Music venues & clubs – All our local tips

You don’t need to be a devoted fan of Ray Charles or Etta James to appreciate Ain’t Nothing But the Blues. All you need is an appreciation for soulful music.

Discretely located down Kingly Street in Soho, it is easy to miss the bar’s entrance. And once inside, the understated décor and the absence of a cocktail list clearly places it behind the glitter and glamour of most West End haunts. However, the fantastic live music makes for a much more memorable night than any of the carbon copy bars which surround it.

Every night of the week the bar fills up in anticipation for the band to take to the stage. Be sure to get in before 20:30 on Friday and Saturday nights as entry is free and you’ll miss the infamous queue. It is also worth getting there early to grab yourself a table, particularly if a discreet toe tap is your preferred style of dancing.

Being a blues bar virgin at the time, I can’t recall what type of blues the band played, however I do recall the music being that infectious that I was dancing on the chairs for hours- clearly the absence of a cocktail list, not preventing such behaviour!

Details about this spot
Ain’t Nothing But the Blues | Bars, Music, Snacks | Fri/Sat after 20:30 £ 5.00
20 Kingly Street | Central (area map) | +4402072870514
Mon – Wed 18:00 – 01:00, Thu 18:00 – 02:00, Fri 17:00 – 03:00, Sat 15:00 – 03:00, Sun 15:00 – 00:00

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Located down a side street off the eclectic madness that is Camden High Road, Bar Vinyl is all about old skool hip hop, soul and funk and also has a record store tucked away downstairs. The whole place has that old skool feel to it, everything from the music to the movies projected up on the screen at the back, so feel free to dust of you old adidas coloured tracksuit and trainers and reminisce!

The food menu is mainly made up of pizzas, hotdogs and chips – whilst not amazing, it matches the old skool era of the place perfectly. And to further compliment the atmosphere is the cocktail list, try a Pimp Daddy or a Vinyl Richie cocktail from the ‘The Vinyl Collection’ list or a Chocolate Martini or Liquid Viagra from the ‘Old Skool Remixes’ list. However it needs to be said – the cocktails are lethal.

The DJ comes on between 21:00 – 22:00 and plays a great mix of funky tunes which had me happily singing along to some old favourites that I hadn’t heard in years. Whilst the crowd can be unpredictable, the feel good music and atmosphere will ensure that you’re left bopping away, like Lionel Richie once warned, all night long!

Details about this spot
Bar Vinyl | Bars, Music, Shopping, Snacks
6 Inverness street | North-West (area map) | +442074825545
Sun – Wed 11:00 – 00:00, Thu – Sat 11:00 – 01:00

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The Bedroom Bar, situated in Shoreditch’s pulsing pulmonary, Rivington Street (only a few minutes’ stroll from Old Street tube), runs a finely-tuned precipice in east London between the bloated bankers of Old Street and their drainpiped boho compatriots creeping in from the artier corners of Hackney and Hoxton.

Happily, there’s something for everyone here- especially as the Bedroom carries the successful Comedy Café as its subterranean sister venue. Cheap pints-a-plenty for the hard-up, and a cocktail list to enliven even the most hardy HBOS punter mean this place is one of the few locations where suits and students can rub shoulders in drunken joy.

Add in the fervent Indian décor- inclusive of giant Ganesha- and the dimly-lit corridors and plush sofas here are more than conducive to a bit of hanky-panky. The great and the good from London’s underground chilled house and techno DJ echelons flock here Bedroom each weekend, too: music, cocktails and giant elephants – what more do you want?

Details about this spot
Bedroom Bar | Bars, Music
62 Rivington Street | East (area map) | +442076135637
Thu 19:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 19:00 – 02:00

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The area around Liverpool Street Station in East London was once associated with poor slums and the scene of the crime for the Jack the Ripper murders. Whilst the Ten Bells still stands, the pub that Jack’s victims drunk at, the area itself is now very popular with London’s edgy and artistic crowd.

