Island pub makes beer bible

Surveyors praised the South Quay watering hole for its “excellent pub food� and its range of Fuller’s London Pride, Greene King Old Speckled Hen, Marston’s Pedigree and Timothy Taylor Landlord.

The guide said: “Friendly staff and comfortable furnishings make this a cosy pub.�

Drinkers looking for a welcome break from fizzy lagers and murky wines have used the Good Beer Guide as a rambling road map for several decades. But London’s E14 postcode has traditionally been light on recommended retreats in recent years.

The only entry in last year’s book was The Grapes, the spiritual home of Limehouse’s annual Narrow Street fete. But the historic pub and fish restaurant is not on the list this year, despite being crowned pub of the year by The Publican magazine last November.

Chairman of Camra East London Jon Russell Brown said: “The exclusion of The Grapes is nothing to do with the pub’s quality. It was meant to be in this year’s guide but the volunteers did not send the form in by the March deadline and by the time we realised it was too late. It shows we are human.�

The error only affected The Grapes and one other pub in the City.

The Grapes once saw a young Charles Dickens sing on tables for customers. It has become a regular haunt for Wharf workers in the know, and high-profile Limehouse residents, such as actor Sir Ian McKellen, can also be spotted enjoying a pint.

According to this year’s edition, Wharfers will have to walk a little way to London’s best pub. The Trafalgar in South Wimbledon is the city’s regional entrant into the National Pub of the Year contest, which will be decided in February.

The Good Beer Guide 2009 is avaiable from bookshops at £14.99.