Blues Kitchen, EC2

I dropped in here as I was passing the other day to have a butcher's at the modern replica tiling on the bar counter front, which I'm advised is based on the original design of that in the Mountain Daisy in Sunderland. The interesting thing is that it was produced by Craven Dunnill & Co, who produced the original work in the Mountain Daisy over 100 years ago. Even though it's a replica, it is a very good one. When I entered I was met by a greeter at a desk by the front door, and as I only wanted a drink I was pointed to the tables on the right. The tables on the left are exclusively for diners. The unoccupied booths by the window all had reserved signs on them which always gets my goat, but oddly I felt better when after I had been in there a short while a large group came in to occupy them. There are a load of low tables and small stools in the gloomy area near the stage at the back, and a few copper-topped tall tables with tall stools near the front. As you would expect, some blues music was playing. There's no real ale of course, but a fair choice of keg offerings and bottled beers, all listed on drinks menus on the tables. I had a half of Goose Island IPA for £2.90 - a pint is £5.80. There was also a bar snacks menu; a cheeseburger is £11.50, with fries an additional £3.50. That's not cheap, but is perhaps worth paying if you want to enjoy a live blues session. This place is fine if you want an American diner style meal, but it's not my idea somewhere to go to just enjoy a drink. I enjoyed the blues music though as it's to my taste, but not everyone's I guess - although if you really didn't like blues music you wouldn't go to somewhere called the Blues Kitchen.

Inverted U-shaped room with bar in the middle. Stage to right hand side. No real ale, unfortunately.

I wasn't really expecting much on our pre-gig visit to this American diner and blues bar, but somehow this converted Victorian warehouse turned up one of the most memorable pub discoveries I've ever encountered. The centrepiece of this venue, both literally and figuratively, is the huge central island servery, with its copper topped bar counter, tiled bar back and modern, distressed mirrors. But the real unexpected surprise is the front of the counter, which sports a magnificent faience tile design, very similar to one I'd recently seen in the Golden Cross, Cardiff. I spent ages trying to figure out how they had managed to salvage such a well preserved example of Victorian pub architecture, but having researched a little further, it transpires that it is a newly commissioned piece of work, carried out by Craven Dunnill Jackfield - the same people who made the Golden Cross' counter over 100 years earlier - and modelled on a design used in the Mountain Dew, Sunderland. I have to say, the bar looks magnificent and I'm tempted to say it's wasted in a modern, trendy venue like this, but fair play to them for reviving a great bit of pub design. As for the rest of the place, it's a restaurant to the left and a bar to the right, with drinkers stuck over on the gloomier side of the room with some pretty basic seating options including some precarious high banquettes under mirrors with images of Blues music stars. We were hoping to get some food and were initially told that there were no spare tables, but the helpful chap who greeted us at the door managed to arrange for us to get seated at the bar, which allowed us to admire the counter at close quarters. The rest of the restaurant side sees some banquette booths to the front and comfier benches further into the room. At the rear there are some low stools around an area with a lobster tank and behind the servery you will find a large American 'Airstream' caravan which has been converted into a snug, available for private hire. The sense of the warehouse has been kept through the distressed ceiling, broken tiled walls and sections of corrugated iron panelling, some of which has been papered with blues posters. There are private bars and function rooms downstairs and there's also a smoking area to the rear. A decent blues soundtrack played throughout our stay and live music is on most nights. Sadly there is no cask ale available, but this is Shoreditch, so a good range of 'craft' kegs applied, including Hackney Hopster and Camden Ink, plus some interesting bottles, with all options priced so as to force you into drinking in moderation. The staff were extremely helpful and the barman regularly popped over to chat during down time and was keen to get our feedback on the food, which we both found tasty and extremely filling. This is a pretty unconventional place that fits in quite well in this trendy part of town. I'd certainly recommend it if you fancy seeing some live blues music or fancy a bite to eat and aren't too fussed about the cost. The quirky interior and beautiful bar counter make it worth a look for a drink in passing, but the prohibitive pricing and lack of cask ale would probably rule out repeat visits.