The Tea Building,
56 Shoreditch High Street,
Shoreditch,
London,
E1 6JJ
0872 148 3422
The ViewLondon Review
Ever fancied re-enacting a Russian bread queue circa 1990? T Bar is sweeter than a farmhouse cob.The VenueThe first thing you’ll see of T Bar is likely to be the stupendous queue, which can snake its way right up Shoreditch High Street, and a massive LED clock that counts down the seconds till last orders. Smokers are advised to cane as many fags as possible in said queue because once you’re in, there’s little chance of sneaking outside for one – this situation is what patches are made for. The minimalist concrete warehouse space (exposed air con, girders and design classics for furniture) is loosely divided into three areas – low seating on your left as you enter, bar and dancefloor straight ahead, and a red padded room with booths that can double as a VIP area.
The AtmosphereT Bar is no longer a well kept secret and sometimes can feel as it’s possible to spend an entire weekend in the queue outside. Its popularity stems from its door fee (there isn’t one) and its club-standard music policy – Andy Weatherall and Damien Lazarus are monthly residents for gawd’s sake! Inside, you’ll encounter a young crowd intent on looking good and losing the plot to a plethora of non-charting electronic music. A while ago, T Bar had a rep for having more than it’s fair share of shady characters lurking in the shadows. After the intervention of the local police, issues with undesirables is all but sorted and the venue can afford to be picky. Smile nicely at the door staff and dress up all trendy, after all, you’re in Shoreditch now darling.
The FoodThe far end of the bar acts as a canteen during the daytime. The great value - and reasonably healthy - menu changes weekly and has around eight dishes to choose from. Prices weigh in at around £7 for a burger and chips, to £3.20 for homemade soup and roll.
The DrinkA massive range of spirits and at least seven wines of either colour and a decent champagne list are on offer here, as well as the usual draught and bottled beer suspects. T Bar excels at delivering rather excellent cocktails ranging from £6.50 to £7.50, not bad, we’re sure you’ll agree.
The Last WordT Bar is amazingly good value, delivering top notch DJs in a glossy warehouse setting. If you want to get in try to remember that patience is a virtue and manners cost nothing.