please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I occasionally pop in here after work. I've never had food so can't comment but the drinks are over-priced, it's definitely one of 'those' bars that put your changed on a plate, half-expecting a tip to be left and there is no real ale.
Busy nights are Thursdays and Friday and it becomes a bit of a cattle market and the service is slow - it's more reactionary than expectant which kinda winds me up - what else do you expect at a bar - bar people serving, drinkers drinking - not rocket science I'd have thought? Some of the crowd in here are stuck up their own dirt pipes, others are genuinely "Office Sarahs", others are thugs, other gents 'n' ladies. Everythings a bit stand-off-ish and so if you talk to someone you get glared at.
Mcloj - 16 Apr 2012 12:40 |
I occasionally pop in here for lunch. The food is good, and reasonably priced. But the drinks are over-priced, and it's one of 'those' bars that put your changed on a plate, half-expecting a tip to be left. The fact that the change is usually 20p from a fiver for a pint doesn't seem to deter them. I've not been here of an evening, but once you get more than 3 people at the bar at once, it's gets complex, so busy nights may well be hard work.
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Nice interior and the bar staff weren't as rude as everyone else on here says they are. On the other hand the people who walk around collecting your glasses are a pain in the arse! They're very rude and just reach right across to grab your barely finished glass. The people this place attracts are not the most pleasent either. Lot of idiots. There are definitely better places to go then in here.
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This bar is awful. It is a nice set up BUT, the staff are rude and obnoxious. And it is overpriced, Go elsewhere. I was at a Secret Sundaze party there and the treatment of everyone there was appalling. Security was rough, rude and unsympathetic, I also found them to be unnecessarily heavy handed I have been secret sundaze before but this place spoiled me and my friends vibe, we ended up leaving. There are MUCH better places in Shoreditch to go. DO NOT GO HERE!!!! I don�t believe in giving bars who don�t care about their customers any service, it doesn�t make sense. The bar is too expensive and the staff are RUDE
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I have been going to the light bar for years. Admittedly it is so popular that the service can be very slow. But the outside area is great for smokers and the upstairs bar plays really good house music on a Friday night to a really happy crowd. The restaurant is always very good. I have had at least three parties in the upstairs bar over the years and everyone has always had a great time.
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Rubbish Service, bring a book and a torch with you to read while you line up at the Bar. Make sure you hav plenty of pre-drinks on board to take the edge off and you may well survive a night here.
HENDO - 29 Sep 2008 16:37 |
Over priced - pretentious and unfriendly bar staff (why???). I think they're on about closing the place down - good.
Keep on going to Shoreditch proper for something a bit better.
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There are far better bars in the world than this place where the staff aren't overworked and rude and the drinks arent over priced.
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I have been here a couple of times now and can only say that they dont have enough staff on the bar so expect to wait 20 mins or more to get a drink and expect that staff to be rude when you get there, you will then be ripped off, because they charge top end prices.
There is a campaign to save the light bar from developers, I say bin the bar, save the building.
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Well, I had a bloody good time there. My girlfriend works just around the corner in the Tea building and goes there now and then for a spot of lunch.
I had the best time after watching the footie in the Pub on the Park. The group I was with went to the Light to see the magnificent David Mancuso for a really good time. There are some good views from the balcony and I ended up accidentally having a boogie with Dr.Truman off Eastenders, lol! Made some good contacts and my mate went missing for an hour downstairs after being accosted by two fat Brazilian hookers! Funny times!
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RIESLING NOT REISLING.
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This bar looks great and is nice for a summer drink.. Although I agree with most of the comments posted. Crap sound system, the bar staff dont know what 'Reisling' is, and the bouncers are far from friendly. A friend got thrown to the ground after drinking from a bottle of water. He required 6 stitches. The bouncers are itiching for a fight there.
anonymous - 29 May 2007 10:55 |
Some folks dont seem to like it, but I find it quite a cool place. Good um-cha um-cha, decent enough selection of beers, and good groove inside, outside and upstairs in the lounge / roof terrace.
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I was nt impressed with this plce. it felt like a derelict factory or warehouse with a few tables and sofas thrown in.
I felt the food was very poor value ofr money. The beanburger I had tasted lik a frozen one with some gruyere and sweetorn on top �22 for two burgers nd chips, a cider and a beer is expensive
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Had an xmas party here
not a great place at all
I think my firm got conned
very little food
no draught beers at all
and people walking in and out of the restaurant bit we were slung in and drinking on our bar tab
wouldnt mind I thought we were ment to have the first floor with the balcony.
Never again
Hope they close the place as the council is pushing for it, I wont be signing the petition thats fair to say.
anonymous - 26 Dec 2006 19:49 |
one of those places that has a queue and then when you get in, there's about 20 people in there. Nice in the summer as you can have a beer in the garden, but shite any other time as you always seem to be in a spot where people barge past you. I once got nutted in this pub for no reason. When I told the bouncer he didn't even throw the bloke out as 'he wasn't causing any trouble anymore'.
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Went there on a Friday evening and was greeted by a pointless queue outside, rude bouncers, and one of the worse soundsystems I've ever heard in a bar. Yes it looks trendy and modern on the outside, but inside it's pretty standard stuff - the food's okay, but nothing great. Special mention must go to the rude staff - the place has the feel of being run by the mafia. So if you like poor service, rubbish music and not being able to hear the person next to you then this is the place for you...
