Take a detour off the Mile End Road, and enter an oasis within a cultural desert to find The Morgan Arms, situated on the edge of Tredegar Square, a kind of Cockney Eaton Square where bankers rubs elbows with builders, and life beyond the pub gets put on hold. Whatever their origin punters may well be enjoying a pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord or Aspall Cyder from Suffolk.

What cannot go unnoticed is the food. It's a gourmet's heaven, with dishes that change every day, priding itself on the unusual ingredients used by the chef.. The concise but simply-executed menu may include starters of devilled whitebait, lemon and tartare sauce; baked goats' cheese, French bean and walnut salad with toast and mustard dressing, or spiced chicken livers with carrot mint and radish salad.

Larger dishes are quite straightforward and The Morgan classic fishcakes accompanied by wilted spinach, poached eggs and cream sauce make a nice contrast to pork loin Cordon Bleu surrounded by broccoli and bashed sweet potato.

Lovers of red meat may prefer the Scottish 28 day matured rib-eye steak with runner beans, julienne fried and red wine jus, or the roasted lamb rump with olive crushed Jersey Royals, red onion, caper and anchovy relish.

Platters to offer a little bit of everything come in the shape of a nibbles board. You can try six different choices including feta-stuffed chillies, and roasted garlic cloves. Leave room for the dessert sampler's four chocolate puds of morsel sizes, served assiette style.

The globetrotting wine list includes bins from around the world that take in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In April 2005 The Morgan was proclaimed the Evening Standard's Pub of the Year. This remarkable pub has a beautifully carved and inscribed bar, stained glass windows and shelves stacked with books and other knick knacks.