Purchased tickets to an event here. When i arrived I was patted down then told i can't go inside because I am by myself. What a ridiculous reason to reject someone from a party. Horrible security staff , nor was I refunded for my purchased ticket read more

The entertainment was fun and a great idea for a hen party. We loved the two drag performers who hosted our brunch and the bin bag contest/bingo. Sophia interacted with us loads and was great! The main issue was the food. We sent our order in WEEKS in advance and there were so many mistakes. We also never got half our desserts so they got the money for 15 dessert pizzas and we got about 4 boxed up. The brunch was listed as 12-4pm and we had plans immediately after. Our pizzas didn't come out until after 3pm and 4 of us still didn't get the right ones. Complete disaster and the staff trying to 'fix' the issue didn't rush to come up with a solution. It's not rocket science, just make the pizzas! One of the girls said 'we did make them but we gave them to another table'...ok so then fix your mistake. When they finally made them they STILL made 1 wrong! We also had one person in the group who doesn't drink and was told she'd have mocktails instead, which ended up just being really sugary juice that she couldn't drink. It's a shame because the drag acts were great. read more

One of my favourite places to spend time procrastinating and sometimes even working. What's great: Good vibes, free Wifi attracting workaholics and hypster kids. What's not: It gets busy at night, especially when there's some event and you could dry out waiting for drinks. By Day Ideal for getting some drinks, making photos of lattes and chilling. The coffee bar and the morning menu make me feel like at mom's house - if she had a bar. The burgers are good, not the best I've tried, but still pretty good. I've been willing to try their freshly made cakes for a long time. You can even play ping pong if you feel like moving and sweating, which is not my favourite thing, but it's still very cool for a cafe. By Night When the sun goes down, a crowd of aggressive party people appears out of nowhere and the place gets so crowded, you'll sweat your ass off. There's a program of events like live art, music and films. They encourage creative and talented people to share their skills which is the main reason I like this place so much. On weekends, the place becomes more of a nightclub, with local and national DJs. What to expect: Great music, party girls and drunk guys. Also: Drunk boyfriends may appear, be aware! read more

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This was the worst bar I've been to in London. Not only is there a 10pound fee per person, the drinks are disgusting and they have no brand name tequila or rum. Being from new york i was shocked, at this bar trying to pass as a club when its a gross basement party. The crowd was icky and i would not have paid to drink in a basement if i knew before i went in. read more

We came here with the intention to check out the current curation of screen prints made by a friend. We met in the afternoon and the place was nicely busy with various groups of happy people. The space is open and there was plenty of seating in small tables and on the large mess hall type benches near the bar and kitchen. I liked the large windows at the from of the place and the fact they had a ping pong table in the corner. The staff were casual and friendly. We loved it here so much we stayed on for lunch. We got two beef brisket burgers with additional cheese and bacon, which were served with crispy onion rings, and a steak sandwich which was swerved with chips. Both choices were really tasty and cane promptly. I'd definitely recommend you come here by yourself to study/work, on a date or in a group as there seemed to be all these types of groups enjoying themselves in the relaxed atmosphere. I hear they also do club nights and all sorts of arty things here too! read more

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This used to be Home and is now a showroom for Ercol furniture and a place to play ironic table tennis. On a Sunday afternoon to get drunk on it was underfilled and a bit cold. The drinks were good and some of the alternative cabaret stuff might be interesting. This might be one to reserve judgment on. Price - £standard hoxton read more

The Book Club - Just a selection of the Ercol furniture on offer to sit on - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - London, XGL

Cafe by day and bar vibe by night, this Shoreditch hang-out has ping pong, changing art-dotted decor, and from what I hear quite the social calendar of events, including everything from dances to guest speakers. The interior is pared down with long sharing tables and that airy open and well-lit characteristic which follows from the former-factory Shoreditch spaces. A bit hipster cool but doesn't take itself too seriously. In terms of food, it's better for breakfast or lunch as the weekday dinner time menu consists of bar food - ie a few burgers and wing option. The cocktails are pitcher style (best for sharing) sired with some funky names. read more

I've been to this place 3 days in a row now and I always look forward to the next meal here. So far, I've had the Full English Breakfast, the chicken, and the halibut dishes. They were all very good. The ingredients are fresh, the atmosphere is hip, and the service is great! I upped my rating by one star because I think it's THAT good. read more

