Originally called The Bunch of Grapes, this cosy, unassuming pub first opened its doors to parched Londoners in 1583.

Queen Elizabeth I was the reigning monarch, Sir Francis Drake had recently returned after circumnavigating the earth and William Shakespeare was just nineteen years old.

A lot has changed in 450 years, however The Grapes – as it is now called – stands still, with the front entrance on the cobbled Narrow Street and the back directly over the north bank of the Thames.

Situated in Limehouse, formerly the trade centre of the world, the pub and the surrounding area has long been associated with some of Britain’s most celebrated artists, thinkers and writers.

In 1661, Samuel Pepys, whose diary is seen as one of the most important primary sources for the Restoration Period, documented his trip to Limehouse to a jetty just along from The Grapes.

In 1820, the young Charles Dickens visited the pub with his godfather. The reference to The Grapes in the opening chapter of Our Mutual Friend is clear, as he speaks of a “tavern of dropsical appearance” and notes how “it had outlasted many a sprucer public house”.

The pub proudly pays tribute to Dickens with an original collection of his novels and some paintings displayed in the back room.

A humbling reminder that he frequented there some 200 years ago.

More recently, The Grapes survived the Blitz in the Second World War when most of its surrounding area was demolished.

The pub has such an iconic history that it caught the eye of Sir Ian McKellen.

In 2011, he bought the pub with his former partner Sean Mathias, and Evgeny Lebedev, owner of The Independent and London Evening Standard.

Despite the now celebrity status, The Grapes has retained a modest, friendly feel.

A proper local East London boozer with character and charm.