Morgan Arms, The

Take a detour off the Mile End Road, and enter an oasis within a cultural desert. The Morgan Arms is situated on the edge of Tredegar Square, a kind of Cockney Eaton Square (Daily Mail Property section spiel) where a banker rubs elbows with a builder, and life outside the pub gets put on hold. Whatever the punter, they will probably guzzle a pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord (£3.20) or an Aspall Cyder from Suffolk (£3.40).

What cannot go unnoticed is the menu. It is a gem. A gourmet's heaven, which changes every day and prides itself on the unusual ingredients the chef uses. If you are not sure what a wally salsa is, glance at the glossary board for translation (a pickled cucumber for those of you in the West End). Other specials, when last written were 'Slow cooked pig cheeks with pancetta, tarbais beans (see glossary) celery and baby fennel'. Another special was a smoked eel celeriac remoulade with a shiso salad (£7). Where is that glossary board again?

Platters to offer a little bit of everything come in the shape of a Nibbles board. For £12.50 you can try six different things including feta-stuffed chillies, and roasted garlic cloves. Leave room for the dessert samplers four chocolate chocolate puds of morsel sizes, served assiette style.

In April 2005 The Morgan was announced as the Evening Standard's pub of the year for 2005, beating great gastropubs such as The Fox and The Gun to name but two.

For further information, including directions on finding the pub, visit their Website, which also has details of the other pubs owned by Geronimo Inns.