The Book Club Bar / Lounge / Restaurant

Shoreditch / Brick Lane, London –

Better suited for energetic young artists looking to party than for bookworms reading great literature, The Book Club is an adult sized playhouse where patrons are more likely to get hit by errant ping pong balls than to get a paper cut from turning pages of the classics.

A Choose Your Own Adventure map inspired by London’s tube system directs crowds of newbies and in-the-know tech geeks through the wooden halls of this multi-room hangout, dominated by the main dining hall where large and loud circles of friends kick back on a retro mishmash of Ikea-esque chairs and stools.

An open kitchen and long communal tables give the place a stylish high school cafeteria vibe, complete with white brick walls, campy art, and oval portholes where plate picking diners can peek through and ‘ooh’ and ‘ahhh’ over the combating table tennis matches in the adjoining room.

Groups of barhoppers huddle around the pool tables and pack the disco dance floor in the basement, where DJs keep the nightlife activities in full swing. Novelty-hungry, beer-in-hand hipsters looking for more than a spin on the dance floor can take advantage of the venue’s other offerings, from life drawing lessons and film screenings to poetry readings and speed dating.

Full of youthful good cheer and fun activities that lead patrons from one room to the next, The Book Club is a hub of playfulness perfect for those who want to indulge their inner child.