Tucked behind Regent Street, the recently renovated pub which my we were invited to come and review appeared quite unassuming at first glance. However, walking through the mandarin-coloured doors tells a rather different story where, immediately, you’re greeted by a warm interior and a lively atmosphere – which is even livelier when there’s live music taking place.

“It’s both spacious and intimate”

The real treat, however, is when you head upstairs into what appears to be a mid-century modern warehouse loft – but a quick Google search revealed that this used to be a factory. With plants aplenty, groovy décor, and warm lighting, this certainly isn’t your average pub: it lacks the usual quirks you’d find in The Eagle or The Anchor, and, instead, feels more like a trendy, upscale bar someplace in London. However, by no means is that a bad thing: it’s both spacious and intimate, and has clearly caught the eye of more than just your average millennial, where you’re surrounded by Gen Z-ers and boomers alike.

After being seated by a very lovely member of staff, we were presented with the menu which, once again, was illustrative of the departure from the traditional pub towards something more globalised. Sure, you’ve got the classics, but in the space of a few courses, we’d travelled several continents. Realistically, it was never going to be a perfectly authentic tour – but, with that in mind, we weren’t all too disappointed.

The starters we opted for – which, by the way, are great for sharing – were the sweet chilli chicken bao buns (with sesame seeds, red chilli, spring onion, and coriander) and jerk chicken roti (with jerk gravy, red chilli, spring onion, coriander). I’d only ever had bao buns once before and, suffice to say, my standards were quite low – sorry Itsu. However, I was pleasantly surprised by these, and we both found both starters quite nice. They were also quite light, leaving plenty of room for what was to come. Emphasis on the plenty, actually.

Anyway, fast forward to the main course, where we’d both gone back to basics: my friend went for a classic beef burger (6oz* aged shin + rib beef burger with Ayrshire dry-cured bacon and cheddar), but I was in the mood for something a little different – not least because I don’t actually eat beef – so I opted for the Korean fried chicken burger (crispy battered chicken thighs with Korean barbecue sauce, red chilli, spring onion, and coriander). Both came with fries and a couple of onion rings, and this was the point in the meal where we were starting to fill up. It was always going to be difficult to go wrong with a classic beef burger, meanwhile, on my end, the meat was a little tough, but the flavours were great.

“I have no doubt that this would be a perfect daytime study spot”

Eager to get the full experience, we continued onto dessert, the options for which were equivalent to what you’d see at any other pub. I was in the mood for something sharp, which only meant I could get the apple pie (served with vegan vanilla ice cream), while my friend went for the vanilla cheesecake (served with raspberry coulis, raspberries, and clotted cream ice cream). I don’t have a favourite dessert, but I do find that the best desserts are the one with a hot and cold component, so I was pretty happy. We both were.

If there was ever a time to have a drink, it was probably now, since we’d spent the evening traversing back and forth between our table and the water dispenser by the bar. Unfortunately, I chose to be on poor form and refrained – however, the same couldn’t be said for my friend, who opted for the signature Gin + Juice (Tanqueray London dry mixed with a freshly blended granny smith apple): a vibrant, refreshing concoction which was sweet, tart, and left only the lightest taste of alcohol. She definitely made the right call.

I think not wanting to leave is a pretty good sign, but, alas, our essays weren’t going to do themselves, and we were going to have to call it a night at some point. Though we went in the evening, I have no doubt that this would be a perfect daytime study spot, as you’d be treated to endless natural light and a lovely view of Parker’s Piece – so it seems like the only thing holding it back from students taking on the Grain & Hop en masse is probably the fact that it’s a touch out of the way.

All in all, it’s not your typical pub – but it’s a good one.