Change is a good thing at The Narrow

The Narrow's principal attraction is its unique location at the mouth of Limehouse basin and a large terrace with a bracing view of Limehouse reach. But in its previous incarnations, this was not enough for us to compensate for the poor pub experience that was on offer, at last, it appears that things have changed for the better.

What's on offer are a couple of solid old faithfuls in the hand pumps - Pride and Deuchars, accompanied by Meantime Brewery's excellent Wheat beer, Leffe, Peroni and the usual suspects (Guinness, Fosters, etc) on tap, plus a fine range of bottled beers and ciders and a pretty fair wine list. The menu is just what you'd expect - an upmarket take on traditional British food (our friends report it to be excellent) - we've yet to try it, but having enjoyed a drink here we will soon.

Prices are a bit more than the local average, but that's only to be expected given the quality of fare, the service is excellent and the decor refreshingly understated, but comfortable. The clientele might hail from the apartments and offices nearby, but you wouldn't call them locals, their accents give that away. Eastenders they ain't, and that's not a surprise given the changes that have happened around here in recent years, but they're not off-putting.

The Narrow is the most attractive reincarnation of the place since it was the derelict, old Dockmaster's House, the long-standing local pubs finally have a real challenger in their midst. For now, the Narrow gets a hearty three-pinted thumbs-up from us with - possibly more on the way once we've sampled the food and seen how it handles a hot summer Sunday afternoon. We'll be back.

CLIENTELE: locals, but not really East-enders
PHONE NUMBER: 020 7592 7950
NEAREST TUBE: Limehouse (DLR) station
FEATURES: regular guest ales, outdoor seating, separate restaurant

The Narrow
44 Narrow Street, E14 8DJ