Horrible place. They will rip you off. And there were rats on the table which they ignored

If modern Shoreditch myth/allegory Nathan Barley was a watering hole he would be The Old Blue Last. A cult pub and music venue - predictably perhaps - voted 'The Coolest Pub in the World' by similarly painfully indie music mag NME. Owned by the people who run the frequently polemic Vice Magazine, The Old Blue last is located in a beautiful if derelict Victorian building in London's East End and plays host to regular gigs by up-and-coming and firmly established artists alike. With Amy Winehouse, the Arctic Monkeys and Foals having played The Old Blue Last it's certainly earned its musical chops. For those of us who like our venues a little more polished and with a little less posturing, however, this slightly derelict if achingly hip pub leaves a little to be desired. read more

The Old Blue Last - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

My friend and I came in before busy hours on a weekday, but he claims it gets crazy late hours and especially on weekends. I'm not a fan of crowds and loud people, so consider that when coming. It's owned by the founders of Vice magazine if that tells you anything. Most of the clientele will probably fit the mold, but then you have these other more preppy types coming in as well. I experienced a little of both, but hey it was a good experience. read more

If you're traveling, this place is a mix between an older pub and a club. We walked around and asked the doorman "Bar, Pub, Club?!" and this is where the man said "All 3" haha there's a large bar downstairs, seating room at the bar and along the back wall, it was pretty packed on a Saturday, people dancing a lot of groups of friends. We made it upstairs and there was a live band. The building itself is older and it has definitely withstood a fair amount of partying. It was easy to get a drink and everyone was really nice, just having a good time. read more

The Old Blue Last - The bar - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Hoxton ground-zero over the years: 1995-1999: Cargo 1999-2003: 333 2003-2006: Jaguarshoes 2006-2009: THE OLD BLUE LAST It's almost like The Old Blue needs no introduction now that it's so famous / infamous. But here goes - it's an old corner pub on Great Eastern Street that pretends to be a traditional no frills boozer but is really owned and run by Vice Magazine. It fills up with all the trendies you can imagine, the very sort of people who fill the pages of the style rag. Seen and be seen. It's prime selling point is the small room upstairs where they host small gigs and get some pretty good names too whose performamces often become stuff of legend. I caught Amy Winehouse here in '05 on a sunday night. I didn't think much of it then, but people talk a lot about it now as her conversion from Radio 2 fodder to Shoreditch-darling. This gives you an idea of what goes on here - a Vice-engineered career change and all the right trendies and journos invited to spread the word (although the hacks I was with cared more about prank-calling Jimmy Saville that night). read more

What use to be the centre of young hip things and new indie music has been swallowed up and spat out by Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen. It's terrifying and now you'll find a gang of suits and skirts taking up the space on the leather sofas staring at the gold-guilt bar. What a piss poor show. They have keep all the cool kids with attitude that serve behind the bar but have changed the clientèle. Not that it was great before but at least you knew what to expect. I have two words for you people, "bridge" and "tunnel"... read more

WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? Stop being so wrapped up in your own level of coolness and DANCE! I don't mean in an embarrassing way. Just MOVE and CLAP and do SOMETHING instead of standing there silently, completely still, and afraid to do anything that might seem lame to the other hipsters around you. I would absolutely LOVE this place and give it five stars if there was more of a fun, rock show atmosphere. What a great space they have upstairs!! It's a shame it's going to waste with people who are too cool to enjoy an intimate gig. read more

A pretty trendy, hip place in Shoreditch that my friends and I just stumbled upon while realising we'd missed the other place we originally came to Shoreditch to look for - and what a good find! I was impressed that, for paying no cover whatsoever (usually free till 01:30), we went upstairs, got some cheap drinks, and heard probably one of the best non-famous live bands I've ever heard. All for nothing more than the cost of a drink or two. Definitely filled with Shoreditch hipsters and American Apparel types, but I thought it was a pretty good, casual vibe which made hanging out pretty fun. A small and intimate venue and not too far from Shoreditch High Street. read more

