Unique Things To Do In Shoreditch

Having started in 1866, Columbia Road Flower Market is historic and a right of passage for anyone venturing to East London. Wake up early to make the most of the stalls, with a fresh pastry and coffee in hand from one of the many surrounding bakeries (our favourite is Pophams), then make a day of it by hitting up some of the gorgeous pubs that line its streets. Our favourite? Royal Oak, for its movie and TV appearances (a favourite in the Kray twins films), as well as its expert British fare. 

On the hunt for things to do in Shoreditch daytime-wise? Look no further than Tonight Josephine. This pretty-in-pink party hub will fulfil your need to dance with its cool range of themed shindigs dedicated to pop icons, ABBA and it's even getting on the cowboy hype with its own Hoedown bottomless brunch, with tickets starting from £39 per person. On top of that, there are karaoke events, not to mention delicious cocktails like the cranberry-flavoured Rose Petal and the refreshing London Lady Sling. 

Raise a glass to Japanese craftsmanship at the Nikka Whisky Masterclass, held at Sticks'n'Sushi in Shoreditch. Priced at £30, this exclusive event offers a guided journey through some of Nikka's most celebrated whiskies, alongside delicious food pairings.

Guests will taste their way through iconic expressions, including the Miyagikyo and Yoichi single malts, and the one-of-a-kind Nikka Coffey Grain, as an expert unpacks the unique techniques and history that make Nikka a global whisky powerhouse.

Among vintage fairs and Rough Trade in-store signings, you'll find heaps of delicious restaurants down Brick Lane. Most notable for its curry houses, it sees the likes of City Spice, Aladin and Sheba welcome diners with open arms to tuck into award-winning tikka masala. You'll also find some pretty trendy, casual eateries here too, like Cafe 1001 - ideal for a slice from Sleazy Pizza, or some unmissable burritos courtesy of DF Tacos. 

Combining darts, pizza and booze, Flight Club know the ingredients for a cracking night out at its fairground-themed venues. Providing the perfect backdrop for a fun group activity or quirky date, this unique bar has become one of the city's most talked-about places, if anything for its cracking Social Brunch deal. From £35 each, you can enjoy a two-hour session consisting of game time, delicious slices and a whole bottle of prosecco per guest.

26 Curtain Road is a unique bar covering two floors in an early 1800s space, fronting a charming fireplace, bare brick walls and candle-lit tables. Every Saturday and Sunday it hosts Strictly Vinyl, an evening that consists of vinyl-only selections from resident and special guest DJs. Look forward to the likes of soul, funk, jazz and disco, accompanied by a fine selection of craft beers and cocktails, like a seriously good old fashioned. 

For a night filled with laughter galore, head straight to Top And Bottom Comedy at The Book Club on Leonard Street. One of the city's top comedy nights, get ready for 90 minutes of hilarious entertainment from big names in the industry led by the wonderful Benjamin Lovell and Alexander Pankhurst. Grab a seat for just £5 per person and prepare to giggle the whole evening.

The Alchemist are whipping up crazy concoctions in their sleek Old Street bar. Fronting leather booths and modern interiors, it offers an intimately lit date hub or experimental cocktail den that features everything from smoking to bubbling tipples. Expert mixologists line the bar, creating theatrical displays of wizardry as they put together the likes of the Hit And Rum, finished with fire, and luminous Lightbulb Moment, made using gin, artisan ginger beer, lemon and mint.

If you're after places to go in Shoreditch, bars are your best friend and The Cocktail Club is sure to fit the bill. Not only are these guys whipping up a range of shaken and stirred concoctions, but there are 00s-themed bottomless brunches to get stuck into as well. Enter the eclectically decorated neon-lit den to snap up two for £12 tipples throughout the week, blast your favourite songs in one of its karaoke rooms, and try tantalising sips like a Lychee Colada or a Solero Sundae, made with coconut Bacardi rum. 

Doubling your usual bottomless drinks time to a whopping three hours, UH OH Bottoms Up Bottomless Brunch is an aptly named event taking place over at The Duke on Shoreditch high street. Expect free-flowing Planteray rum punch, Planteray rum cocktails, vodka cocktails and prosecco, plus a main dish of your choice, for £60 per person.

One Hundred Shoreditch offers a chic, art-forward escape in the heart of East London. With sleek rooms, vibrant communal spaces, and a rooftop bar with panoramic views of the city, this hotel is a haven for people looking to explore the Shoreditch scene.

