Juno is well established in East London’s big night out sector, but attracts a friendly local crowd, too.

The Venue
Juno uses its space well. To all intents and purposes the ground floor is just a large rectangular room. Its high ceilings could have easily left a lack of buzz in the bar, but the ever evolving and revolving artwork painted straight onto the walls manages to warm the area. The bar is kitted with Shoreditch uniform - tatty leather sofas, obligatory vintage arcade games and low, heavy wooden tables.

The room below is a far more dingy affair, lacking the effort splashed around upstairs - Juno’s owner says "keep upstairs nice and you can get messy downstairs and downstairs gets messy", and it's a policy that juxtaposes itself well. The dim green lights give a foreboding of mischievous menace, which could perhaps stem from childhood recollections of the sewers from Ghostbusters II. Or not. The dim club below is a good size for an intimate night. There is room to dance, yet rarely much free space.

The Atmosphere
Juno is urbanite; from the graffiti covering the walls to the soundtrack that often accompanies your night, and it’s a fun place to be. If you're looking for a change of environment to watch your football, then Juno makes a willing accomplice with its easy-going atmosphere. This is helped along by a good kitchen on the premises, serving simple, fine quality food. That home baked feel rubs off on the patrons and makes it all a little mellower. Gastro-club anyone?

The smiles of the bar staff beam with genuine personality in what could otherwise have been interpreted as a transparent attempt to distance themselves from the Shoreditch norm of sullen sulk. Downstairs isn't a riot and you shouldn't perhaps expect too much from the experience. There is fun to be had and the atmosphere is good, but there is a lot of talking whilst dancing and a slight lack of movement. People hover and hang, despite the occasional doozy of a set.

The Music
Juno used to play a lot more hip hop than it does now. A good place to experience the kind of music that late seventies kids may have been listening to in their bedrooms in their teens, all Original Flavor, Schooly D and Big Daddy Kane. This type of night still exists at Juno, but without such great frequency. The music jumps around now, between the formerly mentioned hip hop, dance, house and funk. If you prefer your nights to be single genre affairs, then Juno may let you down.

However, the club does play host to the urban art battle Secret Wars. This happens to be a night where the writers are armed with nothing but an Edding marker as they go head-to-head on Juno's walls. The rules? An hour and a half to create your masterpiece. Black and white only. The night doesn't come round often, so catch it when it does.

The Drink
The prices are high, but relative to the area. Draught beer (which puts Juno one up on Cafe Kick - almost next door) is Moretti. Beyond that there are the usual bottles. If you're looking for a bargain then try and make happy hour where your bottled beer will be two for the price of one. Cocktails are simple, and well made and there is a fair wine list to peruse.

The Last Word
Juno remains a good night out, and an excellent one with the right DJ. Remember, it was a club before it was a film.

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