The Narrow

Gordon Ramsay might bristle at his East End venture being referred to as a gastropub but there’s no denying The Narrow, on a bend of the Thames in Limehouse, ticks a fair few gastropub boxes. An expansive slate-floored bar is dotted with comfortable chairs, warmed by open fires & serves a long list of English beers, plus spirits, wines & cocktails. There’s also a separate dining room, decorated in nautical navy & white, offering stoutly British food right down to homemade pork scratchings. The cooking is well up to par: tasty grilled mackerel with freshly blistered skin comes simply presented with a small mound of creamy potato salad. Equally no-nonsense main courses include hearty braised pig’s cheeks, & an update on trad fish & chips (crisply battered fillet of succulent monkfish). A brief list of puddings includes a modern & wholly successful take on Bakewell tart. Throw in friendly, knowledgeable & eager-to-please waiting staff & The Narrow is a good forerunner for what is shaping up to be a series of Gordon Ramsay pubs.