After leaving a different brewery-branded craft beer bar very close by (three guesses...), a friend and I headed here in search of more delicious beer in a calmer and quieter atmosphere. One of my regular bus routes goes right by the front doors, so from the moment I saw the construction going on and the Goose Island stencils on the windows, I'd been super excited to try this place once it opened. I was looking forward to finally sitting down inside.
The brewpub, which occupies a ground-floor unit, is definitely spacious. The bar is on the left as you walk in, with a row of high-top tables to the right. In back up a couple of stairs is another seating area and the brew equipment. This means Goose Island has more space than some other bars in Shoreditch, which helped the atmosphere feel calmer than where we had been before. And we didn't need to shout to hear each other.
The friendly bartender helped us sample a number of brews on tap before we made up our minds on a Gillian (strawberry honey gose) and an IPA. We also perused the food menu, and shared an order of fries (£3) which were seriously nothing to write home about. Familiar with the well-designed, internationally-inspired, beer-paired food menus at other Goose Island locations in places like Seoul and Shanghai, I was disappointed to see their London offerings. They've opted for a sort of Chicago-inflected Americana with pizzas, subs, and a few sides. I'd call it rather boring. Sure, the 16" pizzas coming out to other tables smelled good, but for between £14-16, I'd expect something more special.
In fact, I'd expected something more special in general. The generic exposed brick design that's probably supposed to mirror "gritty" Chicago felt hollow. The answer that I got when I asked what makes the 312 an "urban" wheat beer (that it's "urban" because it's from Chicago) forced an awkward laugh from my throat. The nicest thing was the bathrooms which, though I deplore gender segregation--come on people, go unisex, it's just a pot to piss in--provided three "F" to one "M" and had great-smelling soap. Kinda sad though if that's what impressed me most. I probably won't be back. read more