Sweaty, dark, east-end dive owned by Vice mag. Gig(edy gigedy goo) bar upstairs for live music, which there is always a rammed back-to-back live lineup, and massive bar downstairs where there is normally a DJ set-up blasting out classic tunes. Love it in here! When you first enter you get hit in the face with group vibes of "I'm more Shoreditch than you! Check out the checks on my checked shirt they're grungier and less perpendicular than your Topman version and therefore I'm more Hoxtonian than you!" & that's fine, I just accept it, and that's probably why I like it so much and go here all the time. The crowd is visually stimulating, a right specturrm of wonders from young boxfresh trendies to Old skool rockers all shoulder to shoulder having a good time, it's just so animated (almost too much when on poppers!). I always feel like I'm not making a big enough statement with my hair, or that I should have a nasty tattoo of mating swifts on my neck/face but no-one seems to mind me being a bit cleaner and wearing a fake leatherette jacket. I think my tasch helps. The gigs upstairs are normally pretty bad with a few gems in the mix, which makes it fun to just stumble upstairs without massive expectations and going along with whatever's blasting out. The DJ's downstairs normally play good enough tunes to get your pointy brogues / plimsolls a'tappin. Danced like a tit to a whole range of tunes without too much worry here, just the odd young hot lass sending Grandad vibes at me (no drama I just dance a bit worse and they get the hint) I should stop offering Werther's Originals (paedo pellets) to randoms! Normally go here for a few before hitting ye Olde Axe for night # 2. Rare I go to Shorebitch and don't swing by this place. check-check-check (shirt) it out! read more

This place isn't really my scene, but if you like music of the punk/pop-punk persuasion it's probably gonna be yours. Apparently they have live bands upstairs, but I only stuck around for 1 drink so I cannot verify this information. Drinks are reasonably priced for Shoreditch and there was no cover charge, so that's ok I guess. read more

Another of London's true musical venues. No you're not going to find your musical superstars here, but you are going to get more beer choice than just Tuborg or Carling. (Talking to you O2 academies). What you will find is a rough and ready East end boozer that is what it is, in an area becoming fashionable all too quickly, because it has some loyal drinkers and a penchant for showing the next band just before they break it big. That's why I come here - for the music. The decor is nothing to write home about but it's cheap and is open late - usually no cover charge either. I wouldn't take my parents here but I would take someone for a bit of a dance and a proper drink. Hurrah Old Blue Last! read more

PAGING JANE GOODALL! We need to observe the hipster in its natural habitat so we can impart these findings to the scientific community. We stood just far enough away from the hipster clan as to not agitate them in their gold lame trousers and noticed how the female courts the male hipster with the fumbling dance that says 'I'm pretty, but I could be ugly, but since I've ratted my hair on purpose it's the latter, not the former.....take a picture of me and tag it on facebook?' This species of hipster will shop at Rough Trade and spin vinyl at baptisms to be ironic, but will also apparently not hold back when Beyonce's 'Video Phone' plays and must whip its hair back and forth. This hipster nest is quite large for the area and adorns the heads of other species on the walls that could not survive in this habitat. Climate and music changes over the years means that the hipster has had to evolve to wearing more clothing that somehow covers them less and their vision has been greatly impaired by what we may assume were natural disasters such as the Ash Cloud of 2010, so now extra-large eyeglasses must be worn. These hipsters are a true treat from nature and not terribly unlike their cousin-species from Madagascar, they can be in danger of extinction if habitats like these are threatened. The locals used to throw stones at such hipsters, but now recognize their importance in the food chain and encourage them to thrive. Take your telephoto lens, you'll want to capture this moment with the most detailed photography possible to be able to read what they've written on their arms and hands just hours before coming out as DIY art. read more

Stopped by here on a monday night. It reminded me of an old place at home called Radiodown. Small upstairs stage, sweaty room. Downstairs the bar feels a little raggedy, definitely compared to some of the other pubs in town, but it's a pretty chill place and i didnt feel out of my element. The post concert soundtrack was amusing though. WuTang Clan? Sweet. DMX? hahaha. Oh, wait it's ironic. Only, it wasn't. read more

A truly historic live musc venue. Spent far too much time in this pub and I love it for so many reasons. It's a great gig venue hosting up and coming talent and is the location that many great albums have been recorded. It's impossible to kettle a particular type of clientele as some reviews have as the pub hosts different nights which range from fun bouncy pop punk parties, indie swag hipster nights, dirty drum and base, vice magazine launch parties and a variety of live music options. My advice if you're planning on coming - check the Facebook page or follow on twitter and you'll be able to fun something that suits. Whilst the nights do offer busy action packed schedules you can guarantee to find a seat in the afternoon on one of the many button sofa's. - a few drinks before 7pm are on offer (£2.50 a pint of becks) and the jukebox has a selection of great albums. Personal favorite is Tuesday nights - upstairs is free to enter usually with four bands on show. Not every act will be something to shout about but it's a great way to spend an evening (never too busy) and the styles are usually pretty eclectic. Always a safe starting point (or fall back) for a night out in Shoreditch read more

