If I wasn't looking for it, I would never have stumbled across The Horse and Groom. Located at the quieter end of Curtain road in East London, this pub looks like a regular watering hole from the outside, but step inside towards the end of the week and you'll end up raving to top notch music until the early hours.
Ambience and Decor
Geared up for a good night out in Shoreditch, I was more than a little reluctant to see what the night had in store when I first set eyes on The Horse and Groom. The pub has a rather bleak, aged facade nestled amongst some terraced buildings. There was no queue at 10pm although the bouncers outside looked ready to give us a once over. Peeking inside waiting to go in, the place wasn't busy at all on a Thursday night and I was somewhat surprised that we had to pay for entrance. Nevertheless, I never judge a book by its cover so I coughed up and made my way inside. The first thing that struck me was the difference between the decor and the music. Deep house was being mixed by the DJ in the corner, whilst the rest of the pub had an almost school disco feel where tables were pushed to the sides, punters either huddled in groups or lingering by the bar and the dance floor was empty. As the clock ticked by, the pub began to fill up and given that it stays open until 4am, it seems that we should have perhaps turned up later to soak up the atmosphere from the start.
The pub is split between two levels, with a smaller room upstairs also consisting of a bar and a live DJ. For the earlier part of the evening the upstairs was busier however as the crowd grew, the downstairs ended up filling up and the atmosphere built.
The Horse and Groom in Shoreditch is the place to party at the weekends.
Clients and Atmosphere
The Horse and Groom pulls in people from all walks of life; expect to bop to the music with anyone from a city banker, the East London party goer or the obligatory Shoreditch hipster. It might be a random crowd but one thing's for sure- everyone is there for the music. This pub doesn't pretend to be grander or smarter than it is, it simply provides music lovers with quality mixed sounds that you might expect to find in one of London's super clubs. Once the floor fills up the night gets into full swing so it is definitely a place worth visiting after some of the neighbouring bars and pubs shut their doors.
Music and Drinks
Music is what it's really about at this Shoreditch pub, live DJs step up to the decks every weekend with different club nights scheduled to satisfy any one with a love of quality house, dub step and techno. With an owner that pulls the crowds in himself during resident hosted nights, it isn't surprising that The Horse and Groom becomes a popular place for a late night in London. With great music pumping through its quality sound systems both upstairs and down, this place is well worth the entrance fee! Being a pub, the place nicely ties in reasonably priced drinks to get you going through the night, with no cocktails or pretentiousness in sight, expect to be spilling pints left, right and centre whilst taking to the dance floor.
A club atmosphere in this Shoreditch boozer
Summary
The Horse and Groom in Shoreditch delivers a true East London night out and is the perfect place for no frills late night partying. It provides a great escape from queues and crowds of London's big clubs. This DJ Pub lets you save a few pennies on drinks and load up with top notch sounds- what's not to like?!
Budget: Happily Affordable
Pre-designs: The All-nighter, Intimate clubbing, Live Music
Service: 3/5