After a short walk from Liverpool Street Station, you’ll come across the Old Spitalfields Markets (105a Commercial Street) which are open every Sunday. Whilst these markets are definitely worth a peak, keep wandering towards Bricklane where you’ll find the Old Truman Brewery (91 Bricklane).

These are one on my favourite markets as this is where up-and-coming designers set up shop every Sunday selling a unique variety of handbags, clothes and jewellery. There’s also a few vintage clothing stores and chic boutiques dotted around the area, which is a refreshing change from the usual high street clothing stores.

Whilst Bricklane has always been synonymous for its many curry restaurants, it now has a reputation for its warehouse art exhibitions and trendy clubs and bars. So, before your East London experience is complete, be sure to head to the Vibe Bars beer garden for a drink or two before stumbling across the road to 93 Feet East (150 Bricklane) for some late night groovin.

Whilst this place is sweaty and jammed, it has become an East End institution well known for its eclectic mix of live music and its intimate atmosphere.

Details about this spot
Bricklane | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Shopping, Restaurants (Various, however mainly Bangladeshi) | Average meal £ £5.00-£20
Bricklane | East (area map)
Markets open Sun, most clothing stores daily, 93 Feet East: Mon – Thu 17:00 – 23:00, Fri 17:00 – 01:00, Sat 12:00 – 01:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:30

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During the day people bring their laptops or books and work, read and drink coffee sprawled over one of the many mismatched sofas or lounge chairs. At night tea candles are lit and hot drinks are swapped for alcoholic drinks as people unwind and meet friends in what was once the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane (check the Brick Lane article). Now that it’s wintertime, people who swamped to the outside picnic benches and the alleyway still venture out, but there is a much more cosy feel inside.

The boho and versatile venue opens at a very early 06:00 for breakfast and soups, jacket potatoes and sandwiches are on offer for lunch and dinner. Live music attracts a younger crowd with indie bands on Tuesday and jazz on Wednesday. Bands play in the smaller room at the back on Sunday and a dj spins tunes on Friday and Saturday.

Cocktails made with fresh fruit are available on the weekend and all year round you can grab a burger or corn on the cob from the grill stand outside. Tables and benches outside in front are great for people watching or smoking.

Details about this spot
Café 1001 | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks, Restaurants (intern.)
1 Dray walk, 91 Brick Lane | East (area map) | +442072479679
Mon – Sat 06:00 – 00:00, Sun 06:00 – 23:30

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There are few places in London where you can see quality classical or jazz music for a decent price. You may find some little den of iniquity outside the city walls, but the quality of music is likely to be more second-rate than a Ronaldo dive.

Thankfully, largely overpriced Trafalgar Square has a trick up its sleeve, for buried in the catacombs of St. Martin-in-the-Fields church lies the Café in the Crypt; a vaulted subterranean fusion of good food and even better music. The place alone is striking; the up-lit vaults provide the perfect acoustic backdrop to some elegant dining. The last time I went I caught an excellent jazz trio, though classical sets are the meat and cheese.

The staff are incredibly kind and friendly, the clientèle passive and warm, and the food – whilst not exactly Michelin starred – is good enough to come back to many a time. Served on a buffet basis, there are various salads, roasts, pies and other dishes to satisfy almost every taste.

It’s fantastic value, too – lunch or dinner. Compared to other jazz venues like Ronnie Scott’s of Camden’s imposing Jazz Café tickets are fractional. Some nights you can even catch a concert and meal for £20. For the sheer quality the Café oozes this is a great offer. Other night tickets may range from as little as £8 to the bigger classical concertos breaking in at the £20 – £25 mark. Either way, you’d be a fool to miss one of central London’s most beautifully best-kept secrets.

Details about this spot
Café in the Crypt | Bars, Music, Festivals & events, Restaurants (English)
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church | Central (area map) | +442077661158
Mon – Tue 08:00 – 20:00, Wed – Sat 08:00 – 22:00, Sun 12:00 – 18:00

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Fabric is huge, in size and stature. I guess I don’t really need to single it out as a hidden treasure, but it would simply be criminal as a clubber to go to this city and miss a Friday night in the place DJ magazine voted second best in the world (down from first), just behind Ibiza’s Space.