Visit to take part in some of its creative workshops, from sewing to yoga-themed brunches. The on-site restaurants and bars also boast inventive menus and stylish interiors, making it a hotspot for both guests and locals alike.

Join Lady Ginger's Big Drag Bingo as she serves up a series of glitzy nights complete with live performances, sassy lip-syncs and the chance to win big. Tickets start from £10 each and include a complimentary prosecco cocktail alongside a strip of numbers to play. Taking place at The Looking Glass Cocktail Club, it welcomes everyone from office mates to best friends to enjoy its frivolous affairs, complete with DJs and of course, outrageous campery, darling. 

London's first prison-themed immersive cocktail bar takes pride of place along Brick Lane. Alcotraz is a truly unique drinking experience that'll have you don the famous orange jumpsuits and get thrown into an exciting world of mischief fuelled by contraband concoctions. If you're looking to spice up date night, its up there with the best things to do in Shoreditch for couples - just make your way past the eagle-eyed warden without being caught and lose yourself in a world of theatrics paired with inmates who, quite literally, serve. 

If you're in need of a laugh, then pop over to City Comedy Club at Trapeze. You'll get a raucous performance from a bunch of Celebrity Mystery Guests, many of which have showcased their talents on the likes of Mock the Week, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and more. Tickets start from only £10 per person, which is a bargain for the amount of giggles you're guaranteed; just make sure to get down early as the show starts promptly.

Head on over to Shoreditch Balls every Tuesday for an improv variety show that's bound to have you crying with laughter. Only a short walk from Old Street station, the hilarious Stage Time will be packed with performances from sketches to stories and, what's more, tickets are only a fiver.

Take to the sky with our pick of the best rooftop bars in the area, featuring modern haunts fronting marble tiles, plenty of foliage and views of the overground cruising along from its terrace. For a more casual bask in the sun, with a pint in hand, hit up one of our favourite pubs, The Culpepper, where you'll find a lush garden full of herbs and vegetables that it uses in its own modern plates. From refreshing pools to tropical oasis-inspired spots with great happy hours, we've got them all here in our guide. 

NQ64's Shoreditch location is an arcade lover's dream. With space for up to 450 guests and various seating styles, they've got everything to quench your retro console thirst, from basketball, snowboarding, and Pac-Man to dance machines, Guitar Hero booths, 6-player fighting games and more. This is the ultimate spot to nurture your inner big kid and is enough to satisfy your gaming nostalgia, don't you think?

Hijingo is a unique bar in Shoreditch that provides hours of thrilling entertainment to its visitors. Expect Tokyo Nights-inspired interiors, incredible gameplay with top-quality sound and special effects, along with some seriously impressive prizes up for grabs. For a multi-sensory bingo experience like no other, this is the place for you, whether you're celebrating a birthday or hen do, or simply looking for an alternative trip out. Head down for its brunch on Saturdays and Sundays where, from £45 per person, you'll be able to enjoy free-flowing beer and prosecco alongside the regular, exhilarating madness.

The Brush can be found at art'otel London Hoxton, and their Live DJ Weekend Brunch takes place from 12 to 4pm every Saturday. You'll find a different DJ performing each time, so each session has a different vibe, with tickets starting from £25 per person.

You can add on cocktails and prosecco to your feast, with dishes including smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, bacon cheeseburgers or coconut and berry pancakes.

Head on over to East London's Queen of Hoxton this summer where a non-stop schedule of fun awaits, spread across three floors. Saturdays see the high-energy Drag and Waffle Bottomless Brunch takeover, featuring bingo games and prizes, with tickets starting from £50 per person. But that's not all. Venture up to the expansive rooftop where you can get your tan on while sipping on fruity drinks. You can expect to get your lips around Olmeca Altos tequila-based cocktails such as frozen margaritas and ranch water, alongside Estrella Damm beers paired with soft shell tacos and loaded nachos.

Let's brunch and boogie, baby. Start your Saturday right with some hip hop, afrobeats and R&B goodness at the Hip Hop Orchestra Brunch in Blues Kitchen Shoreditch. Get your groove on from £15 per person and feast on some yummy BBQ bites while you sip on bottomless booze. Yes, you heard that right. Every weekend brings popcorn squid, Big Boss Burgers filled with brisket and onions, and taco bowls to the mouths of music lovers, alongside bloody marys to wash it all down. 

