Comedy Cafe does comedy in pure Shoreditch fashion. Reasonable prices, a distinct lack of cheesy stand up and an effortless on-trend style make it worth a visit.

The Venue
From the outset, Comedy Cafe is appealing with the kind of East London style that’s hard to fake. The exterior is covered in graffiti art, with big flowers giving a hippy vibe that gets you smiling before the first act has taken to the stage. The fun, bold graffiti art is continued inside where the mainly red colourscheme keeps it warm and borderline intense. This is lightened by frivolous touches like a disco ball overhead. The stage sits in front of exposed brick with a bright backdrop and is large enough that everyone should get a decent view, with the many seats all pointing inwards. It’s fun, it’s wacky without being annoying, and it sets the scene for the laughter to begin.

The Atmosphere
This is a comedy club so expect lots of laughter – a great antidote to all the misery going on outside the Comedy Cafe’s brightly coloured doors. The quality of the acts is obviously dependent on when you go and can be a little hit and miss but to balance this entry is free on Wednesdays when new comics try out their material and these nights can produce a few gems. Otherwise, tickets range from £10 to £26 and cover an eclectic group. Past famous faces have included Lenny Henry, Lee Evans and Frank Skinner, all of whom show the venue’s pulling power.

The Food
Comedy Cafe offers a small selection of easy to eat grub with an American theme. Think nachos, burgers and chilli and you get the idea. With everything priced under £10 it certainly offers value for money - the portions are decent and the food designed to fill you up. Grumbling tummies may put off the acts on stage, after all.

The Drink
A perfectly quaffable house red wine comes in at just £13 (with a similarly priced white) and, impressively, they offer a decent draught selection of beer for a club of this type, covering Guinness, Becks, Stella Artois and Gaymers. They do offer a choice of cheap and cheerful cocktails priced beneath the £7 mark, which cover the classics but they’re not the best quality - a mojito tastes too watery with far too much mint, although it’s a thumbs up for the fresh ingredients they use. Far better to order a bucket of bottled beer, seemingly the most popular choice.

The Last Word
Comedy Cafe isn’t as expensive as some of the bigger central London comedy clubs but it manages to hold its own on an entertainment level. Do some research and choose your night carefully to get the most out of this venue.

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