Literally every dance genre is catered for by this monolith of madness – residents include house legends Craig Richards and Terry B, and you’ll nearly always find Drum n’ Bass god DJ Hype turning up the heat in Room 2 – which has one of the best laser displays this side of San Antonio. FabricLive on a Friday is undoubtedly the best night to visit, with appearances from the likes of Hawtin, Villalobos and Morillo getting the huge crowds pumping. Stay to the end; there’s nothing quite like it on the planet.

Stuff other clubs royally screw up are fine-tuned to perfection in Fabric. Otherwise sordid unisex toilets are glitzy and cool; rubbish is nowhere to be seen and the layout is instantly recognisable. The only drawbacks are the massive queues – always come earlyish – and the prices. But you knew that already. London needs its king with so many great places falling by the wayside right now – Turnmills, The Key, The End. So come with wads of cash and bow down to a demigod of dance. All hail Fabric.

Details about this spot
Fabric | Bars, Music | Entrance adults Sat £ 16.00
77A Charterhouse Street | Central (area map) | +442073368898
Fri 22:00 – 06:00, Sat 23:00 – 08:00

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I’m a huge film fan, and I suspect a few of you will enjoy a trip to the movies as well, but when you’re been sitting in the darkness, what is it on screen that tells you when Indiana Jones must make the death-defying leap, when Harry Potter will finally win the Quidditch match, or that this is the lovestruck duo’s final kiss?

The London Symphony Orchestra has probably been making you leap from your seat, grip the armrests or weep silently without you ever knowing them.  Well here they are!

Renowned for recording original soundtracks for dozens of films and composers, from Star Wars and Superman to The Queen, they of course perform an expansive range of classical music, with various programmes throughout the year, resident in the modern architectural maze of the Barbican Centre and the recently refurbished venue of St Luke’s.

If you have never been to a classical music concert, forget your conceptions of a stiff upper lip, these ladies and gentlemen are great fun, and obviously enjoy the music they play.

Listen to how the strings section tease a note out of absolute silence, swelling to a vibrant chorus that can unexpectedly move you to tears.

Now, when was the last time your MP3 player did that?

Photo: Alberto Venzago by permission of the LSO

Details about this spot
London Symphony Orchestra | Art & culture, Music | Approx price from £ 4.00
Silk Street | Central (area map) | +442076388891
Check website for performance times

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Taxidermy and bric-a-brac aren’t the surroundings I’d usually pick for a cocktail bar, however this place not only pulls it off, it does it in style! Situated in an old meat packing factory, this kitsch establishment is a favourite with the fashion and media world. Even Madonna, the material girl herself, had a birthday here.

Its location, down a gritty East London street, combined with the unusual choice of stuffed animals and dolls is a stark contrast to the glamorous clientele draping off the ornate sofas. All of which creating quite a surreal experience.

The cocktail list is impressive, as is the care and attention put in to making each drink. The Lotus Position, blended with vodka, Mozart White, strawberry puree, mimosa syrup with orange flower water goes down very easily, as does the Adam and Eve, a tempting combination of vodka, blueberries, fig liqueur and lime.

To best enjoy your night, call ahead and reserve a sofa and take in the fabulous surroundings.

Details about this spot
Lounge Lovers | Bars, Music, Relaxing | Cocktails from £ 7.00
1 Whitby Street | East (area map) | +4402070121234
Tue – Thu & Sun 18:00 – 00:00, Fri 17:30 – 01:00, Sat 18:00 – 01:00

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Located in the thick of Soho’s sex shops and bars is the sultry Madame JoJo’s. Once a strip club, Madame JoJo’s is now famous for its eclectic music nights, ranging from rockabilly, deep funk, indie, soul and a splash of disco.

Whilst the nature of business has changed at Madame JoJo’s, its strip club days can still be clearly visualised as the interior still resembles its former self – dimly lit and slightly decedent. As for the atmosphere, it certainly has a seductive Moulin Rouge feel to it, mixed with an ‘if-these-walls-could-talk’ vibe pulsating off the mirrored walls.

