New Cross the new Shoreditch? Realistically, we are quite far from that dream. The neighbourhood is, on the whole, void of nice venues and can look less than friendly once the sun goes down. Royal Albert, however, is a living testimony that you can find the diamond in the rough.

The Venue
Furnished with ‘found pieces’ spanning from odd chairs, tables and couches to a pretty low cabinet with golden leaf, Royal Albert has that shabby, moderately chic signature look with some irony thrown in for good measure. Think grandma lampshades of all sizes and colours, taxidermy birds in big glass cases, retro wallpaper and faded theatrical curtains shading the big windows. A funny old word of its own.

The Atmosphere
It is quite obvious that, whilst not really providing the most clued-in service possible, Royal Albert definitely attracts the cream of the local crop; namely young, indie, trendy people hailing from nearby low rent apartments or straight from Goldsmiths College. This is a crowd that would easily fit into any Shoreditch venue. The vibe is unpretentious and livened up by the quick and cool music, also a stable in E1 joints.

Given the drinking habits of many New Cross regulars, Royal Albert could definitely distinguish itself as a favourite local where anybody Shoreditch in mind can feel like they’re stepping on familiar ground.

The Food
The open plan kitchen would make you think Royal Albert is pretentious about its food, but nothing could be further from the truth: traditional pub grub rules here with pies, sausages, homemade burgers and the ever-present fish and chips.

The bar snacks (£2.30-£3.50) include hummus and pita, olives, market vegetables and a few other things thrown in for good measure. The mains (£6-£8) stray from tradition with chicken goujons and chips, baked whole camembert with cranberry sauce and baguette, chicken chorizo with rice, and the Royal Albert pizza – the ultimate concession to the young crowd. One salad, one soup and a rotation of desserts complement the menu, including a full English breakfast (£5.50) and a Sunday Roast of lamb, beef, chicken or vegetables (£9.50). The dishes, whilst not trying to reach the level of upmarket gastropubs, are nonetheless well prepared and are above the quality of standard pub food.

The Drink
The white wine options are all fairly standard, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Grigio all coming off at the bargain price of £13-£17.50 with small glasses at £3.25-£5 and large ones at £4.50-£5.50. Within the reds, the Bordeaux Superieur Cheateau Trincaud is definitely a bargain at £19 per bottle and the Merlot Rose and Beaujolais Rose are unusual enough to be worth trying.

The selection of beers is actually quite good: Brooklyn Lager, Chimay Blanche, Duvel, and the raspberry flavoured Bacchus are all available bottled (£3-£3.80), whilst Amstel, Heineken, Fruli, Stowford Press Cider, and the wheat lager Grolsch Weizen mix in with more common draughts (£3-£3.80).

The Last Word
Is there such a thing as shabby funk? Imagine shabby chic, just more ironically shabby than chic: Royal Albert is a receptacle of nice junk, bringing in a decent crowd – a real New Cross find.

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