Morgan Arms, Bow  

The relentless gentrification of parts east continues and the Morgan Arms hasn't been left out of the process. Having had a bit of an up and down career (mostly down) in days of yore, the Morgan Arms, perhaps inevitably, became a gastropub. We were a little surprised it took so long for this to happen around here, there are some pretty posh houses nearby, many of the original inhabitants having taken the money and run, and every bit of available land around is having some sort of dwelling squeezed onto it. So what's the pub like? Got your gastropub checklist handy? Let's begin - comfy settees, check. Butchers block tables, check. Other objets from recent decades, check. Art on the walls, check. Extensive wine list, check. Cool vibe, check etc. etc. The picture should be clear to most of you. It's OK, especially for the area, and there's decent beer on the hand pumps plus Aspall's cider and the service is good. Friday and Saturday nights will see it filled with the bright young things of Bow. It must be said that prices are somewhat on the high side, even for this area - we suppose it keeps out the riffraff.