Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
weekends are given over to respected techno, house, and disco DJs. The club is usually
full to capacity by midnight.
36 Stoke Newington Rd., N16.
&
020/7354-9993.
www.ilovethenest.
com. Admission £5-£10. Train: Dalston Kingsland or Dalston Junction.
Notting Hill Arts Club
West London has been left behind in the cool stakes in
recent years, but this remains one of the hippest nighttime venues in London. Located
close to the HQs of many big record labels, you can often find a very music industry
crowd here checking out the latest buzz bands, and Thursday night's YoYo party can see
the likes of Mark Ronson take to the decks. The music is eclectic, varying from night
to night—from jazz and world music through to electro, hip-hop, and indie. It's open
Monday to Friday from 6pm to 2am, Saturday 4pm to 2am, and Sunday 4pm to 1am,
and bands perform Monday to Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
21 Notting Hill Gate, W11.
&
020/7460-4459.
www.nottinghillartsclub.com. Admission £5-£15. Tube: Notting Hill Gate.
Plastic People
For much of London's clubbing cognoscenti, this
200-capacity basement in Shoreditch is simply the best this city has to offer—and it's
easy to see why. With probably the sharpest sound system in town and a crowd who
know their music, Plastic People manages to attract DJs more used to playing to par-
ties numbered in the thousands. For dubstep, techno, or house, few other venues can
compare to a night at Plastic People.
149 Curtain Rd., EC2.
&
020/7739-6471.
www.plastic
people.co.uk. Admission £5-£15. Tube: Old St./Train: Shoreditch High St.
XOYO
XOYO (pronounced “X-O-Y-O”) launched in 2010 to much fanfare and no
little disaster, but despite an opening week that saw power cuts, closures, and general
chaos, the venue has established itself as a valuable addition to London clubland.
Thanks to the involvement of some top-rank promoters—such as Eat Your Own Ears
and Bugged Out!—XOYO has become the place to check out exciting new bands
from around the world and dance til the morning in the company of big-name DJs.
32-37 Cowper St., EC2.
&
020/7490-1198.
www.xoyo.co.uk. Admission £5-£15. Tube: Old St.
COMEDY CLUBS
Comedy Store
This is London's showcase for established and rising comic talent.
Inspired by comedy clubs in the U.S., the venue has given many comics their start,
and today a number of them are mainstream TV personalities. Visitors must be 18
and older; dress is casual. Reserve through
Ticketmaster
(
&
0844/847-1637
); the
club opens 1
1
⁄
2
hours before each show. Tuesday to Sunday, doors open at 6:30pm and
the show starts at 8pm; on Friday and Saturday, an extra show starts at midnight
(doors open at 11pm).
Insider tip:
On Tuesday the humor is more cutting edge.
1a
Oxendon St., off Piccadilly Circus, SW1.
&
0844/847-1728.
www.thecomedystore.co.uk. Admission
£13-£20. Tube: Leicester Sq. or Piccadilly Circus.
99 Club
With shows running 7 nights a week, 52 weeks a year, you know the people
behind the 99 Club are serious about their comedy. It's regularly voted one of the best
places in London for alternative stand-up, and those on stage range from award-winning
TV regulars through to emerging talent. A safe bet any night of the week.
28a Leicester
Sq., WC2.
&
07760/488-119.
www.99clubcomedy.com. Admission £8-£16. Tube: Leicester Sq.
DANCE CLUBS & CABARET
Bathhouse
Unless you happen to work in the City, the Bathhouse isn't the
easiest place to find—but trust us, it's worth the effort. This former Victorian opium
den reopened in 2010 after an extensive renovation had brought it back to its deca-
dent best. Now home to some of London's best cabaret nights—including wildly
popular burlesque and rock 'n' roll sensation, the Boom Boom Club—you'll find a
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