Gentrification in the east end of London is spreading faster than Lyme disease on a tick-infested nudist camp. By 2010 the massive concrete monstrosity that is the new Shoreditch Station will be finished, just as the currently palpitating financial square-mile of London engulfs everything in its wake, stopping only to top up on overpriced sushi and glance at itself in the ever-multiplying, amply-mirrored bars and clubs.

As the world slows, the building continues. London is teetering on the edge-- the same as everywhere else. Either the poor will be pushed (and priced) out of the city, or the financial core of London will crash and burn, and the buildings now buzzing with tapping keyboards and jingling pockets will soon be abandoned and buzzing with the sound of squatters hammering themselves into their new abodes.

In every affluent area, pitched between the working class, and the posh, are the artists-- living off the scrapes of the capitalist corporations, alongside and within poorer areas where rent is cheaper and inspiration thrives amongst relative destitution. When the cultures clash, it can be beautiful or brutal. But like anywhere in the world where these forces meet, a mutual respect and compromise is essential.

With this in mind, a traditional East End "boozer," The Victoria, has been revamped by a group of musicians, artists, and other various young types. Situated in an area drenched in local history-- Grove Road -- Mile End is within spitting distance of the site in which the first flying V-Bomb hit London during World War II. And for over a century, the area has struggled to bring the down-trodden area a much deserved morale boost. In the 1880’s, social commentator and novelist Walter Besant proposed and successfully built a "Peoples Palace," bringing the area a complex that included concert halls, an art school and gallery, and a library-- a creative meeting place for the local people and artists alike.

Alfie Smith-- lead singer of London punk band The Skallywags and the head of this merry group of pub revitalizers-- has set about bringing a similar establishment to the area, although the locals have thus far only tentatively glanced through the windows to meet equally tentative glances back from the cream of Shoreditch’s art and music scene.

The Victoria was once a place where locals partook in the usual pub activities of darts, pool, watching football and singing karaoke. Now, they are more likely to find an impressive schedule of London’s top parties, club nights, and bands all crammed into an exhaustive calendar that already reads like a Who’s Who of what’s hot in London.

Despite the addition of a stage and impressive DJ booth, the pub has remained faithful to its previous incarnation in setup. The Victoria bursts with surprises, from the intriguing taxidermy and beautifully decorated toilets to the tasteful artwork on the walls. It’s clear that proprietor Smith and his partner Hannah Margaret Stewart have gone all out in making this public house strikingly individual, yet with its odes to the past, it remains warmly familiar. It’s a pub tourists only dream of: with all its quirky paraphernalia and English charm, it should equally suit both the young scene-stealers and the thirsty elderly.

But, it still remains to be seen what will happen when the locals trickle in (as they inevitably will). The place is aimed most at London’s younger more liberal drinkers, where the venue and the clientele are of paramount importance. Unfortunately, there isn’t a great choice of beers, and the event lineup shows the place is looking more to attract cool young types than born-and-bred locals. Still, the inspired interior is inviting enough for the locals that just want a swift pint during the week.

Bonus points go to Smith for roping his mum in to make the majority of the pub’s food, a touching ode to home cooking. The menu, still in its infancy (only carrot and coriander soup was available on our visit), has the potential to garner its own influx of visitors, especially if the delicious soup is anything to go by.

The Victoria has promise, and could potentially become the People’s Palace for the new millennium. Plus, it's nice to see no fancy Thai dishes, no mirrored bars, and no funky house music. If the locals are patient and respectful of the new owners’ attempts to bring something interesting, exciting, and non-snobby to the area, and the new owners and patrons are equally as inviting to the locals (if, of course, well behaved) as they are to the artists and punk rock singers—then this adventurous new drinking hole has a harmonious and successful future to look forward to.

~Kevin Soar


The Victoria, 110 Grove Road, London E3 5th. 0871 984 2996.

Rating:
Trendiness: 5 pints/5
British Pub Atmosphere: 5 pints/5
Beer Selection Deliciousness: 2 pints/5
Location: 3 pints/5
Clientele: 4 pints/5

Total ... 19 pints/25