It's taken me ages to work out how I ended up checking in at this place, and it just struck me - it's that random pub stuck in the middle of Shoreditch! Pubs and Shoreditch don't really go together. I mean, yes, there are a few around but a pub should be warm, cosy, and comfortable - words that are never used to describe the hipsters that inhabit this area of London town. Still, the Old Blue Last finds a sort of compromise with a pub-styled main level with comfortable seating and has converted the upstairs into a sort of indie rock hall for all those unknown bands to smash out a couple of covers. No idea if any of the bands are any good but I imagine these are the types that just formed in someone's parent's garage and have a small but devout cult following. Who knows, though, you may just hear the next big thing. The other thing I'd mention is that they serve up Maker's Mark neat for a reasonable price and have no qualms about serving you double after double even when the 10 foot walk across the room to the bar takes you the better part of 15 minutes. Just focus your glassy eyes on the shaggy bartender and slur your order away! I definitely support bars that let you get drunk because, as Danny Bhoy says, "you wouldn't throw someone out of a restaurant because they were full, would you?" read more

It's only reading the other reviews that I've come to realise that The Old Blue Last is some kind of hipster institution in Shoreditch. To me, it's just the pub closest to my office that I got dragged to one night carrying a load of files after an incredibly stressful work week. I was too busy chatty to take much of it in/notice that apparently I must have looked wildly different to the other clientele but overall I liked the atmosphere. What I did notice was that everyone in here was much, much younger than me. I'm not used to that, it was kind of nice to see the Youths enjoying themselves! I like the mix of unabashed fun and nervous energy that goes with that kind of crowd, you could feel it inevitably all about to escalate. read more

On a Friday night, this pub felt claustrophobic. Not necessarily for the obvious reasons, but I thought their use of space was kind of silly (internal bouncer taking up the space of two tables, tables laid out in the main room so that the traffic from the door has only one, invasive path that prevents getting to most of the bar, ect). But the drinks were reasonably priced, and as someone who is unexceptional when it comes to cool and hip factors, it didn't feel at all exclusive. It's on a corner in a busy neighborhood... can't be too exclusive with a location like that, and but for the odd orange pants or untamed mullet, it was just a Shoreditch kind of crowd... young, attractive, moderately hip. I thought the music was annoying- the kind of electronic music they play in blaringly cool retail stores- but the entertainment is different every night, it seems, and there's an additional space upstairs that has live events. A whiskey and a beer were £7 total. Definitely a decent place for a stop on a night out in the area, but I wouldn't make it a destination on the weekend unless you were there for an event, specifically, because lounging and chatting isn't an option, and there isn't space downstairs to dance, so I'm not sure what one would do with oneself. read more

A unique pub with great character at the junction of Great Eastern Street and Curtain Road. It is known as a live music venue but unfortunately I have not yet made it along on one of those occasions just yet. Apparently NME declared it the coolest pub in the world at some point. Although if you are anything like me, that is more likely to put you off! The main pub downstairs has a kind of half circle lay out. Around the walls, the seats are actually old cinema/theatre seats. They look scruffy, but I assure you they are actually remarkably comfortable. It all adds to the rather scruffy, dingy character of the place (this is goodhonest). Doesn't serve any real ale but has a nice cider choice and a range of lagers. Usually I am fairly lenient with my 'deducting a point for serving stella' rule which I from time to time rather jokingly enforce in order to positively channel my disdain for the disgusting beverage to help me decide between 2 ratings. Here though they have one of those double headed stella taps, suggesting that the sheer demand for the vile poisonous liquid is so great that even a constant stream from 1 tap cannot quench the thirst of the enthusiastically gathered masses. I was leaning towards a 4, but this insult to decent beer cannot go unpunished. I will come here again, of that I am sure but I will sneer at the accursed tap from time to time. read more

Even if you set out to start or end your evening at The Old Blue Last, you'll end up there regardless. While the service isn't the quickest and you'll be left standing at the bar wondering 'am I ever going to get the bar staffs attention?!' - it's a bit of a Shoreditch institution of grubby cool which is difficult to avoid. Once you do get served, the prices are pretty reasonable and it's always worth keeping an eye on their website, as they hold regular gigs and quite a few secret ones too. Stay for the people watching, if you can get a table. read more

