Best festivals & bars in Victoria Park

10 April 2012

Around the edge of Victoria Park's lawns and trees, which form the lungs of east London, there's a new scene bubbling away.

Bethnal Green, on the western side of the park, has been populated by hipsters for a few years but there's now a circle of great venues around the entire park, including refurbished and newly hip joints such as The Pennethorne and The Britannia.

It's the festivals that have made this area exciting, too. A fortnight ago there was a slew of unofficial Lovebox after-parties in Victoria Park Village and Mile End; tonight Tiësto plays and tomorrow it's Field Day's turn.

But whether you want to drink before, after or even instead of the festivals, Victoria Park is well worth heading east for. Here's our pick of the local hotspots...

The place to be: Victoria Park

1. The Victoria

Field Day patrons might like to take advantage of The Vic's suitably wonky unofficial after-show tomorrow. Listen to the likes of Drums Of Death and Delphic, then stroll over here for The Cramps' Fetish Night.

There's free entry with a Field Day wristband and you can expect B-movie sleaze and grinding surf rock from DJ Jimmy Alucard. Queens Of Noize held a Lovebox after-party here.

110 Grove Road, E3 (020 8980 6609). Pint of lager £3, G&T £3.30

2. The Pennethorne

Hard to spell but far easier to fall for, The Pennethorne is the ace new kid on the block. It opened its doors with a Lovebox after-party and had its official opening last night.

No DJs — instead cock an ear for special mixes on the bar's sound system made by the music industry mates of owners Sophie Lloyd (from Fatboy Slim's Southern Fried Records label) and Richard Bolger (of the much-lauded Marquess Tavern in Islington).

84 Victoria Park Road, E9 (020 8985 2205). Lager £3.20, G&T £3.50

3. The Britannia

Formerly too run-down even for the tramps, Victoria Park's Britannia has undergone a much needed makeover.

The duo behind it — DJ and promoter Cymon Eckel and business partner Andrew Maillard — also masterminded Shoreditch's soaraway success The Griffin.

They have films, storytelling nights and play retro records at this boho boozer with a great beer garden.

360 Victoria Park Road, E9 (020 8533 0040, thebritanniapub.co.uk). Lager £3.30, G&T £3.10

4. The Approach

Art and alcohol co-exist in the cosy confines of this pub — which is just a hop, skip and a jump over the canal that separates the park from its western neighbours.

The gallery upstairs exhibits contemporary sculpture and paintings, the bar downstairs serves up Czech lager to a culturally literate crowd of hedonists.

47 Approach Road, E2 (020 8980 2321, (theapproach.co.uk). Lager £3.40, G&T £3.60

5. The Star of Bethnal Green

Who'd have thought you could get a queue snaking round the block on Bethnal Green Road? The Star sounds like a pub but it's actually a mini club.

Tonight, Chico and Big Daddy serve up all sorts of tunes, from Diana Ross to Sebo K. Tomorrow's Field Day survivors can pitch up for a dose of grubby electro, dubstep and much more from DJs Sigma, Shortstuff and Mr Batista.

359 Bethnal Green Road, E2 (020 7729 0167, starofbethnalgreen.com). Lager £3.40, G&T £3.30

6. Bethnal Green Working Men's Club

The Working Men's Club is a haven of nightlife so hot and so underground that they try to keep it a secret by suppressing press coverage. But we're not scared to tell our fellow Londoners that if you like cabaret, fancy dress, Sixties or Eighties music, this is the place to come and push the boundaries.

Tonight you can spin the wheel of fortune and murder some ballads at Hot Breath Karaoke (thehouseof hotbreath.com).

44-46 Pollard Row, E2 (020 7739 7170, workersplaytime.net). Bottle of lager £2.50,
G&T £3.50

7. The Morgan Arms

One of our favourite places for a pint and a plate of pub grub in all of east London, The Morgan Arms caters for party animals who've grown up a little and fancy a calmer and more civilised evening surrounded by paintings, perched on some of the comfiest seats in town.

Lovely décor and atmosphere, right in Mile End's little heritage quarter.

43 Morgan Street, E3 (020 8980 6389, geronimoinns.com). Bottle of lager £3.50, double G&T £4.25

8. The Palm Tree

Don't write off this place as a dinosaur because, despite first appearances, it's pretty natty. The Palm Tree has preserved its faded, modish grandeur, hence the cute hand-drawn cartoons and the jazz coming from the stereo. But a new wave of young nocturnal adventurers drawn to Victoria Park's burgeoning scene are starting to drink here — so get down and grab a table before they do.

127 Grove Road, E3 (020 8980 2918). Lager £3.50, G&T £3.90

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Best festivals & bars in Victoria Park

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