Commercial Tavern, Shoreditch  

Well guv', the old Commercial Tavern's been knocked on the 'ead and been replaced with a much artier affair. The exterior is much as it was, the most obvious clue to it's changed identity being the plants outside, but much of the Victorian interior has been painted baby blue. Motifs cut out of magazines have been pasted onto the furniture, chairs adorned with poetry and walls panelled various ephemera, including a panel of Interview covers and scraps of wallpaper. Look up and you'll see a scattering of chandeliers and a collection of cuckoo clocks. On the drinks front things look interesting too, with real ales usually offered (e.g. Black Sheep) even if their condition is sometimes variable. After a quiet start, trade is in full swing now and they've opened the upstairs, providing much needed additional capacity. We like the idea of mixing the arty and traditional and in these times when its increasingly hard to distinguish even some independent bars from each other, there are few places with such a unique and innovative approach. Oh, and it doesn't open before 5.00 most nights.

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