Mason & Taylor

Occupying the still identifiable concrete and glass box that what was once Green & Red, this pared down nu-British ale house clearly chimes with its Shoxditch minimalist early adopters. There's a fine selection of draughts such as Camden Hells lager, by the pint from £3.20, and in tasting flights of three or six. The duplex bar's forty bottles include hard-to-find delights: a zingy ginger-laced ale from Manchester's Marble Brewery; Brodie's Superior London Porter; Scots Kelpie seaweed ale; St Peter's Grapefruit, one of five fruit beers. There's even gluten-free Belgian pilsner for the allergy-prone. Mix and match small plates (£3 - £6) - with the emphasis on 'small' in the case of an amuse-sized squash and bacon soup - are old Blighty with the occasional continental accent: whitebait; quails egg sauce gribiche; venison with Cumberland sauce; ox tongue with blackberries, hazelnuts & rosemary oil; rarebit; rabbit terrine; grilled Jerusalem artichokes with aïoli and a quartet of puds. Dancing downstairs to a soul DJ at weekends in a second bar below, should help work those off.