I have mixed opinions about Hope & Anchor. On the one hand you have the outside, on the other hand…read morethe inside. The outside is amazing, cool wooden cabanas line a garden area with tons of picnic-esque tables and a fire pit. The cabanas have to be reserved but we reserved just under a week ahead and it didn't seem to be a problem, even for a Saturday night. It's a great outdoor space There's a bar out back as well so you won't have to go inside. It doesn't have the full bar menu the inside does, but it's definitely a shorter line. The inside seems to have a cool vibe but is best enjoyed when it's less busy. After about 10 or so, they send everyone inside and blast the music. It was ridiculously hard to get a drink inside before (we waited over 20 minutes and put ourselves at opposite ends of the bar but they were so short staffed and then got pissed at the person in front of us so served elsewhere along the bar). The music the dj had on that night was pretty good. But the wait for drinks was so terrible.

Wonderful gathering spot with amazing rock and roll history. Very friendly atmosphere led by James…read more Teo, the bartender is amazing, so friendly and fun. It's my favorite place to visit in London and would highly recommend it to anyone.

A fantastic music venue and a beautiful space. The acoustics are excellent, there's enough room for…read morethe audience to walk about without much trouble, and the pews are uncomfortable enough to remind you you're in a high church of music. On the nights I've been here, there's also a chill, neighborhood-y vibe--I get the impression a lot of the audience are local and regular.

Wow, now *this* is the perfect venue to see a Jameson Cult Film Club Screening of Dracula on…read moreHalloween! Or, you know, to worship God on a Sunday... The acoustics are phenomenal with the dome ceiling and stone walls, and the seating is accessible with a large octagonal ground floor and wrap around balcony. You're always right up in the action and though the building is massive, they certainly did a fantastic job maintaining the intimate vibe. I mean, Victorian Gothic architecture is all the rage these days for true expert concert goers... With all of the nightclub-come-churches that try unsuccessfully to pull this dual purpose venue thing off, Union Chapel does so flawlessly, allowing people to participate in worship of their choice (whether it be religion or rock) on a weekly basis.

We went to the blues jam tonight. The music was very good…read more And I had a fun time singing and blowing harp. Friendly staff. Great posters! Sound level was very reasonable. The host managed all the musicians and traffic very well. Good players and singers. Howard Blu Maryland,

ain't nothing but a late night out in soho…read more... ain't nothing but a side street that also houses dishoom, clearly a distraction for anyone hungry. ain't nothing but an overflowing crowd being told outdoors drinking ceases after 10pm? ain't nothing but a one in, one out queuing system, so just stand patiently in line for entry. ain't nothing but relief from the outdoors elements in exchange for a sardines packed indoors on a monday night because there's no cover charge? ain't nothing but jostling for precious real estate as you inch yourself towards the bar to quench your thirst. ain't nothing but cashless transactions, even a cashless tipping machine, just tap and go! ain't nothing but a beer in one hand and a cup of nuts in the other, still inching ever so slowly towards the stage. ain't nothing but non stop live music and a boisterous appreciative crowd making room to groove along. ain't nothing but a long wait to poach one of a handful of tables to sit and soak in the ambience, freeing up your hands to clap! ain't nothing but enthusiastic jamming sets right up till 12.45am. ain't nothing but a good late night out in soho!

The Kings Head Theatre is one of the most famous theatres in London and it still produces excellent…read moreshows as well as a brilliant venue for live music. I used to come here every night when I was living in Angel. Its arty nonsense was a refreshing escape from social barriers of London life. Each night I would arrive about 9, alone with a sketchbook in hand, and within half an hour I would have made friends with artists, musicians, actors and television producers. Each night about 10pm, they have live music from regular bands, and jazz musicians singing their souls out. I felt completely comfortable being a girl on my own; I saw it as an education for life ;)

Five minutes walk from Angel tube station, the King's Head is a pub/theatre, and an ideal place to…read moredrink and enjoy a performance. Well recognised for a wide mix of classic and contemporary theatre it's famous for attracting an absorbing crowd to the admirable performances. We called to book tickets for a Wednesday evening, but we were told just to come along (I'd always ring to check though as popularity varies). So, after a drink in the bar area we headed upstairs to the theatre, wine glasses in hand. We watched 'The Rape of Lucrece', a narrative poem by Shakespeare. The acting was astonishingly good and I find it really remarkable to see a performance of such quality in such an intimate space. The theatre is the size of your living room and our seats were so close to the stage that I could see the sweat on the actor's face! After you can head back down to the bar to top up your wine and rave over what you just had the real pleasure of seeing. Often you're joined in the bar with the actors themselves which shows what a nice atmosphere this place has. For the love of theatre!