Great food, reasonably priced. Really cool place to come with your laptop and get some work done or just to eat/drink with friends. Quite a few people here even at 3pm on a weekday afternoon. The chips, in particular, are definitely worth trying! read more

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Fulll review and photos at http://thehappinessprojectlondon.wordpress.com I shuddered slightly on my way into The Book Club in Shoreditch (just across the road from the Great Eastern Dining Room), because it used to be home to Home one of the wankiest restaurants I've ever been to in London. I may have judged it a little harshly as it was my first meal in London after moving from Brussels where restos served great food on the cheap. I couldn't believe how much we paid for crap service and mediocre food, but then again I was spoiled Anyway, its now The Book Club, run by the same guys who do the Queen of Hoxton, and with a much nicer, friendlier atmosphere and a lovely bright and airy venue. The kind of place you can order a bottle of wine and Monopoly and chill out. The real gem of this place was the ping pong room. Yes, not just a table, a room. We went there on Tuesday night for Pippalippa's birthday when they hold a ping pong league there. You can just rock up and play, but by the personalised bats and serious faces, the league isn't really for tipsy amateurs like ourselves. Once the league games were over (about 9pm ish), filled with wine and sharing plates of fajitas and nachos, we managed to get on the tables. Pipalippa and I have something else in common a previous history of taking ping pong very seriously. Aged 10-ish, I was enrolled on a week-long ping pong course in the Summer holidays (I have to thank my mother for imaginative yet random school holiday ideas), which meant I'm actually pretty shit-hot at smashes, backhand lunges and similar. Although I now realise that my 10-year-old sober self can probably play a lot better than my 30-something self after a few glasses of vino, oops. The photo below is typical of our games which were mostly spent rescuing the ball from the floor/roof/people's pints etc. I had lots of fun and would certainly return for a few more games and you can hire the ping pong table if you're in a group. read more

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For all the wonderful touting of this bar and all of its novelty! I was so pumped to drop in on the perfect day. The acoustics were amazingly bad. I had to leave. No fun. read more

Like a lady on the street but a freak in the bed, The Book Club services all my needs. Yeah yeah yeah. Went to the Club with my homie, tryna get a lil cocktails, keep it down on the low key. Crowd was heavy, it had me feelin' like whoa... Cocktails were fresh, I got so caught up, I was screaming Yeah, yeah, yeah She asked for ping pong, I said come and get me In the club lookin' so conspicuous. She asked for one more game, it ain't over till we play doubles. Take that and rewind it back, time for brunch So we decided to chill How you like me now, veggie full English and a crowd so cool Now I gotta keep it real now, staff so a certified twenty They bring the food and I'm Like yeah, how the hell am I supposed to leave? Yeah yeah yeah read more

This place needs yelp. It's crying out for people to know about it! With a huge space, regular talks and lectures as well as a ping pong table, The Book Club deserves to survive. I came here for tea and cake over the weekend and was impressed with a tasty apple tart and super friendly Shoreditch Twats serving me. There were a few couples snuggled in corners brunching and a large group of people in the middle all around one table having breakfast. Even though there were people there the place just seemed empty, apparently it's always like this during the day so potentially a great place to get some solid reading done or get on with work. Thomas W is fair with his 3 stars but i think I would make this spot a regular haunt, so i'm going to throw 4 at it. read more

I wanted to review the Literary Death Match, but can't work out how to. Instead, it's location gets a shout out! Our friend Olly has been going about the Literary Death Match for months. Cast your mind back to 8 Mile, with Eminem chickening out the first time he has to battle that super-confident rapper with dreads. Remember? Well, it's that like (the founder is from Brooklyn after all) - but with prose, comedy and poetry. Though it's been held in London before. Last Wednesday's event was for the first time held at The Book Club in Shoreditch - which in itself was lovely. A two-floored hideaway with a neon-lit bar up top (we had food afterwards, a hot & cold meze platter big enough for three costs £12 and we bulked it up with some extra wedges). Anyway, nice nibbles aside, the basement was the location for the 'match'. We arrived and I was distracted by the lightbulb ceiling (made entirely from lightbulbs pinned to the wooden beams) for a good ten minutes. 150 people ended up crushing in, and off we went. Round 1. Two contestants with seven minutes each to read any type of literature. Both are then judged by the panel of three (last night, it was singer/artist Molly Carroll tasked on 'intangibles', tv presenter/actress Emma Kennedy on performance and Rising Magazine's Tim Wells on form). A winner is then announced, and then after round two - a final. This time around, it consisted on throwing Cadbury Crème Eggs through holes cut out of British authors faces. Bizarre. I would have liked to have seen some kind of improvisation instead. Anyway, it was bloody good fun and I'll definitely go again. Seven minutes seems to be the perfect length of time to hold a room's attention and it's a really unique type of event to go to. The LDM's are held all around the world, so check http://literarydeathmatch.com for more details. read more

