Spurstowe Arms

The Spurstowe was made for Sundays. Tucked away between Hackney Central and London Fields, it's one of our locals and one of those places you could sit in for hours. Having celebrated a friend's 30th the night before, we battled the September showers to meet some old friends - who were nursing much sorer heads than ours. We grabbed the empty round table by the stained glass windows (told you this place is good) and lined up the Bloodys (Ashley firmly believes these are his favourite in the whole of London). The enviable drinks are matched by a nice menu - from a local sausage roll at £5 to a whole chicken with all the trimmings at £14, there's something for everyone; I went for the porc rillettes and cornichons, and a side of hand cut chips with aioli. And would definitely recommend.

It's the sister to one of my favourite East End locals - The Royal Oak on Columbia Road - and well worth a visit. The Spurstowe's well-loved and has that welcoming come-one come-all feel (don't be deceived by the hipster address) that feels just a little bit like home. Come for the Bloody Marys and stay for the atmosphere, the mismatched furniture and the elusive pub cat.