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This is one of my favourite places to go in the City in the summer. The interior is fantastic as well, very spacious with high ceilings so good if there's someone in your party who doesn't like smokey pubs. The food is quite good and although I've never been apparantly the adjoining restaurant is fab.
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The bar staff can be quite rude and they enforce their �no smoking at the bar� policy with vigour. When I was in here last summer there was a particularly drunk lady slumped over a table, it was soon after I first spotted her that I realised a torrent of urine running down from under her dress and onto the floor ! - Other than this it was a fairly forgettable evening in a very forgettable venue.
P_Coy - 27 Feb 2006 13:54 |
Not a bad pub. You never have to wait to long to get served even when its jam packed. I like the fact that its still got a bit of the old machinery on the ceiling. It adds a bit of nostalgia. Even though its on the edge of the city theres still a good mix of people there. Good place to go I reckon.
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Very ordinary. Populated mainly by City gents during the week (not a necessarily a bad thing).
I just can't help thinking they have wasted a space with so much more potential.
Overall- bland, inoffensive and average (that includes the beers).
anonymous - 26 Jan 2006 12:01 |
Nice place to drink on a week night but avoid on Fridays and Saturdays as gets rammed and plays terrible music. Fun to take short people to though as the tables are about 6 feet tall....
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The Light Bar is situated where Shoreditch meets the city and the clientele reflects this- a mix of creative media types and suits (so something for everyone then!). A good starting point on a Friday night, the bar is spacious inside and there�s enough room outside on the terrace to soak up the last of the day�s sun. The restaurant is pretty good and once done there you�re only 5 minutes form some of the great bars in Shoreditch. They also had a fantatic new product in the washrooms called The addmirror/admirror - such a smart advertising device!
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Big bar which looks pretty good in that industrial way, though when I was there it wasn't that busy so it looked a bit bare, but when rammed I doubt that would matter. Good bouncers (friendly but efficient, didn't go nazi about one of the party who looked a bit young and didn't have id). Big outside area. Should be docked marks just for having toilet attendants (remind me why I should pay to have someone watch me urinate?), but otherwise couldn't complain.
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Trendy bar - worth going with a large group of people as the service is very slow. They do quite a selection good bottled beers - I like the Meantime Brewery's Union.
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Nice building, can't stand the place. Absolutely packed, takes hours to get served. Noisy and full of annoying people.
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If you want to experience the real 'Light Bar' at it's best, don't wear a suit, and try to blag your way into the smaller upstairs bar. This is where the best amosphere is, roof terrace for summer nights, nice tunes, good mixed crowd, nice leather sofas to mooch about on and watch people try to dance.
Still very very popular so can get busy downstairs, but in my opinion popular for a reason - because it's good. Not cheap, but you dont expect that in a bar like this. I think this won one of the Evening Standard awards once, for those wanting a very one -off and unusual interior / decor its worth a look. Used to house an electricity generator or some such, hence the 'Light'.
You do get a bit of an eclectic mix of people in here some nights due to its location right on the edge of the city / border of Shoreditch and all that scene, which can make it a laugh.
You get the usual well turned out city lot, some of the Hoxton / Shoreditch crowd, and on one memorable night there was some bizarre and very drunk semi - famous European photographer bird in there, accompanied by a transvestite, a dwarf, and some other weird Andy Warhol types hanging round her which provided much hilarity.
Not for the traditional city boozer crowd, i confidently predict that unless they are after the ladies they will hate it.
If you want a less 'city' crowd, go on a Saturday night, simple!
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Crap real ales, although they do serve an interesting Belgian cherry beer, which is nice.
Overpriced.
Essex girls gather here on Friday nights, so could be worth a visit if you are feeling lazy.
The food is of good quality - the restaurant is seperate from the bar. We're talking �15 for a main course though.
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No 'proper' beer and gets manically busy on Thurs/Fri eves after work. Impressive building and nice area outside for sunny summer lunchtimes. Food is pretty good if on the slightly expencive side. Yes it's full of suits but this is the City so a bit of an odd place to be if you don't work here/object.
Mr Lash - 29 Oct 2004 15:59 |
awesome place easily one of the best bars I've been to in london. well worth a visit.
mike - 14 Aug 2004 13:58 |
Fantastic old railway related building with super high ceilings. Unfortunately it's full of suits and they only serve toxic premium lager along the lines of Star and Grolsch. jodrell bank...
Dan - 14 May 2004 11:01 |
Again, if you don't want to drink with people in suits then don't drink in the City. We are The Suits, and this is our turf. The Light Bar is a bit disappointing though. It's a characterful building, but it's huge and empty and has a bit too much attitood.
Matt - 7 May 2004 14:37 |
full of suits, unwelcoming, and a real city boy bar.could be a great venue, but has disregarded the rest of east london's population.
miss - 6 Jan 2004 19:18 |
Lively bar which stays busy until closing time, within easy walking distance of Liverpool Street station. Relatively limited range of beers although they do have Paulaner wheat beer which does seem to be remarkably difficult to find in London
Darren - 12 Dec 2003 11:07 |
