They say that a jack-of-all-trades is a master of none but is that really true? Michael Jordan played professional baseball and maintained a pretty special basketball career, Will Smith smashed movies and music and Ant and Dec are brilliant at everything… We think that The Queen of Hoxton can also be included with that short list of overachievers thanks to her myriad talents that have made her one of Shoreditch’s most innovative venues.
There’s Rooftop Cinema, which runs a packed schedule of screenings every summer, the terrace BBQ, their ice cream cocktails, the live bands, the DJs and the art gallery. Basically, it’s a swot. It sucks in the talent and harvests it for the punters’ delight.
Located on Curtain Road, the venue takes up an entire large building. With a ground floor bar that comes complete with resplendent cinema style light board, a basement with a vast dance floor and private booths and pinball and football tables scattered around, there’s something going on in every corner. DJs and live bands play the dim basement, with nights like Wild Life delivering the most enthusiastic dancing you’ve ever seen, set to anything from house to disco. And then there are the alternative attractions. You know about the cinema club on the roof but did you know that The Queen of Hoxton has a regular Ukulele Hootenanny jam? Bring along your uke (or hire one for a £20 deposit) and jam with other enthusiasts keen to improve their style.
So that’s the goings on but what about the all-important drinking? The rooftop bar serves jugs of Aperol Spritz, spiked ice cream and even frozen cocktails make an appearance. The ground floor bar serves the classics. Plus, did we mention that the venue’s walls are otherwise employed as blank canvasses for artists to get stuck into? Graffiti, poster art and murals keep the venue fresh and expose up-and-coming artists to a world of eyes.
Like we said, The Queen of Hoxton is a jack-of-all-trades but it masters them all. Every trip here is a multifaceted nightlife experience.