(for the club night only) I had no idea what The Book Club was...I just tagged along with the birthday girl and friends on a busy Friday night. I'm not sure if the scene and music changes much, but you're gonna get your 2000's R&B and hiphop, some Kanye & Drake, a dash of reggae, and a bit of 90's. Scene? It's okay...excellent if you're still in Uni. The older you get, the less tolerance you have for sweltering dancerooms and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds (or is it just me?). I'd need to visit on its non-club days to get a wholesome gist of the venue. read more

The Book Club is slowly becoming my go-to bar when I'm in and around the Shoreditch area. The best places to be seen and heard in change on almost a weekly basis in this area, but with the BC you have a really comfortable space to enjoy a few drinks. I've found it really suits every type of night, easily could enjoyably knock them back for that big night out, a lovely place for a quiet one on a Sunday and also an excellent spot for some drinks before running off for a nice meal. The bar is very well stocked, loads of options in the beer and cider departments and also some very good wines that compliment the food menu (which i'm yet to try, this will change soon). BC also have some excellent spirits, great gin is a highlight, and also a unique cocktail list. On my last visit I had a very cool twist on an old fashioned where tequila replaced the whiskey. Ok, it's something that would make Whiskey lovers revolt but as I love tequila and can't develop my taste buds enough to cope with whiskey, it was a pure delight. Fresh and also VERY more-ish. I'll let you decide if that's a good thing or not. (No, it is). BC put on a lot of cool events and there's a huge event space and extra bar downstairs that see a lot of gigs, talks and various other cool things to do. Can't remember who played but I went to a hip-hop night here a few months back and it was great, only a 5er to get in too! Other great things here include the staff, the decor and wait for it...THE PING PONG TABLE, YES! It does get busy as there's only one but beers and ping pong is up there with PB&J and Spaghetti and Meatballs. Great spot that I'd more than recommend checking out and if all else fails you can laugh at people bewilderment when they discover the Unisex toilets! BC, BC, BC! read more

Nice big open space! Great for working during the day. I arrived late afternoon but I've heard it's a great nighttime location too! I had a hot chocolate later followed by The Cajun wedges from the light bites section on the menus. The wedges were impressive in both size and flavour! They have a table tennis table in the main cafe and also foosball in the lounge downstairs! I'll definitely be back to try one of their cocktails - the bartender was writing up today's selection as we left! read more

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So I'd heard really great things about the Book Club, everyone reckons it's a good place for drinks and chilling out with your mates. However, when I came here it wasn't quite what I was expecting. The upstairs bar is quite small and the toilets were a little on the rough side. I didn't venture downstairs, but maybe that's where the fun is. Upstairs is light but the table was sat at was too small for the chairs and the music was too loud, it was hard to hear what people were saying. For a place which is supposed to be chilled out and social, I didn't feel like it lived up to either description. Am I missing something here? read more

CANNOT wait to go back!! So fun. I liked it the minute I entered. This place is the perfect mix of a casual stop-in for a bite, a comfortable lounging area to do some reading and a hip bar (how do they do it?!?) - had brunch my first time but will be back for other reasons as well. My first full british breakfast was GREAT! I mean, was I that hungry or they just make beans so well?! (seriously, best beans I've had and that's gotta be the easiest thing to make.) And I tried two of the cocktails from their very long and intriguing cocktail list: something with chocolate and something with pear in the description - both excellent (pear one sweeter). I'll need to work myself through the list. Based on first experience - awesome place! read more

