9-11 Folgate Street,
Spitalfields,
London,
E1 6BX
0871 971 4489
Note: Calls cost 10p per min plus network extras.
The ViewLondon Review
Straddling the City and East London, The Water Poet is a good pub with a pool table, a decent selection of ales and a huge outdoor area to the rear. Just don’t expect any manners from some of the City slickers…
The Venue
Situated a short walk from Liverpool Street Station and Spitalfields Market, this pub has a great location. It's also a reasonable size, too, and while it's not guaranteed, you're more likely to get a seat in here than in neighbouring venues, especially if you get here early and don’t mind sitting out back in the yard.
On entering the venue, you hit the main bar area – a nice-looking space with comfy sofas, chandeliers, pictures, mirrors and a screen for sport, not to mention the array of bizarre artwork, a rocking horse on the bar and large red scales that sit in the corner. Entering further into the venue, you'll find a pool room with a couple of tables, a separate more formal-looking dining area with another bar, and the very popular heated outdoor area. In addition, there's a basement room that can be hired out for functions.
The Atmosphere
Due to its location, it gets absolutely rammed during the week as people flock from the nearby offices for lunch or after-work drinks. At weekends – especially Sundays when they serve a roast and the nearby Spitalfields Market is on – it can get packed, too. Expect to find everyone from rude City boys and families to trendy twenty and thirtysomething creative types. Staff are friendly and helpful, but they're pretty relaxed, so service can be slow.
The Food
Menus change frequently and there's a smaller bar menu, as well as a separate menu for Sunday lunch. Typical dishes on the main menu include sandwiches that start at around £6 for interesting options like the pork schnitzel with Dijon mustard and rocket salad on sourdough bread, as well as classics, such as croque-monsieur. Smaller dishes, such as a simple bowl of macaroni cheese, are around a fiver, while you can spend from £10-£15 on traditional pub favourites - pie and mash, a shoulder of lamb, lasagne or bangers and mash. The old-fashioned grub theme continues with the desserts, where you'll find dishes such as crumble and custard and sticky toffee pudding. There are deals from time to time, such as two-for-one meals at lunchtimes.
The Drink
There's a good selection of drinks on offer, but they're not cheap. Beers include bottles of Corona, Meantime Pale Ale, Budvar, Bulmers and Crabbies while, on tap, there’s Honeydew, Meantime Helles, Staropramen, Stella, Guinness and Truman's Runner to name a few. These start around £3.70 a pint and go up to almost a fiver. The wine list is good – there are nine white, more then ten reds, plus sparkling and rose wines on offer. Expect to pay around £18 for a good bottle of wine (or about £6 for a large glass).
The Last Word
Whether you’re planning on catching-up with mates, watching some sport, or hankering after a good old-fashioned Sunday roast, The Water Poet, with its good beers, traditional food and nice lay-out, is definitely worth a visit.