This East End watering hole is run by the team behind top-notch gastropubs The Fellow and John Salt, but as of February 2014, the folks at Big Apple Hot Dogs have taken over responsibility for the kitchen. Among the top dogs on show are ‘the huge pole’ (pork and beef, with sage, mace and cayenne pepper), ‘the pimp steak’ (beef with garlic and paprika) and ‘the big dog’ (double-smoked pork and beef sausage with marjoram and garlic) – and don’t forget the toppings, including Polish sauerkraut, Korean kimchi, fried onions or curry pickles. By contrast, the surroundings (Grade II-listed, don’t you know) remain true to The Owl’s gastropub roots – think plenty of comfy leather seats, shabby-chic decor and a popular beer garden to accommodate Shoreditch’s sun-worshipping masses.