The Bird Cage, Stoke Newington  

At first glance, the Bird Cage has little going for it. Repainted, revamped and re-branded, it looks like yet another outpost of Stoke Newington gentrification. But don't be put off. The owners have done their homework. One step away from the train station, this is a popular pub; pleasant enough for a few post-commute drinks. Roomy, with comfy settees, the Bird Cage is a good staging post. Bar staff are friendly, charming, and want you to enjoy your drink. But we've a sneaking feeling that things may be very different when night falls. The beer is nitrokeg, the wine list has a predictable New World flavour, and there are several bottles of (mostly untouched) absinth(e). A bit like Stoke Newington pretending to be Soho, pretending to be Soho, if you catch our drift. But give it a try. It's a handy place and, if nothing else, it's a pub that you'd be glad to drink in after a hard day.