I recently had a discussion with a friend that the Old Blue Last is definitely not what it used to be anymore, but then we still always find ourselves returning! The truth is, it's great. It comes with a lot of history, a derelict look (which used to be worse actually) and a knack for starting new music trends. After all, this is one of the places that got the Klaxons to where they are now as well as all the other nu rave acts out there. The bar downstairs is good, but busy, and there are loads of free gigs on upstairs. Everyone inside does look the same: checked shirts, vintage clothes, fake eye-lashes, etc. but then, that is why we go there in the first place, isn't it? read more

I went here only to see a friend's band play, and then was thoroughly dissapointed with the rest of the night and also the people in there. Nathan Barley indeed. Shoreditch twats indeed. But then, some people like this sort of thing and I cannot deny that the atmosphere in there is O.K- fun. And yes, it does boast a good history of gigs and famous punters. The fact that the NME voted it coolest pub in Britian only serves to confirm my distaste for the NME, I really think that is going very far. I generally don't like going to places were image seems to be the top of everyone's agenda, so in light of this is shall stay away. But if being a Shoreditch twat is your kind of thing then this is the place for you! read more

Ratty, tatty, cool: it seems to be a winning formula for most East End bars. And it seems that The Old Blue Last wrote the original formula. The pub retains its East End feel and there are no obvious attempts to modernise. Owned by the guys that bring us Vice magazine, The Old Blue Last has seen many great artists play there, and lots of pseudo-celebrities frequent the place. The upstairs has another bar and this is the live entertainment area, which is definitely the pub's strongest feature. Its small size (100 capacity) is perfect for live music and retains an intimate feel. Re. the Shoreditch twats that frequent the venue: there are no more twats at the Old Blue than anywhere else in Shoreditch. It comes with the territory unfortunately! read more

The best thing this pub has got going for it is location. Most people know it so it's useful for a meeting place. There's a room for live music upstairs but I've never been along to any of the gigs there so this is something that I'll need to rectify soon as I've heard good things. There's a happy hour most nights up until 7 where you can get a pint/wine/house spirit & mixer for £3.33 which isn't too bad at all and the place always seems to be fairly busy when I'm walking past then. If you arrive outside of these times be ready for a shock as the drinks aren't the cheapest, even for the area read more

Owned by Vice...so be warned expect hipsters! Lots of them. However, two floors mean however packed it is, and it is on weekends mean I can venture between each and pick which vibe I want. Downstairs more conversion and buzzy atmosphere. Upstairs more live music (mostly indie) and dancing. It's also free every night bar some events for music (upstairs) that charge. I really like it. Been going for many a year and has never let me down, especially if you don't like wandering the streets to find a late bar. read more

Well. I'm not sure what to think. I mean, it's a pub, and not a bad one at that; the drink selection is rather nice, it's not too crowded, prices are okay. But is it an especially exciting place? Not really. They do have live music upstairs for free on weekends though, which could be of interest if it's your thing... read more

Only worth a visit if you're going for a gig. It's recently had a makeover so there's more room upstairs. If you're just looking for a drink in Shoreditch however, then head elsewhere. Suburban wannabes hang here to try and blend in, and it's all a bit embarrassing as a consequence. read more

If you like VICE magazine, hipsters and skinny jeans with funny hair, you'll like this place. I'm apathetic about all of those things, which means I'm pretty apathetic about this pub. There's gigs and event sand vice parties and beer and unmemorable anything. Only the slightest snarl when I asked for tap water. It's alright, there's a friendly vibe about the place, despite the snooty atmosphere. That doesn't make sense, does it? What I mean is, it has a generic hipster vibe, and if you ignore it, you'll realise that it's not that different to any other pub in the area. Unfortunately, I don't think I've ever given any pub in Shoreditch more than three stars. Really don't get what all the fuss is about. read more

Old Blue Last was the first East London pub I ever went to and so it will always hold a special place in my heart. There is nothing especially amazing about the decor, the staff, or the alcohol but as soon as you step inside you get that really nice vibe that makes you want to stay in a pub for longer than 'just a quick one'. On a Friday and Saturday (or even Wednesdays and Thursdays for that matter!) this place is heaving with the best and brightest of the East London crowd and there is usually something good going on in the upstairs room for free if you are lucky. It's in the best location for a place to start your night before hitting the clubs as it's smack bang in the middle of Shoreditch so definitely check it out if you get the opportunity. read more

This is a nice pub/bar with a relaxed feel to it, good range of music and an upstairs for live music gigs. Unfortunately missed the Reds BBQ pop up but hope it comes back so I can try that. Bit pricey on some of the drinks though, £5.80 for Sharps Pilsner! You're taking the BEER! read more

