The Black Eel

F. Cooke’s, the old pie and mash shop in Dalston, lasted from 1910 to 1996 – it then became a Chinese restaurant, Shanghai, before briefly turning into a board came cafe, Draughts. And now its latest incarnation is The Black Eel, which has seen the team behind Exale Brewing in Walthamstow turn the Grade II listed building into a pub, complete with games room, karaoke and big back garden. Rileys have been bought in to take care of the food, which includes a line of roasts on Sundays. We can highly recommend starting with a few of the snacks, such as the crispy fried potatoes and the fish bun – we’d come back for those two alone. With the roasts come excellent crisp roast potatoes, cabbage, carrots, Yorkshire pud and salsa verde – a new one on us, but quite nice to have a fresh sauce on there. There’s a choice of roast sirloin or pork belly, or a celeriac with hazelnut crumb for veggies. Wash it all down with a couple of pints from the extensive line up of taps and bottles from both Exale and other London breweries.