One of the most incredible warehouse spaces in Central London finds its home at Shoreditch’s The Light. However, stunning surroundings are just the beginning of this story...

The Venue
Although the address of The Light along Shoreditch High Street may indicate its main road location be an easy one to find, you’ll be forgiven for walking straight past the unusual brick building, in stark contrast to the harsh neon signs and obvious frontages of so many of its neighbouring competitors. Walk past the large outdoor courtyard complete with a large number of park benches and you’ll step into the subtley signposted bar

Upon entering you’ll immediately be in awe of the towering ceilings, warehouse style minimalism and attractive industrial chic light fittings, consisting of several bulbs in clusters hanging from the ceiling on long wires. A large central bar adequately takes care of the hordes of thirsty punters - especially at the weekends - and several comfortable leather sofas, high tables and chairs ensures functionality doesn’t suffer at the expense of decor.

Through a large door to the right with ‘restaurant’ emblazoned above, you’ll enter a similarly decorated, large airy warehouse spaces housing the dining area. Amazingly, the pumping music is totally shut out thanks to the heavy wooden doors. A smaller bar area and large, gleaming metal open plan kitchen immediately greet you but the overall effect is softened with clever use of candlelight and some large heavy red curtain drapes, creating a more romantic ambience than perhaps one might expect. The large floor-to-ceiling windows allow a view to the terrace outside where drinkers are kept silent by the heavy glass. A nice touch are the large photographic prints adourning the walls with small descriptions, tying in the history of this venue with that of East London.

It doesn’t stop there, up more stairs than you may wish to climb is a large club space, complete with another bar, more seating in a similar vein as the bar area downstairs, a balcony overlooking drinkers below and an excellent roof terrace that isn’t only inhabited by smokers but also by those looking for a break from the pumping music. Darker lighting, a disco ball and yet more warehouse styling makes for a great dance space and the DJ booth and excellent sound system completes the whole.

The Atmosphere
Like so many places in Shoreditch, The Light excels with its laid back crowd, perpetuated by a lack of overly-strict bouncers (although they are an obvious presence in the club and do put down trouble quickly), stupid door policies and no trainers dress codes. Instead this is a real 'come as you are' place, and as such the people aren’t all there to pose, cause trouble and be bitchy, instead preferring to chill out and have a good time with mates. That said, you do have an element of girls and guys dressing to impress, creating an eclectic mix you could only get in this neck of the woods.

In the restaurant, however, the ambience is more subdued, as you’d expect. Couples enjoy romantic tete-a-tetes and groups of friends chat over glasses of wine and a good meal. However, it’s common for these diners to later move onto the club and let loose on the dancefloor, this capsule night out offering everything you need under one large roof.

The Music
A real find, the club is a great addition to The Light, and the top sound system perpetually plays out the tunes, heard in the club and downstairs bar simultaneously thanks to the fantastic design of the space. The DJ mixes up a great choice of everything from commercial RnB, hip hop, hard house, drum and base and a bit of electro thrown in for good balance. The crowd girates its way across the sizeable dancefloor, throwing their hands up and whooping as tune after tune emits from the speakers.

The Food
The food at the Light Bar will surprise regular visitors to the club as it’s actually pretty decent fare, if a little hit and miss - ranging from the sublime to the less palatable. A well thought out, balanced menu can’t fail to have you scratching your head at which of the dishes to order - a nice dilemma to be faced with.

For starters, a truly exceptional dish is the half dozen Colchester oysters with shallot vinegar or salsa verde; six beautifully presented, achingly fresh oysters acting as the perfect start to your meal. The shallot vinegar is eye-wateringly sharp, working perfectly with the delicate flavours of the oyster. At £9.50 it’s at the top end of the starter pricing, but well worth the pennies. Alternatively, for £6.50, try the fried duck egg on bacon brioche with watercresss and tarragon - like a posh man’s fry up. Lighter than you may expect and with none of the grease that is common with fried eggs, the yolk of the duck egg is rich and explodes across the plate, coating the brioche in its full flavours. The brioche is crisp, as are the slices of bacon. Although the watercress and tarragon feels a little lacking and could perhaps do with a light dressing, overall it is a successful and innovative addition to the menu and well worth a try.

For mains, the rump of Elwy Valley lamb with red peppers, aubergine caviar, tomato and tarragon sauce at £17.50 is a resounding success. The lamb is juicy, perfectly pink and delightfully tender, practically melting in the mouth. The aubergine caviar is subtle and works well, and it’s recommended you also try a side of mash - creamy and smooth, it’s a delicious accompaniment. However, the linguine of tiger prawn, with shellfish sauce and chervil is an acquired taste that won’t be to everyone’s palate. Poorly presented, almost - disturbingly - looking like a brain with the linguine plopped into two adjacent piles, resembling a mass of veins, it’s not the most appetising from first appearances. However, the prawns are perfectly cooked, as is the linguine. Just be aware the sauce is sweet and thick, almost to the point of being overly cloying. Although not a gastronomic disaster, it doesn’t reach the highs of some of the other dishes, resulting in a bit of a disappointment.

For dessert, the expresso creme brulee with shortbread biscuits also falls short of the mark at £6. The notoriously difficult to get right sweet is too crispy on top, requiring some hammering to get past, and the cream beneath is too sickly and just not the right consistency for the dish. The expresso flavour doesn’t really complement the pudding, although the shortbread biscuit is pleasant, if uninspiring. That said, for £6, the lemon pannacotta with fresh raspberries and mint is a real delight and the perfect close to the meal. The pannacotta is smooth, creamy and has delightful pieces of lemon rind running through it. The sharpness of the raspberries, which aren’t skimped on, perfectly complements the sweet. Highly recommended.

The Drink
By virtue of the fact that the Light Bar is a mix of bar, club and restaurant, the choice of drinks is great for a night out. In the restaurant, there’s an adequately lengthy but not daunting wine list is well described, covering most grapes and regions, and ranges in price from £11.50-£35 a bottle. Highly recommended is the £25 bottle of Te awa single estate chardonnay N Zealand 2006, which is a flavoursome bottle of white with delicate peach and toasted almond flavours coming through.

In the bar and club there’s a good selection of beer (although be aware draught is only on offer in the downstairs bar). Fruli, Becks, San Miguel, Paulaner and Duvel are all available in bottle for £3.20-£4 or Fosters, Kronenbourg, Guinness or Kronenbourg Blanc are on draught. There’s also a standard selection of spirits.

The Last Word
The Light is an awe-inspiring space that is a pleasant surprise along Shoreditch High Street. It has everything: great outdoor areas, a bar, club and restaurant. Unfortunately, it has been forced to fight for its survival as the inevitable developers come sniffing round, but has so far stood its ground. And good thing too, Shoreditch’s party scene would be all the more lacking if not for this excellent all-night spot.

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