions and large enough to share but considering they cost £4-£7.50, this is probably a good thing. If you don't like dark chocolate, you'll find the chocolate tart too bitter, but if you do, it's a scrumptious option. The tart is soft and easy to swallow, and the biscuit base is hard enough to ensure the dessert doesn't fall apart but not so rock solid that it's hard to cut through or chew. The plum crumble with custard (or ice cream if you ask) is huge. Whilst it has a bit too much crumble on top of the dish – you could fill up before you reach the warm plums – the dish is enjoyable and not sickly sweet as some crumble can be.

If you're not after a formal meal, the bar section also serves up more pubby food. Dishes include burgers, white bait and chicken fingers, all served with chips and priced between £8 and £10.

The Drink
The wine list at The Morgan Arms is extensive. Whether you're looking for a red, white, rose or Champagne, you're unlikely to be disappointed. The wines range from £13.90 for a bottle of house wine to around £28, which is pretty typical of a pub of this kind. If you're looking for a traditional red, the full-bodied Avabache Organic Rioja (£19) will go with most dishes, while there's a huge selection of cool and elegant or aromatic whites if that's more your thing.

Beer-lovers are also provided for. A good selection includes draught options like Carlsberg, Stella, Aspell (cider), Bitburger and Staropramen. Real ale heads will be buoyed by the sight of Doombar and Adnams. Expect to spend around £3-£4 a pint. Depending on the season, hot toddy or Pimms and lemonade is served, priced around £3.75 a glass.

The Last Word
Yes, it may appear like a fairly standard modern gastro pub, but with its unexpected location, delicious dishes and an impressive selection of drinks, The Morgan Arms proves that the East End of London is, whether you like it or not, an increasingly gentrified place.

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