As for the crowd, most people tend to put particular effort into their appearance. If you go on rockabilly night, expect to see girls in dresses which seem to accentuate their dance moves as they jive the night away. Or even a few girls dressed in burlesque – so it’s a great place to go if you want to be creative with your look or be someone else for the night!

Therefore it goes without saying that the atmosphere of Madame JoJo’s only further compliments the exceptionally good music they play. Making this place is a must for anyone who has a taste for the slightly off beat and an ear for good music.

Details about this spot
Madame Jojos | Bars, Music | Entance from £ 3.00
8-10 Brewer Street | Central (area map) | +4402077343040
Tue 20:00 -03:00, Wed 22:30 – 03:00, Thu 19:30 – 02:30, Fri – Sat 22:00 – 03:00, Sun 21:30 – 03:00

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It’s a constant dilemma. London has so many fantastic pubs and clubs, however often it’s so hard to find a funky bar where you can go dancing which doesn’t close when the clock strikes twelve. However the Ruby & Sequoia restaurant bar, which is located near the fabulous Portobello Road, offers just that.

The main bar is a great place to stand around with a cocktail and catch up with friends, whilst the small downstairs area plays a mixture of dance and funk, which incidentally will have you dancing until the wee hours of the night.

The only downside about this place is that it has recently turned into a members bar, which means non members need to call ahead to get their names at the door. However entry is still free.

The restaurant is also open for brunch and offers the perfect hangover cure for £10 – any main course, a Bloody Mary, the morning papers and of course coffee and juice. Therefore, with Portobello Road less than a one minute walk away, Ruby & Sequoia restaurant bar is a great place to either start or end a day out in the area.

Details about this spot
Ruby & Sequoia | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks, Restaurants (European)
6-8 All Saints Road | West (area map) | +4402072436363
Mon – Thu 18:00 – 00:30, Fri 18:00 – 02:00, Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 11:00 – 00:30

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For the perfect combination of glamour and eccentricity, head to Sketch, off Regent St, Mayfair. Sketch is made up of a few bars and restaurants, one of which has a Michelin star, however the main attraction of Sketch is its quirky interior. Each room is unique, however the design is consistent; opulent, edgy and alluring.

For a traditional but chic English experience, the Parlour room does a great High Tea in the afternoon from 15:00 – 19:30. For £30, you get a sample of scrumptious cakes, traditional sandwiches, tea and a glass of champagne to wash it all down.

The Gallery, which has various cultural exhibitions by day, converts into a restaurant at night with a live DJ playing until 02:00. Whilst there, be sure to wander down to the East Bar at the back of the Gallery. This intimate bar is the perfect place to sip on a delicious Tai Tai or Lovely Bubbly cocktail.

Above the East Bar, two staircases lead up to a floor that has randomly scattered white cubicles which resemble a cross between giant eggshells and space ships: naturally, these are the toilets. Once you enter your spaceship cubicle you are greeted by some interesting sounds such as cows mooing, people laughing or X rated screams.

Needless to say, after being at Sketch for only a short while you’ll begin to feel as if you have stumbled across a secret and unusual little world – a world where you won’t want to leave!

Details about this spot
Sketch | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Restaurants (English)
9 Conduit Street | Central (area map) | +442076594500
Mon – Sat

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The Amersham Arms’ tag line is ’slightly new movements in public houses’, and it’s not far wrong. Situated right in the centre of the buzzing New Cross/Camberwell area home to so many Goldsmiths-bound trustafarians, the Arms is a oasis of indie, fags and drainpipes in an otherwise towny part of town. It’s almost a humorous juxtaposition to behemoth of mediocrity The Venue, sat right across the one-way.

So the Boho invasion reaches the south-east. All the better pickings for the public. For as the Arms may be awash with bawdy indie preachers, it is also bursting with underground musical talent and some rip-roaring club nights, spearheaded by the inimitable Adventures in the Beetroot Field. Drinks are decently priced, the music is cranked up to eleven and the people are, for all their avarice and pride, a friendly bunch with not much more than a vintage hankie up their sleeves. Not to be outdone as a pub either, the Arms offers a smelly smorgasbord of cheeses and upmarket snacks to those who need a bit of energy between art classes.

