London's Top DJ Bars

An evolution of the clubbing concept, the capital is full of stylish and sexy DJ bars. For a chilled-out alternative to the full-on clubbing experience, try one of our Top 10 recommendations.

93 Feet East

150 Brick Lane, London, E1 6RU
93 Feet takes a simple DJ bar formula and applies it perfectly. The garden is enormous, the vibe deeply laid back and the music policy sheer eclectic excellence. It may be looking a little rough around the edges these days, but money saved on decor has been well spent on securing top line-ups. Everything always seems a bit half-hearted in the early part of the evening, but stick it out until the afternoon crowd have gone home, and it all kicks off. Two spartan rooms provide ample space for dancing, which is what everyone will be doing once the evening gets into gear.

Current events at 93 Feet East

Act Natural Presents event Saturday 25th February
TIMES Saturday 25th February 2012 - 3pm-1am PRICING Free
Kate Simko, Greg Brockman, Dan Farserelli and Msnderstd spin house and techno in the main hall, while Jamie Ward, Liam Webb and Brad Brown mix deep ho... More about this event

Human Error Presents: event Friday 9th March
TIMES Friday 9th March 2012 - 7pm-1am PRICING Free
DJs Concrete Disco, Rotkappchen, Despencer and Skilow spin house, electro, dubstep and disco in the bar, plus live performances from Evokateur, Aux In... More about this event

Lyres, The Hypnotic Eye, The Sick Rose event Monday 13th February
TIMES Monday 13th February 2012 - 7pm-11pm PRICING £8
Garage-rock by the band from London.... More about this event

Speed Flatmating: The Original Flatmate Finding Party! event Tuesday 14th February
TIMES Tuesday 14th February 2012 - 7pm-9pm PRICING Free
... More about this event

Light Parades, Platform Location, Shacklewell Row, The Mock Deers event Wednesday 15th February
TIMES Wednesday 15th February 2012 - 7.30pm-11pm PRICING £7, w/flyer £5
The four-piece plays melodic alt pop and rock.... More about this event

All events at 93 Feet East

Bar Rumba

36 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7ER
Concealed in a particularly squalid and touristy corner of Piccadilly Circus is the bar that has kept the UK's Urban scene alive in the West End since the early 1990s. Thursday night's Movement has been the West End's biggest drum 'n' bass weekly for a full decade, and Tuesdays offer authentic reggaeton sounds straight off the plane from the barrio. The big boys come out on Friday and Saturday, and there are few major names in UK Urban who haven't played here, while live PAs from US stars are also a regular feature. In an area filled with cheap imitations, Bar Rumba is the genuine article.

Current events at Rumba

Armed Forces Friday!! event running until Friday 24th February 2012
TIMES Friday 17th February and Friday 24th February 2012 - 10pm-3am PRICING Free before 10pm
Resident DJs spin indie, electro and pop.... More about this event

Big Night Out Friday event running until Friday 24th February 2012
TIMES Friday 17th February and Friday 24th February 2012 - 6.30pm-10pm PRICING phone for prices
... More about this event

Beauty And The Geek! event running until Saturday 25th February 2012
TIMES 11th February, 18th February and 25th February 2012 - 10pm-3am PRICING Free before 10pm
Resident DJs spin dance, R&B and chart.... More about this event

Big Night Out Saturday event running until Saturday 25th February 2012
TIMES 11th February, 18th February and 25th February 2012 - 6.30pm-10pm PRICING phone for prices
... More about this event

Star Life!! event running until Sunday 26th February 2012
TIMES 12th February, 19th February and 26th February 2012 - 9pm-3am PRICING guestlist £7, £5 before 10.30pm, ladies on guestlist £5 before 10.30pm, ladies Free before 10.30pm
Resident DJs spin chart, R&B and hip hop.... More about this event

Service Industry Night event running until Monday 27th February 2012
TIMES 13th February, 20th February and 27th February 2012 - 9pm-3am PRICING £10, Free before 11pm
DJ Colin Russell and Donald Sweeneey spin R&B, hip hop and chart.... More about this event

Fresh event running until Tuesday 28th February 2012
TIMES 14th February, 21st February and 28th February 2012 - 10pm-3am PRICING phone for prices
Resident DJs play chart, R&B and dance hits.... More about this event

