Excited at the prospect of a new bookish cafe, I headed expectantly to The Book Club in Shoreditch. And, well... there were no books to be seen! But this aside, its a good place to grab a coffee, quick bite or evening drink, and they host regular music, literary & various other cultural events. The upstairs space is huge, with cosy chairs for lounging in, long tables for eating and even a ping-pong table! There's also a pool table downstairs, and a large space channeling the 'derelict-but-refurbed-East-End' look. (The building was formerly a Victorian warehouse). The Book Club is also not ridiculously over-priced, a mega-bonus in this area - along with the free wi-fi which they are happy for people to hang around and use!
We visited in the afternoon, and had good, strong black coffees and some very tasty nachos (although they were a bit light on the cheese...). The breakfast menu also looked interesting - with healthy granola, french toast, & full english among other choices. Lunch offerings include several salads with ingredients such as baked tilapia, grilled chicken & mango and freshly dressed crab, along with several pasta dishes, quiche and ham, egg & chips. There are also nibbles available - nachos, garlic bread, fajitas and meze. In the evenings, The Book Club switches over into bar and party mode - with yummy sounding cocktails named after the trendy environs - Don't go to Dalston and Hoxton Tea to name a couple.
The Book Club bills itself as much more than a cafe or bar, advertising Cocktails, Art, Film, Lunch, Music, Beer Poetry, Wine, Talks, Reading, Workshops, Dancing, Storytelling, Pool, Newspapers. They often host music nights with DJs for the weekends, and host other interesting events during the week - on 15 July they hosted Come Get Felt Up - 'Music to craft along to… rockabilly, folk, funk & silliness', with BBC 6 Music’s Tom Whalley & guests.
On the more literary side of things, The Book Club has a series of varied events categorised under 'Thinking and Drinking'. These include talks with artists and authors, Story Slam competitions and a monthly science-themed talk. They are also big on art - putting on exhibitions and holding regular life drawing classes. Some events are free, with others the price seems to range from £3-£6, sometimes with a glass of wine included.
I'm not sure if The Book Club can live up to the claims it makes on the website; that it 'offers a new cultural revolution to the East end’s social scene' and 'is set to turn the conventional arts institution on its head'... But then it's good to have ambition and aim high! While maybe misleadingly named, The Book Club is a well-designed and interesting new venue, and I definitely hope to return and check out their events, brunch and ironic cocktails!
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