Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Some aspects of Hoxton and Shoreditch inspire nothing but a huge yawn these days (overcrowded bars playing nu disco ad infinitum), but there’s no denying that despite Hoxton resembling the West End more and more each day, it is still home to a large concentration of clubs and gig venues. Because of this, whatever your aspirations, if you’re a live music lover you’re bound to find yourself here sooner or later. Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen have come up with a formula to cater to all night time needs: a Tex Mex menu, a bar serving numerous Southern-inspired cocktails, and a music policy that favours buzzing up and coming bands. It’s working, as the bar is often packed and the shows frequently sell out, but before you start muttering “hipster” under your breath, the crowd is less trendy and more a mixture of City boys, after-work office bods and music fans these days. It gets very busy on any given night, so you’ll probably have to clamber past the tightly packed punters to get to the live area at the back, luckily there are separate bars in each room to reduce queuing. On Fridays and Saturdays DJs play (of the kind that act as warm-ups rather than big names) and entry is usually free, however admission fees for gigs vary.