Traffic Light Party event running until Wednesday 29th February 2012
TIMES 15th February, 22nd February and 29th February 2012 - 10pm-3am PRICING phone for prices
... More about this event

All events at Rumba

The Big Chill House

257-259 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9NL
From the outside, the building looks spectacular, a floodlit white townhouse that puts the grimy environs of King's Cross to shame. The interior is equally shiny, with three floors of New York-ish glamour - lots of cosy nooks, low benches and a cream and grey colour scheme. Odd bits and pieces from the Big Chill Festival add a quirkiness that sets it apart from the run-of-the-mill style bars. It's also far enough away from Old Street that it has a certain identity of its own, attracting dedicated Big Chillers rather than passing trade. A comfy terrace adds to the summery vibe. The soundsystem is excellent, the cocktails are delicious, and (as you'd expect from owners who started out running festivals) the music policy is entertainingly quirky.

Current events at The Big Chill House

The Big Chill Presents Rwd Live event Saturday 25th February
TIMES Saturday 25th February 2012 - 8pm-4am PRICING Free
DJs Semtex, Woody, Rattus Rattus, Supreme School and Chewy RWD spin hip hop, dubstep, grime, R&B and electro downstairs, while Anna B and Lady T mix h... More about this event

Friday at The Big Chill House event Friday 17th February
TIMES Friday 17th February 2012 - 8.30pm-2am PRICING phone for prices
DJ Khalil spins hip hop, dubstep, drum'n'bass and house.... More about this event

Saxon event Saturday 18th February
TIMES Saturday 18th February 2012 - 8.30pm-2am PRICING phone for prices
Resident DJs spin dub and old school hits.... More about this event

Mixcloud event Friday 24th February
TIMES Friday 24th February 2012 - 8.30pm-2am PRICING phone for prices
DJs Sketchy and Wil spin disco, soul and house.... More about this event

All events at The Big Chill House

Boogaloo

312 Archway Road, London, N6 5AT
The Boogaloo has succeeded in breaking the all pervasive contemporary pub blueprint, fashioning a popular alternative with a great atmosphere - and not an inch of light pine to be seen! Inside it looks aged and comfortable with an inviting slightly living-room feel about it. Bar staff peer out from behind the rickety wooden bar over a mishmash of sofas, chandeliers and convenient pint-resting shelves. The centrepiece of the pub is its magnificent jukebox, home to over a hundred albums. Boogaloo has a strict policy of only stocking the machine with albums over ten years old (to make fully sure they stand the test of time). It's terrific to see the punters picking out their own soundtrack to the evening, rather than a set by yet another DJ Nobody. If you need a little guidance on what to put on, there's always the celebrity choice list, nominated by a different musical luminary each month. Shane McGowan, Bobby Gillespie and Badly Drawn Boy have all selected playlists in the past. In the evenings live bands and DJs take over, with different nights featuring jazz, rockabilly, country and folk, and punk. The best time for celebrity-spotting is their eye-wateringly difficult music quiz, which attracts a huge crowd of geeky indie band-members.

Current events at The Boogaloo

Jam Damage event Friday 17th February
TIMES Friday 17th February 2012 - 8pm-2am PRICING phone for prices
Resident DJs spin rhythm'n'blues and retro hits.... More about this event

Gerry's Joint event Saturday 18th February
TIMES Saturday 18th February 2012 - 9pm-2am PRICING phone for prices
DJs play rockabilly, jive, rock'n'roll, hillbilly-bop, jump-blues and soul.... More about this event

Patch And The Giant event Sunday 19th February
TIMES Sunday 19th February 2012 - 2pm-12midnight PRICING £3
Indie-folk by the London-based band.... More about this event

JukeJoint event Friday 24th February
TIMES Friday 24th February 2012 - 6pm-2am PRICING phone for prices
Resident DJs spin soul, indie, disco and rock'n'roll.... More about this event

Who Killed Bambi' event running until Tuesday 28th February 2012
TIMES 14th February, 21st February and 28th February 2012 - 6pm-12midnight PRICING Free
Music quiz show.... More about this event

All events at The Boogaloo

Cargo

83 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY
Cargo were the pioneers of the multi-tasking MDF concept (that's Music-Dance-Food, not cheap fibreboard) and boast one of the most imaginative live music line-ups in the capital. Fuel up with some of their lovely street food, wile away a summer afternoon in their courtyard and groove till the small hours under the refitted railway arches. The music policy covers the full spectrum of London's underground, with a focus on hip-hop, breakbeat and world music. There are also live tunes followed by top DJs most nights of the week.