The Macbeth is a pub stoke club with live music, acts that have included Man Like Me and Jammer…read more The venue is Owned and run by musicians hence the need to have some form of music operating all the time whether it be live or booking in an DJ, the pub hosts a variety of club nights and gigs on each night of the week most popular being GASH club night. Tuesday nights features the in-house band and guests hosting an improvised jam session called Mum's Jam. Wednesdays are claimed by cabaret acts and performance art think Scottee, The-O, type art. Thursday through to Sunday the Macbeth features London's most exciting bands and DJs and is open until 2am. Drinks prices aren't that bad either starting from £2.00 +

Like the rebellious outcast of the trendy family, the Macbeth sits on one of Shoreditch's…read morebackstreets making a silent stand against overpriced drinks and badly dressed door whores. There is a nice smoking terrace and in the evenings there is a free BBQ if you get there early. The sound system is absolutely incredible and the line up is always festival-worthy (last time I went I saw Fake Blood, Annie Mac, Diplo and Mowgli for only £5!) A definite must if you like dirty basslines and dirty sweatboxes.

Kai was my server and he did a great job going through the menu and making recommendations! All the…read morestaff was very friendly. Loved the ambiance...very cool vibe. Highly recommend!

The food was very good and our waitress and the manager were very careful about our food allergies,…read morewhich we greatly appreciate. We were there for the blues jam. I've been singing and playing harmonica for 59 years. I perform professionally in the usa. I signed up but decided to not perform. I refuse to play in a room seating 150 when the band is playing at stadium levels. It's painful, uncomfortable, damaging to my hearing and totally unnecessary. Howard Blu Maryland, USA 5 stars for the food and service. 1 star for the jam.

Great little venue just across the road from Highbury and Islington Station. Whilst the venue…read moreitself is quite intimate, the acoustics are anything but. For most gigs I have no idea who is doing the sound, but it's either muffled to the point you can hear any words, or overly loud, in which case you feel the person in the booth is either deaf, bad at their job, or just has access to really poor equipment. It is capable of sounding good. One gig by Glasvegas was perfect. Sound was balanced, not too loud, and I understood every word (despite the accents!) so they really just need to pull their finger out for the majority of other acts, regardless of who supplies equipment. The venue is a little dank inside and when it's packed can get quite rowdy. So as long as you're not wearing anything particularly nice, you'll be fine.

I went to The Garage twice in one week - first to see Abney Park (a steampunk band who don't often…read moreperform in the UK) and then to see the Cruxshadows (a darkwave band from America, along with several other really great bands - Among the Echoes and Bad Pollyanna). The sound was ok, a little bit dodgy to start with but certainly improved as the night went on. It's a small venue with a bar, stage and very small seating area (near the bar). I think it's the perfect size for bands - intimate enough to get close to the band but big enough that you can dance around and lose yourself in the small crowd. The prices at the bar are quite expensive in my opinion: I took 20 quid on the first night and that was just enough to buy two beers and two shots of spirits for me and my friend. Thankfully there's a Barclay's cashpoint just around the corner. Even when it's quite busy though, you never have to wait for too long to get a refreshment. There's a cloakroom that charges £2 per item so we combined our jackets to make it one item (shh! Don't tell anyone!). They section off a bit of pavement outside as a smoking area which I know can get a bit crowded on busy nights. I can't comment on the men's toilets (although I have been in them once, apparently...I don't remember much of that night!!) but the women's loos aren't up to much. There's at least two that leak so you either hope to get one of the unflooded ones or play a puddle dodging game before you sit down! As the other reviews have said, it's close to the Tube station so it's easy to get to. Or if you're a bus-sort-of-person then there's some bus stops just around the corner. Overall, compared to other 'alternative' bars I've been too, this is one of the nicer ones. Brilliant for bands with very reasonable ticket prices.

I enjoyed this bar during my visit, especially later in the evening when the upstairs club opened…read more There was a cover charge to head upstairs, where there was a central bar, a dance floor, and a DJ that really sets the mood. If you're looking for a fun spot to dance with friends and keep the night going, I would definitely recommend checking this place out. *We did wait in a line for 10-15 minutes and it seemed daunting however once we were in line it moved rather quickly.

Cute pub, the staff was helpful & kind. We didn't get food, but the drinks were good! Also filled…read moremy water bottle up which was nice. The bartender was so sweet - wish I could remember his name.

We absolutely loved Ronnie Scott's! We went here on the last night of our trip and it was the best…read moreway to end the trip! Our drinks were great, all the servers were so pleasant to talk to, and it was absolutely GORGEOUS inside. I honestly felt like I teleported to another universe for a few hours. The music and vibes were immaculate. If we ever end up back in London we will definitely be returning.

The atmosphere was small and cozy like a speakeasy. The food for the dinner show was surprisingly…read moregood. Usually, when you get dinners that come with a show, it is streamlined and boring. This was anything but. The flavors were rich. The service was phenomenal. Every seat in the house had a great view. The only downside for the section we sat in was the tables were stationary and near the padded benches. The cocktails were inventive and reasonably priced.

CallIum and Alice are elite, give em a raise Couldn't have hosted a better night, really made our…read morenight

The bar staff are amazing. I left my drinks at the bar for a moment. When I realised, I went back…read moreand they made me a fresh batch for free.