So if Camden’s too crack-addled and Shoreditch is becoming a bore, get on the train to New Cross and drink yourself merry to the best punky pop London can muster. You might even come back south of the river one day.

Details about this spot
The Amersham Arms | Bars, Music
338 New Cross Road | South-East (area map) | +442084691499
12:00 – late (check listings) daily

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If The Bedford was a person, it would be a woman. Why? Because it can multi-task!

It was originally a hotel in the 1830s so it’s no wonder why there more than 1 room. Today, The Bedford is a place where you drink, eat, dance, laugh, listen and see.

This iconic venue in south west London is conveniently located near the Balham rail and tube stations. There is something happening each day of the week whether it be a comedy show, a dance class, a concert or a club night. You can also chill with a pint or two by the fireplace or soak in the lively atmosphere as you sit by the bar. Who knows you might be sitting beside the resident mascot – a huge German Shepherd with quite the fancy for an ale.

I go to The Bedford mainly for 2 reasons, one is to dance Argentine tango (with Tango Fandango) every other Sunday; the other is to learn the lindy hop (with Swingland) every Tuesday. But I’ve since discovered that they also serve great food, which is unusual for pub grubs, especially the chips. Big, fat slices that are oh so tasty! Possibly the best bowl of chips in SW London.

The Bedford is not just your typical local pub. It’s a centre for everything.

Details about this spot
The Bedford | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Restaurants (Pub) | Wine £ 3.00
77 Bedford Hill | South-West (area map) | +442086828940
Mon-Thu 11:00 – 23:00 Fri-Sat 11:00 – 02:00 Sun 12:00 – 22:30

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The Dolphin Pub is the kind of place you feel you have to explain its appeal before admitting to liking it, as from the outside the pub looks very much like an old mans watering hole and the interior screams tacky Victorian, if you can imagine such a thing.

However hit this place on a Saturday night for a drink or two and you’ll find yourself there till the early hours, dancing and singing along to handbag house intermittently mixed with karaoke favourites. Yes, the music selection is what keeps the crowd’s infectiously good vibe going, as one minute you’re gyrating to cheesy dance classics and the next minute someone has taken the microphone and is singing along to the best of the worst karaoke tunes. However the crowd doesn’t seem to care whether you hit that note, just as long as the music keeps playing and the bar keeps serving.

If you’re in need of resting your feet, or vocal cords as it may be, they have a decent sized outdoor terrace where you can eye up the outrageously trendy and alternative types that flock to this pub. Like so much of East London, the most unlikely of places always attracts the trendiest of crowds, therefore West End glamour types may not be impressed. However this unpredictably fun pub has the knack of removing inhibitions and class distinctions as the night wears on and the intoxication levels increase.

Details about this spot
The Dolphin Pub | Bars, Music | Pint £ 3.00
165 Mare Street | East (area map) | +442089853727
Mon – Thu 16:00 – 02:00, Fri 16:00 – 04:00, Sat 12:00 – 04:00, Sun 12:00 – 02:00

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The Hawley Arms pub in Camden has been in the headlines for a few things over the last year. Firstly, it has been highly publicised as being Amy Winehouse’s local, however these days you’re more likely to run into Peaches Geldof on a night out than the famous Miss Winehouse. And secondly, it burnt down in 2008, devastating dedicated Hawley patrons. However it has since been re-built and is as popular as ever.

The interior is warm and cosy and tastefully decorated with a small upstairs area and a roof terrace. Whilst the music ranges from indie to classics such as the Beatles and attracts a mix of indie Camden alternative types- think skinny jeans, messy hair and edgy fashion.

The odd celebrity or band member can be seen floating around the place, however unfortunately this also means that it attracts those who think they are celebrities or in a band! Therefore as some of the clientele desperately try to appear to be effortlessly cool, the Hawley can be a tad on the pretentious side. However, the great music and the interesting mix of artistic people makes for an enjoyable night out, even if it’s just to people watch.