Current events at Cargo

Thursdays at Cargo event running until Thursday 23rd February 2012
TIMES Thursday 16th February and Thursday 23rd February 2012 PRICING Free
Resident DJs play house, electro and dub.... More about this event

Fridays at Cargo event running until Friday 24th February 2012
TIMES Friday 17th February and Friday 24th February 2012 - 8pm-3am PRICING £10, Free before 10pm
Resident DJ Shane Watcha spins house and techno.... More about this event

Sundays at Cargo event running until Sunday 26th February 2012
TIMES 12th February, 19th February and 26th February 2012 PRICING Free
The resident DJ spins house and funk.... More about this event

Funday Monday event running until Monday 27th February 2012
TIMES 13th February, 20th February and 27th February 2012 - 7pm-1am PRICING Free
DJ Jimbo Jangles plays house, dance, indie, pop, R&B and electro.... More about this event

Tuesdays at Cargo event running until Tuesday 28th February 2012
TIMES 14th February, 21st February and 28th February 2012 PRICING £10, £5 before 12midnight, Free before 11pm
Louise spins house and electronica.... More about this event

Wednesdays at Cargo event running until Wednesday 29th February 2012
TIMES 15th February, 22nd February and 29th February 2012 PRICING Free
... More about this event

All events at Cargo

East Village

89 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HX
Opened in 2007 by DJ/promoter Stuart Patterson, East Village reverses the Shoreditch trend towards drinking and socialising; by midnight, pretty much everyone in the club is on their feet and dancing. There's not really much choice, since the sound-system is stunning, and there's no corner of the club where you can get away from it. It's a smart space, with an underlit bar that stretches the length of the top floor, and a dressed-up crowd. Patterson is part of the Faith crew, who've been putting successful nights in other people's venues for the best part of a decade, and the music in his club is as good as you'd expect, with big name DJs almost every weekend.

Current events at East Village

East Village's 4th Birthday event Saturday 18th February
TIMES Saturday 18th February 2012 - 9pm-5am PRICING £10 & £12, adv £8
Joe Claussell, Stuart Patterson and Roual Galloway spin electro and techno in the basement, while The Revenge, Kev Beadle and Jimmy P play disco, funk... More about this event

Shiftless Shuffle event Sunday 19th February
TIMES Sunday 19th February 2012 - 2pm-7pm PRICING £5
Simon Mansell and Mike Buddhaboy spin jazz, funk, nu-jazz and Latin, with host Perry Louis.... More about this event

Soultogether event Saturday 25th February
TIMES Saturday 25th February 2012 - 9pm-3.30am PRICING £10, £8 before 11pm, adv £7
Frankie Feliciano and Patrick Wilson spin deep house and soul in the basement, with support from Dave O'Neill and Greg Austin, while Femi Fem and Bar... More about this event

All events at East Village

Favela London

91-93 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HZ
For the London incarnation of Favela (whose sister bar has been energising the Oberkampf district of Paris for a decade) they've stripped everything down to the bare boards to recreate the spirit of Brazil's shanty towns. Scarred discarded timber, battered old doors, scrawled graffiti and tatty religious icons have been slung together by someone with an eye for design. The soundtrack includes some great live bands and DJs who throw out the odd Brazilian-tinged remix or a classic samba record. Caiparinhas and Caiparoskas rule the roost, but they find space for other Latin blends like the Mojito and some supremely drinkable Argentine plonk. The overall effect leans far more towards Shoreditch than Sao Paulo, especially once you factor in the laughably fashion-concious crowd, but huge queues testify to the great party atmosphere inside.

