I went to meet my little brother for our usual Saturday drink at The Hare on Cambridge Heath Road. Whilst I was waiting for him to turn up, I pondered what I liked about this place so much.

Initial signs to the unwary aren’t that positive. The carpet is worn and some of the seats have repaired with gaffer tape. A few of the clientele look a little insalubrious. On a Saturday afternoon there will be football shirts and shaven-headed men shouting at the telly, things I normally hate.

London pubs tend staffed by itinerant Poles and Australians who are here to make money and, for all their friendliness, are not committed to the place at which they work. They seem to change every week. Not so at the Hare. The landlord’s, Julian, presence permeates this place. The beer is excellent because Julian is interested in real ale (traditional unpasterurised English beer which is notoriously difficult to keep.) He is a jazz fan so they have jazz on a Sunday. The girls who work there know what you want to drink and will serve it with a saucy smile.

Whereas most pubs in London especially in the fashionable East End attract tribes, the Hare is a real focus for the community. You get old people, young people, black people, white people, middle-aged mods, trendy girls with silly haircuts, the beautiful people and the local builders.

Best of all the Hare makes no pretence towards gastronomy, food means crisps or you can try and persuade them to let you eat a kebab from next door with your pint.
There aren’t many places like this left but the Hare seems to be thriving. Oh and did I mention that it’s cheap. .

The Hare, 505 Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London. E2 9BU.