As you’d expect from the bar owned by the ultra-trendy Heavenly Records team, who brought the world the Manic Street Preachers, Chemical Brothers and St Etienne among others, The Social is one of the capital’s coolest places for indie types. As well as regularly staging gigs by a hand picked selection of hotly tipped live bands, the Social - named after their legendary Heavenly Social club nights - boasts an impressive food menu and, without doubt, the best free jukebox in London.

The Venue
The Social has a small, well-lit upstairs bar that's home to the jukebox, with room for 30-40 drinkers. Wood-panelled walls and battered but comfy circular seats placed around large wooden tables ensure dining is never cramped. But the real action happens in the dark basement, where the DJs and live bands play. There’s a stage at one end and, at the rear, a second bar which means the wait to get served isn’t too bad even on busy nights. With the bar and even its tables downstairs all uniquely fashioned out of concrete and atmospherically lit with orange lights, the vibe is half Bladerunner, half underground car park (minus the stench of urine and engine oil).

The Atmosphere
Always lively and occasionally downright raucous. Don’t be surprised to find yourself being grabbed by a stranger for a quick dance, it’s that kind of place. With loud music blaring out on both levels, you might find yourself a little hoarse from shouting over them, too.

Given that it stages gigs by everyone from folky singer-songwriters to Hip-Hop Karaoke (first and third Thursday of the month, and free) it can vary on whichever particular sub-genre or tribe is in the house, but as a general rule the age range is from 18-50, but whatever the age, they’re always music lovers. A typical night will see punks, b-boys, skinny-jeaned indie types, ageing ravers and grime kids all rubbing shoulders.

The Music
A similarly eclectic mixture of musical sub-genres. Paid events (£2-£6) can be anything from a celebration of hip-hop culture with Zulu Nation DJs to the PJ Harvey-esque indie rock of Anita Maj, visiting stateside bands like Brooklyn’s Air Waves or electronica from the London label Keep Up. Regular bookings include a free Hip-Hop Karaoke night, where top notch rappers and hapless hopefuls do battle in front of a rammed house of vociferous rap aficionados, and the Friday and Saturday Social nights soundtracked by DJs from a wide pool of the capital’s better indie and dance spinners.

The Food
Expect comfort food such as fish finger and sausage sandwiches (both £4.20), sausage (or vegetarian sausage) and mash (both £5.90), or their trademark Square Pie with mash and gravy (£6.80). There are a few slightly fancier options like pasta arrabiata (£5.70), chicken fajita wrap (£5.50) and Caesar salad (£5.50).

The Drink
Amstel, Sagres, Guinness and Birra Moretti on tap (£3.70-£3.90), a big array of bottled lagers including Kroenenbourg, Becks, Corona, Tiger, Estrella, Budvar and Heineken (£3.50-£4), plus bitters from Young’s, Bombardier and Waggle Dance in bottles (each £4.30). There are guest wines, champagnes from Veuve Cliquot (£60 per bottle), Jejo Prosecco (£26.50), shooters (£10 for three), and suitably themed cocktails (or should that be rocktails?) like the bourbon-heavy Thin Lizzy Mule (£7.80), the tequila-based Sympathy For The Devil (£7.80) and Teenage Kicks (£7.80) with Grey Goose citron.

The Last Word
Most places this cool are full of poseurs and wannabes, but The Social is neither fake nor intimidatingly trendy. A must for anyone interested in catching tomorrow’s stars today.

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