A jammy so and so

If I could award five stars for staff, I'd give them to the Bambi-eyed boy who served us at the Hartley.

Nothing was too much trouble for him; he managed to be incredibly helpful without being in our faces - no mean feat. And my partiality has nothing to do with the fact that he comped us a glass of champagne each, honest.

This new pub, close to the Jam Factory (hence the name?) in Bermondsey, is a belter: a genuinely funky place to hang out, with some pretty nifty goings-on in the kitchen.

The menu presses all the right buttons: my choices veered from the sophisticated - a silky and flavourful terrine of foie gras with chicken and ham knuckle - to the homespun - a sheperds (sic) pie that was rather more mash than shepherd.

Quality was occasionally wobbly: a chopped rump steak burger had a soggy, mince-like taste. But mostly dishes were on the money, like a big pile of earthy, honey-roast pork belly with black pudding and stuffed cabbage; or a crab salad '· la russe' - piled up with crispy, raw leaves and mayo - with aged vinegar and soft herbs.

Home-made ice creams - such as black pepper, or bread and butter pudding - are heavenly, ingredients are mostly organic (meat is from the estimable Ginger Pig company) and prices reasonable (about £4 for starters, £8 for mains). Jam today? Definitely.

The Hartley Bar & Dining Rooms
64 Tower Bridge Road, SE1 4TR