More info: Favela London Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Ginglik

1 Shepherds Bush Green, London, W12 8PH
Ginglik is a club nestling under Shepherd's Bush Green, in a former public toilet. Supernaturally friendly staff, and the hard-to-spot entrance have given it a real local feel - and cheap membership ensures that many of the good-looking crowd are in every night, know each other, the musicians and the staff. It has a defiantly old skool appearance, with lots of UV art to remind people of the heyday of rave, but the entertainment is bang up to date. Ginglik plays host to comedy, live music, kung-fu and science fiction movie nights, and lots of excellent DJs.

Current events at Ginglik

Bands, Burlesque & Beats event Saturday 10th March
TIMES Saturday 10th March 2012 - 7pm-3am PRICING £8, £6 before 11pm
Hip hop, indie, rock, techno and psychedelia from The Instants, The God Damn Disasters, Mike Da Hat, Adam13 and Mel De'Vil, plus burlesque from The F... More about this event

Balkankan event Friday 17th February
TIMES Friday 17th February 2012 - 7pm-3am PRICING P.A.Y.G. members & guests £6 before 10pm, mems Free
DJs Soumankai and Shefitza spin Balkan beats, gypsy swing and folk music, plus Gypsy Fever and Radio Zastava perform live.... More about this event

Laugh event Tuesday 21st February
TIMES Tuesday 21st February 2012 - 8.30pm PRICING £8, mems £5
Fast-paced wit from Alistair Barrie, plus Jigsaw, Barnaby Slater, Maff Brown and MC Mike Belgrave.... More about this event

Wing Chun event running until Monday 27th February 2012
TIMES 13th February, 20th February and 27th February 2012 - 8pm-9.30pm PRICING £12 P.A.Y.G. Members & guests
... More about this event

All events at Ginglik

Plan B

418 Brixton Road, London, SW9 7AY
What really makes Plan B stand out as a party venue is the crowd. Brixton is the capital of South London's nightlife, and this is its best DJ bar, with a friendly, open atmosphere and a hugely diverse set of regulars. The decor is DJ bar by numbers, all exposed pipework and polished woods, but it's a well-designed space, with seating round a cool sunken dancefloor and a great sound-system. Friday nights are hip-hop, soul, funk or reggae, while Saturdays offer harder dance sounds. There's something going on most nights of the week, as well, and entry is often free if you arrive early.

Current events at Plan B

Shelter event Saturday 18th February
TIMES Saturday 18th February 2012 - 10pm-6am PRICING £15, £10 before 11pm
... More about this event

Basement Fomp event Friday 24th February
TIMES Friday 24th February 2012 - 10pm-5am PRICING concs £7
Resident DJs spin underground house, techno, Latin, disco and Afrobeat.... More about this event

Bump event running until Friday 24th February 2012
TIMES Friday 17th February and Friday 24th February 2012 - 9pm-4am PRICING £8, £5 until 12 midnight, Free before 10pm
Resident DJs spin hip hop, funk, dancehall and dubstep.... More about this event

All events at Plan B

Plastic People

147 - 149 Curtain Road, EC2A 3QE
Plastic People boasts the best sound-system in Shoreditch. This friendly space serves up seriously fresh music to a loyal crowd. Their no-frills clubbing formula has won them a legion of devotees and provides a welcome contrast with many of the overly slick ditchland bars. This is one of the most musically diverse venues in town, and you'll hear any or all types of jazz, funk, house, latin, electro, Afro beats and hip-hop - depending on the night. The musical standards are consistently high, and the people often scarily fashionable, but there is nothing pretentious about the place and the crowd have come to get down.

More info: Plastic People Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

T Bar

The Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JJ
This swaggeringly cool dance music space is housed in a former tea warehouse, with no attempt made to disguise the space's industrial origins. A long bar has been set up (offering surprisingly good cocktails), and there are a few sofas and low tables by the walls, but mostly T Bar offers grimy bleak chic - something that helps it to be a bit less infested with suits from the City than other venues in the area. Free entry and an absolutely phenomenal music policy, focused on techno, and cutting-edge house ensure long queues on Friday and Saturday nights. It's a particular favourite with Sunday ravers as well.

More info: T Bar Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

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London's Top DJ Bars

93 Feet East

Bar Rumba

The Big Chill House

Boogaloo

Cargo

East Village

Favela London

Ginglik

Plan B

Plastic People

T Bar

London's Top Clubs

Style Bars

Comedy, Cabaret, and Burlesque

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London's Top DJ Bars

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