SPACE. There is so much delicious space here. I met a friend for coffee and we found it oh so difficult to get up afterwards. There is a wonderful amount of breathing space in the book club and the atmosphere that goes with it encourages your return. Picture yourself all stuffed up in your flat and screaming at a screen... no space, no coffee. Then move that screen into a lovely large open space, with mix-matched chairs, big mugs of coffee, others with screens and bright open windows. Doesn't that sound like something you would want regularly? To top it off, they seem to some really snazzy events on after dark. The broad opening hours fit it all in. I will regulate this place. Awesome. read more

Just one gear on my fixie bike, I've got a plus one here for my gig tonight. Oh, sorry, what? Oh, I'm writing a review .. right. The Book Club somewhat suffers (well, actually, benefits) from being smack-bang in the middle of that swathe of East London that has been colonised by the Hipster. There's no doubting that this place is firm hipster territory, there's a lot of them here but it doesn't mean you have to be a hipster to enjoy it. I came for lunch here with my friend on a weekday afternoon and we managed to get a decent window seat with no wait. The décor is very nice, wooden furniture, exposed brick walls, there's big black and white prints up all around and the large windows ensure it's nice and light. The menu is pretty solid, I had ham, egg and chips. Sorry, I mean I had hand-cured honey ham, free-range egg and home-made crispy chipped potatoes. And my friend had vegetarian lasagne which was, actually, advertised as just "vegetarian lasagne" in their credit. Ours both came in around the £7-8 mark for a main meal and it arrived really quickly, literally about 10 minutes after we ordered. I have to say it was really good, solid food. The chips were amazing, properly crispy, the egg was cooked perfectly and the ham was in big slabs and they weren't short on portions either. I can't say anything about the drinks as we had tap water from the iced jugs on the bar (extra kudos for that) and neither can I say anything about this place in the evening. There's a ping-pong table at the back near the toilets which I gather is home to a tournament and there were paddles and balls out so we could have played if we'd wanted to. I loved the way the seating was arranged with tables and communal benches but plenty of room to move around so you're not smacking people in the face with your uber-trendy canvas bags when you're trying to leave. I also thought the staff were quite friendly for a hipster-orientated establishment. All in all I'll give this place 4 stars based on this one visit. I think we might have been lucky or maybe it's always this good. It's somewhere I want to take people in the future and be all "oh yeah, I heard about this place from a friend" about. read more

A good spot for morning coworking, coffee, and breakfast. The space is open and well lit, with tons of rotating art. It's good for creativity and just staring off blankly into the distance. If you come in the morning though, you'll probably want to leave by lunch when all the tables fill up and you start getting looks at your empty space with two finished coffee mugs. They also reserve out tables in the afternoon and evening for reservations and events, so the freely available tables decrease as the day goes on. read more

If you love mediocre drinks, door staff drunk on power, and consistently disappointing experiences, the Book Club is the place for you! Pros: Lightbulb ceiling Cons: Everything else--they don't even have books, lying bastards read more

The venue is cute and I liked the overall vibes of the place, but my friend and I came here for Pancake Day to get their limited edition Espresso Martini Pancakes. The pancakes looked nowhere near as beautiful as the ones they posted on Facebook, and they tasted soo bland. Was not a huge fan. read more

The Book Club - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - London, XGL

I've been to some really nice spots in London, but was lookin for a chill location to continue writing and hopefully finish my book. I found out about The Book Club by doing a Google search for "great places to write in London". Boy was this recommendation accurate! It was a little difficult to find walking from the Liverpool Street tube station, but well worth the hassle. It's officially one of my favorite spots in London. I hate to write that because what I like about it would be ruined if you had to queue up outside. The interior is full of natural light from the giant picture windows that look out into a nondescript little alley. The alley sounds horrible, but there is some art grafitti on the brick wall across the way and people constantly passing outside. Inside, the walls are brick, painted white and bright with black words in cursive to add interest. There are also books hanging on the wall and some really phenomenal art pieces, plus modern folk style green plants in terra-cotta pots on the wall. The internal ambiance is amplified by the choice of indie rock and old school r&b and pop tunes (think Michael Jackson in his younger days). I should probably add that I was the only one working who had a PC instead of a MAC, and that the choice of male attire was the modern pantaloon a.k.a. skinny jeans. I didnt mind either way. The MAC is on my dream list and the pants increased my viewing pleasure. As for the food, well, it's organic, with some choice vegetarian items, but of course I had ham, free-range eggs, and chips (french fries). My meal was delicious! And to top it off they have a full bar and coffee bar. Its like mom's modern farm kitchen if it had a bar and coffee shop. Good grief, I've become effusive! I can't say enough good things here. I will be back, maybe daily, while I'm in London this month. In a place like this I'm actually inspired that my labor will yield fruit. Dallas, are you paying attention? You need a place like this. read more