Details about this spot
The Hawley Arms | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Snacks | Snacks £ 2.50
2 Castlehaven Road | North-West (area map) | +4402074285979
Sun – Thu 12:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 01:00

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Unless you stumble upon this by accident it’s easy to miss the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), accessed by a simple doorway on The Mall amongst the rows and rows of white columns.  Established in 1947 by a collective of artists, poets and writers, it aims to further contemporary culture through a variety of artforms.  A special ‘ICA at 60′ season is celebrating their, not surprisingly, 60th year.

On a mission to break down the boundaries between artists and the public, the ICA offers endless art exhibitions of great creativity and fun; two small cinema screens that regularly show great documentaries and world cinema; talks and events on multitude of cultural and artistic subjects; DJs and live performance in the ICA Bar, which also serves some tasty snack food.

The ICA shop has a cool selection of irregular and kooky magazines, books, DVDs and those really nice Moleskin notebook things.

On a charge of extreme laziness I want to leave it to you to browse the website here, to really get a vision for what the ICA offers, I’ll let your taste will guide you; a mind-boggling amount of entertainment awaits, look at all the links to the website I’ve managed to dig up already! Check times for individual events, exhibitions and movies.

It’s so easy just to drop in on a weekend, without it feeling like an ordeal of endurance that visits to some of the larger museums can be sometimes.  If you live in London permanently, why not become a member, at £35 a year it’s reduces the ticket prices to some seriously low prices

Details about this spot
The ICA | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks
12 Carlton House Terrace | Central (area map) | +442079303647
Mon – Wed 12:00 – 23:00, Thu – Sat 12:00 – 01:00, Sun 12:00 – 21:00

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Maybe it’s the location (parked just a few minutes’ walk from Electricity Showrooms) or maybe it’s the shady surroundings, but Hoxton’s excellent Macbeth is still left well alone by the masses and swooped upon almost exclusively by rag-tag fancies living down the road.

But we should all be going there, for this ignominious backwater is home to some of the best live nights a fiver can bring; if you can ignore the boudoirish scarlet decoration for long enough. There seem to be hundreds of buzzing nights laid on, the best couple being Bronze Club, a feverish fealty to the best new acts run by pantheons of pub pop Golden Silvers (Gold, Silver, Bronze – geddit?); and Plan B Magazine (the best British sound rag), where great young artists can be seen in their prime for less than a pint five minutes away. The drinks ain’t too expensive, if not the best in town.

So instead of settling for all that glitters on Shoreditch’s glam high street, take a stroll towards the light and sample some genuine Hoxton heroin chic.

Details about this spot
The Macbeth | Bars, Music | Entrance from £ 0.00
70 Hoxton Street | East (area map)
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 12:00 – 00:00

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No building in history may have had as bad press as the Millennium Dome – sorry – the O2. But look at it without reeling at all those taxpayers’ pennies and you’ve got to admit – it’s a hell of a sight. London’s most maligned tourist site may be a white elephant, but it’s no lame duck nowadays thanks to the revamp O2 and pals have given it in the last few years.

Name a gastro-pub or popular restaurant chain and it’s here. Name a generic public entertainment facility and it’s here. What’s not to like? Well, everything I suppose – but there are some huge draws to the dome.

Firstly, at night it’s a great fit-inducing menagerie of LEDS, neon and modernism in extremis which at the very least is worth a short ‘ooh’ or ‘ahh’ to the beholder. Secondly, once inside the cavernous dutch cap (and trust me it is HUGE), you can spend a veritably wholesome evening at comparably little expensive when you look at central London’s myriad overpriced, underachieving tourist traps.

Thirdly and waywardly most importantly is its new-found status as London’s premier uber-gig venue. I recently went on a whim, without ticket to see Tennessee’s tremendous Kings of Leon. No chance? No way. £25 on the door – which, as any big gig lover will tell you – is a fair bit under the asking price. And oddly, for a place as big as this, the atmosphere was every bit as tremendous.