Maybe you're looking for something a little different to do this date night that involves some light-hearted competitive gaming, or perhaps you're in need of an American-style diner experience with a side helping of bowling? Either way, you'll love All Star Lanes. Located on Brick Lane, it fronts cool, sleek decor in the form of graffitied walls and red leather chairs, as well as private karaoke booths in addition to its retro lanes. Swap your shoes and look forward to an evening of loaded hot dogs and strikes. 

Ever wanted to be part of your own gameshow? Well now you can, thanks to the immersive Gameshow Spectacular at Shoreditch Balls. There'll be a hilarious host getting the audience involved in all sorts of fun and games - think bizarre challenges, crazy costumes and more.

There's something for everyone to get involved in here, with all kinds of skills coming in handy for these unusual games. What's more, tickets start from just £10 per person.

One of London's most beloved ping pong bars, Bounce has become a hub of drinking and gaming 'til 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. Grab your posse and take part in a little healthy competition - plus the bottomless brunches for £35 per person with unlimited pizza slices and drag entertainment are pretty impressive. During the week, you'll find a killer menu of wings, loaded fries to share and quirky cocktails, like the Ting Pong, topped with pineapple foam. 

Join London's best queens for an unforgettable night at Queen of Hoxton of lip syncs, death drops and epic performances. Tickets to KIKI: Drag Cabaret start from £15 each and the drop kick-filled event takes place every Saturday. Surely one of the best things to do in Shoreditch today, this glitzy event is also treating you to DJ sets and plenty of prosecco as Ms Ginger Phlappage takes to the stage. 

Calling all pizza lovers - Bottomless Pizzaluxe is the event you've been waiting for. Treat yourself to unlimited, mouthwatering pizzas and bottomless drinks, including your choice of wine, prosecco, or cocktails, in a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere from £34.95 per person.

With a huge selection of gourmet pizzas to choose from, this is the perfect way to indulge without limits. Whether you're there to celebrate, catch up with friends, or simply satisfy your pizza cravings, it's the ultimate way to kick back and enjoy an unforgettable night out. 

Noted as one of the world's best bars, Nightjar is a no-brainer for unique places to visit in Shoreditch. A speakeasy with sleek decor and theatrical cocktails, the watering hole is soundtracked by live jazz and swing bands, perfect for sipping expertly crafted tipples in style. Old-school glamour is key here, and so is secrecy as you'll find this haunt tucked away behind an unsuspecting door near Old Street, whipping up the likes of pre-Prohibition-themed quaffs like Pearl, made with Roku gin and toasted popcorn rice tincture, or the post-war Parkeroo, featuring El Jimador tequila.

An icon on the London nightlife scene, Ballie Ballerson is the ball pit bar that's encouraging you to embrace your inner big kid. And with various brightly coloured areas to choose between, a banging playlist of hip hop and disco beats and fruity cocktails on hand, how could you say no? Head down on the weekend with tickets from £25 each to its bottomless brunch, featuring mass karaoke sing-a-longs and hilarious themes such as ABBA, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift. You'll be treated to 90 minutes of unlimited Neapolitan pizzas, plus a whole host of fabulous drinks like pornstar martinis and picantes.

The perfect place to let loose and have some fun, get ready to swing into action at Shoreditch Balls - an indoor crazy golf hotspot on Old Street. Promising a wild night out, they have everything from crazy golf to a hot playlist dishing out all the greatest hits from every decade on offer. The venue spans two floors and is decked out in 90s-themed decor featuring neon lights and hundreds of fluorescent golf balls. P.S. Don't forget to sip on their cocktails, which are served directly to your table via copper pipes. From classic martinis to sorbet cocktails and more - you name it, they've got it. It doesn't get putter than this.

Spread over copious floors featuring a liquor store, cellar bar, roof terrace and cinema, TT Liquor is a one-of-a-kind venue nestled on Kingsland Road that also happens to have previously been a Victorian police station. Visit this super cool haunt to get a taste of expertly barbequed food thanks to head chef Sam Lone of Oren fame, and enjoy stunning views from a Scandi-inspired terrace. What's more, you can also enrol in a cocktail masterclass if you're not too busy chowing down on the flame-cooked smoked oyster mushrooms with Burford brown egg yolk. Mmmm.