What a great find! I went to The Book Club on a Sunday morning to catch up on some writing and fell in love with the place! Very spacious, great music, a laid-back environment and excellent food. I had the pancakes, which were delicious and then spent some quality time in a comfy chair by the window enjoying the atmosphere. The staff were also very polite and at no point did I feel like I had over stayed my welcome, even after being there for 3 hours. Highly recommended! read more

I love this place. It's a cafe-cum-lounge-cum-hipster hangout supreme. Or whatever. By day a great place to meet for lunch or coffee, with interesting, unique and healthy items on the menu. Quirky atmosphere. I loved this place even more when I went by night! In the downstairs bit, I danced my face off. Some awesome 60's & 70's music, a disco ball, a foosball table & old movies playing on a projector! How cold you not have a good time? I just started working & playing in Shoreditch a few months ago - so I expect many more visits to the book club in my future :) read more

This place has a fantastic programme of events--live art, salons, etc--along with great food and pretty good drinks and ping pong tables. Just an overall exciting mix of things to do and see. Minus a star for the difficult layout downstairs--half the room just can't see what's going on "onstage" no matter where they put the stage for the evening. read more

Take me on a date here. The vast amount of natural light pouring through the huge windows make me look super hot. From afternoon tea and some wifi neccessary work to introducing out-of-town guests to the polite and "accessible" side of Shoreditch, this is the place to go. The Book Club has great music, a full bar, and an extensive snack and dinner menu. The veggie platter is fresh and the cajun potatoes wedges with sour cream and sweet/sour sauce are perfect to share over a dark and stormy. They also have an extensive events calendar, which you can pick up at the door in a super fun fold-out format (sometimes paper is better than online). Hint Hint, there are plenty of opportunities for you ask me to an event to see how super hot I look. The staff is fairly friendly, whilst reminding you that they were hired not the serve, but look cool. FYI: No card transactions less than £10, so pick up some cash en route. read more

The Book Club is an excellent all rounder of a venue. It's great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Food is great, from soups, to full on burgers. Orange juice of course is freshly squeezed with one of those machines that you can see do all the squeezing! Essentially if The Book Club is going to do something. It seems the mission is to do it well. The venue itself has a small room for table tennis. A place for hats and jackets. A small space in the basement for a bar and live music. Free Wifi, comfy sofas. Not content with all that which would be a selling point itself in any normal Shoreditch haunt, I haven't begun to mention the many multitude of events that are going on all the time. Almost every single day of the week? Ping pong competitions, life drawing, Yoga, Arts/Crafts, Film nights, theme nights?. This place is Intimate, friendly, functional and trendy without bordering on the pretentious. It's a jack of all trades, and proud of it. read more

We were looking for a spot to grab brunch. One spot kept coming up, the Book Club. Needless to say it was a welcome surprise to find some pretty tasty bites in a restaurant/art gallery/co-working space. Needless to say, they served up some pretty impressive bites in a very cool and different space. Let me start off with the space. It is simple. Open. Comfortable. It offers a good variety of space for both small groups and large parties. It is bright and showcases a rotating series of art that liven up the space and make it rather relatable. The menu is straight forward. It isn't complex and it doesn't try to be something it is not. The eggs benedict was pretty respectable with a very well prepared poached eggs topping some ham and an english muffin. The hollandaise was well done and not too heavy and the basil and pepper finishing off the flavors and brought balance. Americans beware, bacon in the UK is not bacon in the US. Definitely check it out if you are in the neighborhood. It is offering a pretty respectable breakfast (and morning cocktails) in a very awesome area of town that is showing London can be different. read more

