The West End, that attracted masses of Londoners and visitors alike a few years ago, is now being challenged by the eastern side of town: The clubs in the West End are often associated with overpriced drinks and C-list celebrity spotting, while the East End seems to be full of atmosphere and culture. Hoxton Square, Brick Lane, Clerkenwell, Shoreditch and Spitalfields are London's exciting creative districts. Not only when it comes to going out clubbing, but also when it comes to food, for many people east London is the new place to be especially with it being home to Brick Lane's famous (or should that be notorious??) curry houses.
Indie Clubs & Bars
There are numerous clubs and bars in east London that you should check out if you’d like an alternative to the more mainstream nights in the West End.
Cafe 1001 is a bar, but also a place to eat while DJs spin some records. An extremely laid back atmosphere makes it special – 1001 is the place to be for those who haven't yet been to bed after a night out. You get coffee as well as cocktails, and you can chill on the comfy sofas and massive cushions. In the popular (therefore always crowded) outside area you can get nice burgers all day Sunday.
Club 333 is THE place for electro-glam and indie rave, the monthly Troubled Minds night is notorious –a big mash up of grime, rave, dancehall, electro, indie, hip hop and hardcore
The club also hosts other great nights, just check their webpage for details.
\n\n93 Feet East has a courtyard, three big rooms and an outdoor terrace, and is crowded with the cool East London crowd on sunny afternoons. There are some famous nights, like the REALLY popular 'rave, bling and trash' on Friday (a Styleslut and Wasteclub event). Sunday afternoons are relaxed: there’s Rock'n'Roll and short film screenings.
Bar Kick: 127 High St, Shoreditch; (020) 7739 8700; nearest tube: Old Street
Much larger compared to the ‘sister Kick’ in Clerkenwell, this venue is slightly edgier because of its Shoreditch location. Inside, there are leather sofas and simple tables and chairs, as well as four soccer tables.
Bar Music Hall is quite large so it’s rarely too crowded, and it’s well-known for its night which many people consider the hottest nights in Shoreditch. Slipped Disco on Wednesdays is all about underground acid and electro, on Saturdays it’s Foreign, a night hosted by drag queen DJ Jodie Harsh and Molaroid- you’ll get art projections, techno, ragga, electro, rave, pop, as well as anything else in between you can possibly thing of. Entry is Free!
Bedroom Bar: A great place to go for a bit of dancing after the pub’s shut – cheap, too. Bedroom Bar also has good cocktails, good Djs as well as banquettes to lounge on, and there is enough floor space for dancing.
Bethnal Green Working Men's Club: Not too long ago on the brink of bankruptcy, Bethnal Green Working Men's Cub was saved by a clever promoter who spread the word of (slightly trashy) burlesque nights taking place at the club. Now, London's burlesque people host regular nights, but there also are alternative Eurovision nights and other events.\n\nBricklayers Arms: A really down-to-earth place compared to the rest of the cool Hoxton scene, the Bricklayers Arms is the place for an unpretentious nevertheless stylish crowd, normally in their mid-to-late-20s. This old-style pub is popular as a place to have a couple of drinks, to start the evening, before you head off elsewhere.
Old Blue Last: Where some people might expect to find a couple of old blokes sitting at the bar, watching telly, you find a incredibly trendy teenage/twens crowd of Hoxton’s younger scene people - the place is full of hooded tops, fluorescent T-shirts and nylon caps. It hosts a lot of Shoreditch’s best parties and live gigs.
Cargo: Probably used as a storage space once (hence the name..!), Cargo is now an ultra hip club and a good place to check out new groups. You’ll get international music, live bands and DJs, as well as great 'street food' , sipping cocktails and huge bottles of beer. This place really suits any kind of mood- whether you want to feel cosy or go crazy; there is a dance floor as well as sofas and a courtyard with a hammock.
Food:
Beigel Shop: ; A popular, round-the-clock bakery is said to produce some of London's best bagels. The place attracts daytime as well as after-club crowds.
Fifteen: This modern European/ Italian place serves breakfast, lunch & dinner. It now is a small international chain with branches in Melbourne, Amsterdam and Cornwall; this particular one is Jamie Oliver's, where he trains and employs 15 young chefs with all the profits going to charity. Getting reservations can be tricky, but they keep one-third of the seating in the trattoria for walk-ins. Food is quite pricey - expect to pay around £8 for a fry-up but keep in mind it's for a good cause. You’ll find a nice selection of fish and vegetarian dishes.
Green & Red: This Mexican bar and cantina is a welcome addition to the omnipresent Indian places in East London. The décor sets the mood for authentic Mexican food, slow-cooked chilli pork belly, roasted vegetable in chilli salsa- fans of Mexican food should definitely check this place out. In the bar downstairs you can choose from more than 100 tequilas.
Curry on Brick Lane
East London’s Brick Lane has some of the best and cheapest Curry houses you will find in the city. The food is delicious, the people are friendly and many of the restaurants are okay with ‘bring your own beer’. A curry now is as traditional as Fish and Chips or bangers’n’mash if you are visiting London.
Sweet’n’Spicy (40, Brick Lane, London, E1 6RF) is a nice example of the great curry places in teh area...make sure you check it out.
