Homerton College’s bar is known as The Griff by its students, an abbreviation of its full name The Griffin, a mythical creature with the amalgamated anatomy of a lion and an eagle. Similarly, The Griff has the pleasing appearance of an amalgamation that works – a mix between a cocktail bar and a country pub in both appearance and beverage.

It is like an old country pub and an inner-city bar. It’s in a grand, old red-brick building, with an Arts and Crafts legacy, facing extensive, verdant fields, and it becomes a Bavarian beer garden in the summer with long tables stretching right across its expansive patio and onto the fields. Inside, it has lofty beamed ceilings and one of its windows is stained glass. The others are tall and elegant, with just plain glass panes. That is because, when constructed in 2018, the building was actually extended to build the bar, resulting in a blend of old and new.

“It is like an old country pub and an inner-city bar”

There are an assortment of different tables, ranging from small high tables with leather-backed stools, to large, circular wooden tables and long benches subtly lit by rectangular pendants emitting a golden diffused light. In one corner, the seating is plush, dark leather upholstery with sunlight streaming in from the tall windows in the early evening. The room has a range of pendants and atmospheric wall-mounted lights as well as spotlights that illuminate the decorations on the walls, such as the college matriculation horn. The sophisticated ambience is completed with an oak parquet floor. For a new bar, the college character is still felt by everyone who enters.

Befitting the upmarket, stylish décor, Homerton’s bar sells both cocktails and beers. All for £5.50, the smart waistcoat-wearing staff make a range of fresh cocktails, ranging from an Old Fashioned to a Strawberry Daiquiri. The quality and range of cocktails available for a college bar is formidable. The Homerton cocktails are classy, cool and the proof of their success is in how many students enthusiastically order them.

Unfortunately, however, the bar falls short on beers. The college has only one beer on tap. In fairness, it is a college brew, sold at the cheap price of £2.50 and is received very positively by students. Greg Taylor, a regular patron of The Griffin, describes the pint to be “like a warm embrace”. Sometimes the college beer runs out, especially on a busy night. Thankfully, for those unable or unwilling to make the switch to cocktails or shorts, the college does also have half a dozen brands of bottled beers.

“The quality and range of cocktails available for a college bar is formidable”

The bar staff are very popular with the students, and the bar could do with adding more staff as there are long queues to get served. Homerton may be far away from most other colleges but it is just a five-minute walk from the much-loved venue Junction. On Saturday nights, many students from across the university come to Homerton’s bar to see friends and have pre-Junction drinks.

Homerton is ill-prepared for its understandable popularity with just two tills and a relatively small bar. It’s a victim of its own success in attracting so many students. Despite the longer queues, its students are generally proud that their college is so popular.

Indeed, one of The Griff’s biggest assets is its regulars, who take a hospitable approach to visitors – warm and welcoming. Homerton students feel great pride that they have such a fantastic bar. Elizabeth Castell views this bar as “the epicentre of all joy” and is making plans to have her ashes scattered there when she dies.

Homerton’s bar is a mix of wonderful contrasts. It’s an old country pub with reclining chairs and a vibrant cocktail bar with stools. It has just one on-tap beer and an abundance of fancy cocktails. It needs to sort out its beer range and supply shortage, and the large queues for its lavish cocktails.

Overall Homerton’s bar received an 8/10 from the Beverage Report this week. Why? It’s worth going to for many reasons. Refined cocktails, a formidable college brew, Junction just minutes away, amazing atmosphere and a fantastic group of regulars.