I'm not a fan. The Book Club has fallen into the trap of bars in Shoreditch (McQueen's being another) that will turn away people on the basis of their not being a mixed group. It is an absolute nonsense. When we did finally make it through the hallowed entrance, I came to realise that the bar falls into the trap of many licenced restaurants - invariably the quality of the beer suffers. They are by-the-numbers lagers, with poorly serviced lines, meaning the lager is tasteless and flat. Given the other reviews, this may have been a bad day. Unfortunately, I will not be going back any time soon to check. read more

Cafe vibe by day, bar party vibes in evening. Food is so-so, venue itself is pretty good, 2 floors and space for a ping pong table. read more

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Nice place for breakfast and working away on your computer (free wifi of course). actually it served us as kind of an office for more than a month. including breaks at the ping pong table. it gets a bit smelly and smokey after lunch though. the downside of an open kitchen. read more

Went there to get some work done on my laptop, around 3pm. Great place, lots of space, friendly people, good atmosphere. Good wifi, and I also saw some other people working there. Had a cappuccino to start with and felt a bit hungry so I decided to try the burger with fries. Both good, but fries weren't hand cut and the burger was a bit 'simple'. Meat was perfect, tasty and juicy though. Also great, they have tab water with cucumber, really refreshing. Seems to be a great place for cocktails too as I saw them put a lot of effort into them. Also a great place to get yourself distracted for a while playing table tennis with friends. I'll definitely be back, also to check out what the place looks like in the evenings, looks like a great place to have some wine and a dance with some friends. read more

The Book Club - Bartender writing down the Cocktails for the night. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - London, XGL

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The Book Club - i am really really looking forward to going back to this place tonight. I, by definition, am not a Shoreditch person. I do not like wearing things that clutch to my skin, my sun glasses fit my face, and i do not have Top Shop/man buyers stalking me on the street trying to get an idea of what the next seasons, scene fashion fix will be! I never thought i would feel so at home at the Book Club, but then again, how can you not? The furniture is charming, comfy and different! It really compliments the relaxing and opposingly lively environment that the Book Club creates. The last time i was there, i took a date. I was very cautious about this at first, as well, i did not know what to expect - and well i wanted to impress the girl! Whatever initial scepticism i had vanished as soon as we went downstairs to shoot a couple of rounds of pool (great for flirtation!) But my god, what is wrong with London?! This is possibly the only bar i have been to in the whole of London that has a pool table! What the hell is that all about? I am a Northerner for gods sake, it has come to be an expectation of going out for a drink! Now after a bit of pool, we headed upstairs to have a few more drinks. The music is pretty standard for the area, but for London as a whole is pretty good! I do not remember hearing anything particularly rare, but it was certainly all tasteful. Heading upstairs, we had a few rounds of table tennis with an American couple (who we destroyed) Where else in London can you play table tennis? This bar is legendary for this reason alone! The bar also has a really large underground space and while we were there was some kind of hip hop gig on. The acoustics were great and while it was quite loud, you could quite happily escape the noise and cosy up on a sofa next door to talk. Great night, lovely service, nice people, table tennis. read more

Lovely decorated place. Nice location. Good for hang out or spending a day doing projects. Is my first time here I didn't know we have to order at the till and for The staff were unfriendly which was a total turn off. I have more to say but is just pointless read more

The Book Club - Interior of the book club - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - London, XGL

We went on a Thursday night for some ping pong and drinks. The upstairs is more casual while the downstairs seemed to be rocking loud music and a different crowd. Ping pong is free with a deposit that they return when you give the balls/paddles back. read more

When you're a sole traveler, you really appreciate a friendly bartender and I felt warmly welcomed by the bartender at The Book Club. I came here on a Thursday night and tried The Sweet as a Nut and the Long and Thin. Both were delicious drinks, but my weak US dollar couldn't handle anymore than two drinks and I had to leave. The Book Club seems like a really good place to meet and mingle with new people, and I actually did end up meeting a couple of interesting people and had some good quality conversation. Come here for the alcohol, stay for the people ;) read more

A taste of the Mission in the heart of London! Tabletennis table, Shoreditch hipsters in checked shirts and skinny jeans, 100% Mac users. I felt so at home, at home! Food was nothing special, but the atmosphere was quirky and cool. A great place to work on your start-up idea. read more