The Shacklewell Arms: Venue of the Month

When it comes to talking about the Shacklewell Arms, it’s difficult to know where to begin. There’s the unrelenting approach to putting on new bands, its counter record store that trades from the pub, the adoption of Hank’s Hotdogs and then rest of the trappings that make any pub so appealing – beer, football and the rest of the fun.

Not so long ago, The Shacklewell Arms was just another Dalston pub with a loyal following. Recently it seems to be forcing itself into the London bar scene’s collective consciousness, going as far as getting its own stage at Field Day. Just rewards for their commitment to showing new bands in East London.

The interior is all about the makeshift approach, pretty in pink it’s not, however, the lived in tropical theme just works. If grimy gets you going occasionally, then The Shacklewell Arms is happy to oblige. Premier League football is the icing on the cake – if you don’t take Hank’s hotdogs into account.

It seems like every other pub is affiliating themselves with street food vendors these days, but when the standard of pub food is spiking, who cares? Take Vienna beef sausage, jalapenos, chilli and cheese and you’ve got yourself a Shacklewell arms chilli cheese dog. You bet we love it…

Attracting a mixture of locals and a fashionable night-tripping crowd, the atmosphere can often descend into those ‘how did I get here?’ type nights. Who’s he? Who’s she? And why are we doing shots of tequila together? Just go with it and you’ll love the Shacklewell Arms as much as we do…