A 'shabby chic' type pub serving a resonable selection of drinks. My boyfriend was happy because they serve Old Speckled Hen and Guinness (not extra cold) on tap! Prices are about average for this area, they sometimes have offers on a certain drink. There are often bands and music nights on here (as yet I haven't been), but it still manages to be really busy on ordinary nights. Only one slight problem- there are very few seats. This means it can accomodate more people, but it can be annoying to stand the whole night! read more

Decent pub, good selection of beers and loads of great free gigs. read more

The Old Blue Last - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Love this place, best time to visit is when it first opens so you can sit and have a good ole drink with the free jukebox and loads of space! Love the old cinema seats and drink selection, the later it gets the more Shoreditch it gets - decent sound as a gig venue read more

What you'd expect from an East End pub really... Wandered in while hanging out in the neighborhood waiting on a friend and found out it was owned by Vice. Pretty traditional place with an upstairs where you can catch a few live bands if you feel so inclined. Like the users before me have remarked, many of the patrons are definitely borrowing their older siblings credentials to get in. Or maybe its all the workers from AA who just look younger in their neon leotards. Decent! read more

With its dark and dingy décor, it's location in the heart of Shoreditch and the fact that it is owned by Vice magazine, the Old Blue Last is the epitome of cool. At least that's what everyone seems to think. Consistently packed with the typical fashionable Shoreditch kids . Cheap Brick Lane pumps, skinny jeans, checkered shirts and 'oh so now' hair cuts grace most of the crowd that descends on this old East End boozer. It's small size makes it a good setting for gigs, with 100 capacity upstairs there is a more intimate feel. I've had some great nights here so I wouldn't be put off by NME's claim that it is the "coolest pub in Britain". That it most definitely is not. But it's still worth stopping by every now and then, see a new band and count how many people are wearing American Apparel and checked shirts. read more

I really like the vibe of this place, but I swear they have the slowest pouring taps I have ever seen. The bar staff are nice without seeming like they really care what's happening. The upstairs area is a great space for gigs. read more

Great place for gigs, pub downstairs and spacious upstairs with decent size stage and plenty of standing space, a really pleasant venue to see up-and-coming bands. read more

I am absolutely disgusted with the security staff here. One of my friends was most likely drugged, as she was throwing up immediately after we arrived and had only consumed one alcoholic beverage at this point. One of the female staff was very helpful, attempting to offer us advice on what we should do and how we should take care of her when she was interrupted by MULTIPLE male staff nearly yelling at us. to get out of the women's restroom. I told the male staff that we were inquiring on how we should help our friend and they continued to raise there voices with us yelling at us to leave. I actually had a very lovely time before this which makes this review even more disappointing. women getting drugged is such a common thing now and I know that the security staff know that, which is what makes this whole situation even more frustrating. I can't even imagine what would have happened if my friend had been alone. I wish I had gotten the female security guard's name because she TRULY was looking out for our wellbeing, while the male staff had absolutely no empathy or comprehension of the idea that a young woman was DRUGGED IN THEIR ESTABLISHMENT. We will not be returning. Women, please be aware that your welfare does not matter to the male security staff here. read more

Yes this place is filled with 'Shoreditch twats' and most of them look about 12, but this is the kind of place that i really love to hate. I slag it off when I'm not there, as soon as i go i think "actually this place is great, so what if I'm a twat too". They have an impressive musical lineage and you can usually blag a LOT of free booze at the Vice parties that seem to happen almost weekly there. It's actually quite nice to sit and have a quiet late afternoon pint in here. I once saw Steve Jones of T4 fame flapping about in there one evening full of his own importance ordering a Fosters VERY loudly to ensure we all heard - hilarious. Go, hate, love, get drunk and it'll kind of make sense. read more

This place is like my second living room and I absolutely love the atmosphere, the smell, the staff, the gigs..I know it is a bit wanna be place to hang around presenting the whole scale of shoreditch fashion but somehow I have just grew into it and seem to find my self from there every weekend. The place is always busy and very loud: expect to find yourself wedged in a corner if live acts are playing, but that is part of the fun! The upstairs is a small but perfect venue for gigs and the small stage complete the picture. Also I have seen Mr. Jack White there so if that does not count for a authentic rock venue then what does? read more

been there recently during the magic waves festival. a very nice cosy pub with typical shoreditch audience. friendly warm atmosphere. you'll enjoy going there for a pint if you like the shoreditch area - if not you're better off in different pubs. read more