The Prince Arthur

Film-location scouts looking for a traditional east London watering hole should look no further than this photogenic quaint but cool pub on a leafy Hackney side street. Period details including leaded glass windows, wood panelling and velvet-upholstered bar stools are all brought into the 21st century by virtue of a contemporary soundtrack and a modern European menu.

The food is more seasonal than your average pub. Excellent-value set lunches set the tone: in summer that might mean tagliatelle with yellow courgettes and datterini tomatoes followed by chicken fricassee or beef heart and aji verde with radish salad – plus cherry and strawberry clafoutis to finish. 

Visit for dinner and you might encounter an equally calendar-tuned line-up of small and larger plates. Expect anything from octopus ragù with crispy polenta and lardo or Mora Farm beetroot with shrub salad, ricotta salata and hazelnuts to dry-aged beef rump with spicy 'bomba calabrese' relish and chips or pan-fried cod alongside tomato and chilli salsa, coco bianco beans and beetroot tops.

Sundays mean a choice of three roasts with Yorkshire puddings, heaps of veg and plenty of gravy. The natural-leaning European wine list starts at £33, while pint drinkers have the ubiquitous Guinness as well as a decent selection from London-based breweries including Macintosh Ales and 40FT.