Details about this spot
The O2 | Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Music, Restaurants | Free
Peninsula Square | South-East (area map)
Mon – Sat till 23:00, Sun til 22:00

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Now, I’ve been doing a bit of work in Harrow, north London, and was taken by a friend to his local, a tidy little pub on a corner. It’s the Trinity.

A brightly painted exterior beckons the faithful, through heavy wooden doors gilded with iron, to rest under swathes of red curtain and gothic arches. Taking the afternoon service is your minister, the affable Mr Bob Moore, serving his flock from the altar.

Bar service is second to none, with attention you would have to pay dearly for elsewhere. The Guinness is consistently the smoothest I have encountered if Bob the barman’s not too busy at the bar, he might offer to bring your pint to where you’re sitting, maybe with a complimentary bowl of peanuts.

A free buffet is available every Friday from 5pm. Beers sell at an average of £2.60 a pint, and wines and spirits are slightly less by the standard measure.

Upstairs transforms at about 21:00 into a live music venue, us old folks drift away and the students pile in from nearby colleges. Artists such as Kate Nash, Alabama 3 and Scouting for Girls have all been discovered under this very roof. Specialising in indie rock bands, you will variably find rock, metal, alt and singer/songwriter performers. DJs also play soul, breaks & beats, and underground hip hop. Just check the website here for listings.

Details about this spot
Trinity | Bars, Music, Snacks | Pint +/- £ 2.60
378-380 Station Road | North-West (area map) | +442084249888
Sun – Thu 13:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sat 13:00 – 03:00

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I wasn’t even aware of the existence of this Byzantine beauty until I moved to the road next door in my first year of university. You can’t miss the unusual red brick and stone building though, striking out against the concrete and glass-fronted office blocks of Victoria Street. It certainly comes as a surprise to many a person on their way to the more famous sights of Westminster, who stops in the piazza to gaze up at the intricate balconies and arches that make up Britain’s Roman Catholic head church.

One feature I particularly love is the 270ft bell tower that gives an amazing 360 degree view of the city. From here there is a great view of Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben just up the road and St Paul’s Cathedral further on the horizon. I always like being able to look over Buckingham Palace and maybe into the gardens behind, just in case HRH is out for a stroll!

The architecture inside the cathedral is equally as striking, and the atmosphere of peace and quiet contemplation inside provides a welcome escape from the noise of the city outside. The cathedral also has an exceptional choral foundation and the renowned choir sing at morning mass (10:30).

Details about this spot
Westminster Cathedral | Art & culture, Music | lift access £ 3.00
Victoria Street | Central (area map)
From first mass – 19:00 daily (closes at 17:30 on Public / Bank holidays)

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To look at it from the outside you’d be forgiven you’d stepped back in time to a Victorian workhouse. And inside the theme rarely strays; with chipped wood panels and oddly ornate lighting it could well be a seedy sixties strip joint.

Well, you’d be right, kind of. By week Ye Ole Axe – beloved and be-hated in equal measure by its Shoreditch siblings – is still an institution of dubious reputation (it has naked ladies in it). But it’s at the weekend when it gets interesting. For the uninhibited pound-in-the-jar madness that rules Monday through Thursday equates to one of the most manic, subtle-as-a-hammer nights you’ll find this side of Solom.

Friday night means Love Me Do – an endless stream of rock n’ roll hits from the sixties and beyond, where shoegazers meet drunken fools in a heady mix of dancing and all-round fun. Think Beatles, Stones, Elvis, Holly. No nonsense, no nuance.

Saturday night, however, brings Rockabilly Rebel – to my knowledge the only night in central London you can while the hours to The Trashmen or The Cramps all night. An anomalous homage to sweat and switchblade haircuts, the place drags in all those who’ve missed the Cargo or 333 boat. So lower your standards – and your hair – and you’ll be shakin’ the twist quicker than Chuck Berry can say Rock n’ Roll.

Details about this spot
Ye Olde Axe | Bars, Music | Entrance £ 5.00
69 Hackney Road | East (area map)
Fri 00:30 – 06:00, Sat 23:00 – 06:00

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