The Queen of Hoxton may sit in the shadows of The City’s shining skyscrapers, but its spiritual home is in the artisan chic area of Shoreditch. Is this addition to the East End’s club scene the ace of the pack, or just a dud hand?

The Venue
The Queen of Hoxton, apparently, was a sweet little old lady who ran free theatre shows for her Victorian clientele on Hoxton High Street. There may be less of the little and old here, but the essence of performance is everywhere, from intricate window etchings, graffiti murals and indoor ivy to giant pool cues, neon lights and Pollock-esque paintings. Sounds wacky, eh? Well it all fits together strangely well, bound by the blackness everywhere - black seating, black walls, black ceiling. In fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d just stepped onstage at a Sam Beckett production.

So far so Shoreditch. Seating is comfortable if sparse - cushions marking the perimeter are a cute touch though. Downstairs, however, is a very different matter. Departing from cosy kitsch and turning to even more brooding black it creates a subterranean shelter of exposed-brick subterfuge. Huge sofas line the spacious dancefloor and an ample stage complements a bigger bar. Depending on future acts, the club looks a winner for continued East End debauchery.

The Atmosphere
Although the eclectic furnishings don’t exactly exude intimacy, the local photo-adorned stairway, comfy sofas and friendly bar staff make the Queen of Hoxton a fairly close-knit affair. As much as the club is crying out to be the next great doyen of East End talent, its location ensures you’ll just as likely bump into pinstriped pen pushers as stick thin indie pin-ups. This is a good thing. So many of Shoreditch and Hoxton’s ‘trendier’ haunts are filled with holier-than-thou clotheshorses talking about the latest Taschen book. The diverse patronage ensures no-one will feel left out.

Nights run by Bugged Out and Fancy Footwerk regulars are hardly likely to attract nutcases; rather to pack out the impressive underbelly below. It hardly needs saying that televised sporting events are off the table – table footy, however, is on.

The Music
It doesn’t get much more eclectic than this. From local lads and lasses pedalling their latest art displays, to bands and DJs playing everything from classic cockney piano croons to bleeding edge electro. Name your tune and the Queen of Hoxton has got it: nights range from the downright cheesy (Hall and Oats, Doobie Brothers) to the uptight razor-sharp future of pop. If you’re not exactly a culture vulture, however, make sure you don’t come here on an ‘experimental theatrical club night’ - you may get a bit too much ‘art’ thrust down your throat.

The Drink
There are plenty of beers to keep the average punter happy with Sagres and Amstel providing a tasty alternative to most standard pub fare. And for an East London bar, the wine list is enough to keep Jilly Goolden happy, if only for half an hour. Prices start at £14 a bottle.

However, it’s the dazzling array of tailor-made cocktails that provide the Queen of Hoxton’s foremost intrigue. Highly recommended is the Hoxmopolitan - essentially a Cosmo minus the cranberry and subbing gin for vodka. Interestingly, there are no actual Cosmopolitans up for grabs, although there are such locally-referenced beauties as the Shoreditch Sunset and the Sarah Lane (the aforementioned lovely old lady). Each generous helping will set you back about £6 - less than the bank balance-crippling sum of some City dens down the road.

The Last Word
The Queen of Hoxton may at first seem a fashion-led fad, but there’s plenty here to keep the punters coming back. A great music variety, art shows, well-priced cocktails and the helpful staff all comprise a strangely sweet venue that takes the cold, hard tip off the East End’s cutting edge.

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