The Approach Tavern — Restaurant in London

Lovely pub, food wasn't bad and on a Saturday evening for a birthday celebration and a great location.

My favourite point in the evening was when the bartender who I will refer to as 'Tantrum' in a plaid shirt proceeded to serve 4 people on the bar whom arrived after me and told me to 'go in the corner and be quiet' after asking him politely to actually take my order and the woman at the bar's waiting very patiently after he had finished his order.

Tantrum then threw a tantrum like a 15 year old who had been told to clean his room after offering to serve the lady before me whom had been waiting, of which she politely passed and asked him to serve me first (I was aghast at such incredible manners and awareness of the situation).

Am I being too unreasonable to serve people who come up to the bar in order? Okay, I thought that was the norm on the bar, especially with no more then 5 people waiting.

Do you need to react like I just finger blasted your cat while keeping eye contact with you if I politely ask you to serve me so I don't have to wait a further 15 minutes at the bar so you can do your job well and not ignore your patrons and customers? Okay then.

Definitely a memorable experience at the very least. Cheers guys, rest of the staff seemed lovely.

Oh - I'm a barista and bartender of about 15 years including training and developing people in the role. So a large part of my life has been doing this job and doing it well. 🙂

EDIT: 'Tantrum' is the owner (of course) and misses completely the points addressed in the review, unfortunately doesn't know how to bar tend or understand how a queueing works, and believes an overpriced half pint of neck oil justifies such a wonderful experience.

Rather than own his mistake, proceeds to tantrum in words as a response with a chip on his shoulder ironically proving me right - which is at least also written in good jest which I appreciate.

Queue during the 6 nations? - You can't even handle 6 people properly so I dread to think how it gets then - you'd get an actual person who knows what they're doing for that right? - that's what a good business owner who has no business on a bar would do at least.

I agree, your team does work hard and they seemed very nice - that was in my review.

I committed no crime other than have several people be served ahead of me in your pub and politely ask for service after being ignored consecutively 4 times with the exact clearly spoken words of -

'Excuse me, may I please get some service for this lady at the end of the bar and then myself please?'

I'm sorry if this was too demanding, threatening, inappropriate or rude to you and I'm sincerely sorry for any injustice or harm caused to you by this unreasonable demand... at your pub... after 15 minutes waiting... after being ignored 4 times... by you.

Really glad to see you're the first one to admit when you're wrong. This growth is good news for you.

Arguing in the pub? - oh you're referring to the American whom you served before me whom then proceeded to ask me if I tend bar in this country after you threatened to throw me out to which I told him 'yes' - and then he immediately proceeded to tell me that I shouldn't ask for service in a bar and there's a queue that is typically is followed by whom approaches the bar first? (you know - the thing I'd been doing for 15 minutes before he got there).

Yeah that one's not your fault or on you - that was just a cherry on top of the wonderful experience at your bar which you...

🚇 Bethnal Green 🍺 £6.15 Pillars Pilsner

The Approach Tavern is located on a tree lined street near the Bonner Gate entrance to Victoria Park in the East End of London. The nearest Tube is Bethnal Green, it’s a five minute walk to get here.

This pub was built in 1860, in 1942 the pub was hit by a German bomb during the blitz and subsequently was rebuilt after the war. It is estimated that during this war, 80 tons of bombs fell on the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green.

This is a roomy high ceilinged traditionally decorated one bar pub. Although knocked through into one bar, there are distinct front, side and rear sections. The servery is centrally located and acts as a stunning centrepiece to this Bethnal Green boozer. Around the walls are photographs of the pub’s rich history, huge mirrors and two Tv’s. The seating consists of sturdy pews and traditional chairs around rustic worn tables. At the left of the bar is an open fire to warm your cockles in the winter. At the front of the pub is a patio seating area with ample benches. This pub also boasts a contemporary art gallery which is located on the first floor.

The beer line up is excellent and offers beers from London breweries, continental classics and three cask ales. I decided on a Pillars Pilsner by E17 brewers @pillarsbrewery , my pint was great, price point was a smidge above average. The food menu is displayed on a massive chalk board and choices change regularly, Fish & Chips costs £15, Roasts are available on a Sunday.

I arrived just after 7pm on a pleasant Saturday evening in June. The pub was busy inside and packed on the patio at the front. The atmosphere was upbeat and buzzy whilst maintaining a local pub feel. The service was on point, the team here were friendly and welcoming.

My last visit here was seven years ago and thankfully not much has changed. This is a fantastic East End pub that offers a marvellous pub experience, @theapproachtavern is a must visit if you’re in the area.

ℹ️ Info correct on...

How to approach this. Did you know when a plane lands, the pilot refers to it as the approach. Did you know when a plane crashes, the pilot refers to it as the main course served at the approach? Charred wreckage that also goes by the name Haddock and Chips. No survivors. Especially not the haddock, who must feel hard done by, that his short life, bereft of love, companionship and longevity in the English Channel was ended, only to disappoint someone at table 19.

When our food did arrive (1.5 hours late) after the first order was mistakenly consumed by another table. This table had made the common mistake of ordering lamb cutlets and upon being presented with fish and chips, not spotting the difference. Easy mistake to make. After all, both dishes are served by the approach. Still, the pub rectified their mistake by apologising and then doing nothing for a considerable amount of time.

As an an aside, or side, the halloumi fries are missing presumed fed (to another table). Halloumi might resemble the rubbery inner tubing of a bicycle wheel, but on this occasion, the halloumi fries are the Tour De Amateur peleton when it crashes, a pile up of monstrous failure.

Me and my girlfriend met at the approach. We come here every year because it’s a hilarious place, which outdoes itself each year in the tragic comic script that it writes for itself. It is a familiar sinking feeling, much like a submarine captain must feel, once more depending into the North Sea, what’s next, what depths of despair await next?

Me and my girlfriend come here because it brings us together, much like 19 year old heroin addicts from Texas were bonded during Vietnam jungle tours in the 70’s.

Much like many of the soldiers in the jungle (thank you for service) the halloumi fries were...