Pub to club in Five Easy Drinks

A club in a pub. A concept so simple that it's a wonder it didn't happen sooner. For those tired of hard dancefests in overpriced, unfriendly nightclubs followed by long taxi rides home, the rising trend of club pubs has been a godsend. Punters will always want to go out and listen to great music on big sound systems, but the notion of fighting your way through a nightclub and then dancing until dawn every weekend doesn't always appeal.

As London's new opening — The Star of Bethnal Green, a lovingly restored pub, with added club — shows, there is a better way. Take the comforting, cosy environs of a tarted-up decent local boozer then add great DJs and live bands and you've got some of the best partying to be had in London. Here's our guide to the city's best pub/clubs...

THE STAR OF BETHNAL GREEN
A STAR is born, courtesy of Mulletover's Rob Hives. His 10-year tenure as a respecetd club promoter includes stints running parties in Ibiza, at Leicester Square's former Home club, warehouse bashes all over London and at Shoreditch's T Bar. With this week's opening of his latest venture, a trusty local pub that also hosts parties run by established artists and promoters, Rob's finally given Bethnal Green the sort of banging boozer it has been crying out for. Tayo, Hannah Holland and Elliot Eastwick are just some of the names to look out for here.
359 Bethnal Green, E2 (020 7729 0167). Pint of lager: £3, glass of wine: £3.50

THE LOCK TAVERN CAMDEN
This self-proclaimed "tarted-up boozer" draws an impressive mix of punters every night. Head down there for a delicious Square Pie or Sunday roast and then stick around to listen to some of London's finest DJing talent while you lounge on the leather sofas, or drink either on the garden patio or on the coveted upstairs balcony with its views over Camden Market.
35 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 (020 7482 7163). Pint of lager: £3, glass of wine: £2.70

OLD QUEEN'S HEAD ISLINGTON
Roping in the ex-musical director for Fabric proved to be a canny move for this former old men's pub. Since its relaunch a couple of years ago, the Old Queen's Head has pulled in the sort of live bands and DJs that you'd expect to see in a top London club. With two bars, a beer garden and a decent wine and food menu, it's easy to see why this boozer has become Islington's coolest spot.
44 Essex Road, N1 (020 7354 9993). Pint of lager: £3.10, glass of wine: £3

THE WESTBURY KILBURN
Single-handedly putting Kilburn on the clubbing map, The Westbury is a very welcome addition to this unlovely corner of west London. Foodies coo over its dim sum menu and roast dinners, there are four American pool tables surrounded by comfy leather sofas and, best of all, Thursday to Sunday nights see topnotch DJs such as Hot Chip and Scratch Perverts rocking the decks. Check out Justin Robertson's Black Rabbit parties here — they're a guaranteed roadblock every time.
34 Kilburn High Road, NW6 (020 7625 7500). Pint of lager: £3.30, glass of wine: £3.40

THE DOGSTAR BRIXTON
The original club pub is still keeping the crowds rocking down SW9 way. Newly refurbished, the ground-floor bar is where the action is, with guest DJs including Peter Hook, the Happy Mondays and Hot Chip pushing the sound system to its limits. Upstairs the restaurant serves rib-sticking Caribbean food from Tuesday to Saturday and huge Sunday roasts, while the top floor is a cosier, more intimate vibe, where big leather sofas prove perfect for lounging.
389 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 (020 7733 7515). Pint of lager: £3.20, glass of wine: £3

AMERSHAM ARMS NEW CROSS
The culinary and clubbing desert that is New Cross welcomed the revamp of this hip pub last year. Toasted ciabatta sandwiches, homemade burgers and fish and chips are all present and correct on the well-priced menu, but the real culinary superstars are the hand-made pies with chips and peas and the Sunday roasts. Look out for Har Mar Superstar doing a DJ set next Thursday and the awesome Peaches (not Geldof) on 12 July.
388 New Cross Road, SE14 (020 8469 1499). Pint of lager: £3.15, glass of wine: £3

THE PARADISE KENSAL GREEN
This was always a decent pub, if a little shabby around the edges, but now the team behind the Old Queen's Head and The Westbury have transformed it with a stylish restoration. It's perfect for hard partying and intimate moments alike, with an elegant courtyard, decked roof terrace, cosy corners, a gorgeous clientele and a splendid restaurant. The burlesque and comedy nights here are worth a look, but the best bash is Saturday's All Funked Up with Fabric resident Ali B. Kate Moss, Lily Allen and a bunch of other fashionable sorts can often be found puffing away on the two smoking terraces here.
19 Kilburn Lane, W10 (020 8969 0098). Pint of lager: £3.30, glass of wine: £4.25

BIG CHILL HOUSE KING'S CROSS
First came the fabulous festival, then the Brick Lane bar and, in 2006, the latest outpost of the Big Chill empire was born in King's Cross. With its cute nooks and crannies, big outdoor roof terrace and eclectic selection of DJs and live bands, this lovingly restored pub has become one of the area's best nightspots. Some use it as a feeder bar for the nearby Scala and Egg clubs, but others pitch up and stay all night, kicking off with one of their monster burgers or Sunday roasts and then dancing off the calories till 4am.
257-259 Pentonville Road, N1 (020 7427 2540). Pint of lager: £3.35, glass of wine: £3.15