The Alex

Just what London needs - another pub calling itself The Alex, as if a casual first-name basis makes it automatically charming. Located in what estate agents optimistically call "characterful" East London, this establishment initially struck me as yet another watering hole riding the coattails of East End nostalgia. How wrong I was. Well, partially wrong. Let's not get carried away here.

The Alex in London has achieved something rather remarkable - it's managed to maintain its genuine local pub atmosphere while many of its contemporaries have surrendered to the siren song of gastropub pretension. No artisanal sourdough boards or deconstructed fish and chips here, thank heavens. Instead, you'll find what can only be described as an increasingly rare specimen: a proper London boozer that doesn't feel like it's trying to impress anyone.

The regulars - a colorful cast of West Ham supporters and local characters - create an atmosphere that marketing teams spend fortunes trying to artificially manufacture in other venues. Fair warning: if you're sensitive to colorful language, you might want to clutch your pearls elsewhere. This isn't a place for those seeking a sanitized "authentic London experience" - it's where authenticity actually lives, for better or worse.

The bar staff deserve special mention, if only because they've mastered the increasingly lost art of actual pub service. None of that forced cheeriness you find in chain pubs, but rather a genuine efficiency paired with just the right amount of familiar banter. They know their regulars by name and their drinks by heart, and newcomers are treated with a reserved curiosity that feels perfectly calibrated.

When it comes to beverages, The Alex keeps things refreshingly straightforward. The beer selection won't win any craft brewing awards, but that's entirely the point. The pints are well-kept and properly poured - something that shouldn't be remarkable but somehow is in today's London pub landscape. The wine list exists, which is really all that needs to be said about it. You're not here for the wine, and if you are, you've seriously misread the room.

The interior is everything you'd expect from a proper East End pub, which is to say it's seen better days but wears its battle scars with dignity. The worn wooden bar has probably witnessed more London history than most museum pieces, and the seats have achieved that perfect level of lived-in comfort that only decades of consistent use can provide.

What truly sets The Alex apart in London's increasingly homogenized pub scene is its steadfast refusal to "evolve" with the times. While other establishments frantically install USB charging points and craft their Instagram aesthetics, this place remains stubbornly, gloriously itself. There's something admirable about that level of commitment to identity, even if that identity includes the occasional colorful exchange between passionate football supporters.

For groups, The Alex provides ample space and an atmosphere conducive to actual conversation - imagine that, a pub where you can hear yourself think. The delivery option seems almost anachronistic for such a traditional establishment, but I suppose even stalwart institutions must make occasional concessions to modernity.

The surrounding area has changed dramatically over the years, with sleek developments and artisanal coffee shops sprouting up like ambitious weeds through East London's concrete. Yet The Alex stands as a defiant reminder of what this neighborhood used to be - and in some corners, still is. It's not trying to be a time capsule; it simply hasn't seen any reason to change what works.

Let's be clear - The Alex in London isn't for everyone, and it's all the better for it. If you're seeking cutting-edge mixology or a venue to impress your Instagram followers, you're better off elsewhere. But if you want to experience a genuine slice of London pub life, complete with all its rough edges and warm heart, you'll find it here. Just don't expect anyone to care whether you do or not. And somehow, that's exactly as it should be.