Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes, Hoxton, E2

This place has a bit of a daytime cafe bar feel to it, turning into a hipster bar of sorts in the evening, which services a small live music venue in the basement. The ground floor bar is a bare boarded space with fold out windows that open onto the busy main road and admit plenty of noise from the neighboring train lines. The right side of the room has a rough, unadorned wall but by contrast, the left side sporrs a nicely presented, plastered wall painted in a contemporary fashion and adorned with a bunch of quirky ornaments. The servery is to the rear and has a pretty boring counter which is saved by its smart pewter top and classic shelved bar back. Tables and chairs fill the centre of the room, whilst canteen benches stand under the front windows and a few benches have been chucked out on the pavement. Colour comes from a few potted plants and a selection of modern art prints on display. The live music venue downstairs is pretty crazy and looks like it was just dug out of the rock with a pickaxe, such is the unadorned nature of the space. There is another bar down here with a more basic beer selection and occasionally absent staff. Hip hop and R&B tunes played quietly enough throughout my stay, making it possible to chat quite comfortably. Beer here is mostly in the form of their own Jaguar Shoes range, although I'm unsure where this is brewed. I tried a Pale Ale and a Stout, neither of which were particularly enjoyable, which mirrored my experience in their Dalston pub, The Victoria. The staff were quick enough, but did their utmost best to avoid any kind of pleasantries and looked thoroughly miserable with their lot in life. I thought this was a so-so live music venue and a below par pub experience, thanks to the bland decor, surly service and lacklustre beer. A few up and coming bands pass through here, so I'm sure I'll be back one day, but I'll do my pre-gig drinking elsewhere.

Official site of Gold Step (basement bar) - www.jaguarshoes.com

Official site of Gold Step (basement bar) - www.jaguarshoes.com

Official site of Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes - www.jaguarshoes.com

Official site of Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes - www.jaguarshoes.com