jon0's Qype profile

The Purple Turtle is a great live music venue. Only ever been there for that purpose so couldn't comment on club nights or general bar fly activity.

It has a grubby rock and roll feel to it that makes you want to play air guitar and stick your crotch out.

The drinks are average London pub priced which is better than some music venues that go for the jugular once you've got a stamp on your wrist.

A quick mention on the in-house sound engineer and equipment. We played a gig here recently and the sound man took a very professional interest in ensuring we sounded the nuts and mic'd our amps and drums up sweetly. The PA was strong enough to strip paint and the lighting made me feel like a rock god.

So in short- if you're heading here to listen to live music expect big sound!

Rich Mix is a community arts centre first and cinema second. Public and corporate funded and a very innovative social enterprise. They have a great roster of events such as comedy nights, jazz evenings, gigs etc. There is also a cool cinema that shows both the blockbusters and 'worldly’ movies, a cool cafe/bar area with free WiFi and a great East End feel. Situated near to Brick Lane on Bethnal Green road it is easy to get to and in one of the hippest parts of town.

If you live in the area you’d do well to sign up to their newsletter to be kept up-to-date on events planned.

aaaaaahhhhhhh…. Maghreb. What can I say? Perhaps I have a somewhat biased opinion on this fine establishment- both times I’ve been I’ve seen the world through rose tinted glasses.

I found Maghreb online whilst frantically (very last minute) trying to book a table for two for a first date in Islington. We went there again for our anniversary and again the food, atmosphere and especially the service were all top notch. The prices are reasonable and you’ll probably feel the waitress deserves a good tip. It’s quiet and you don’t have to shout to be heard. They make a seriously good lamb tajine- served in an authentic clay tajines.

So both times I’ve been it was for a romantic candle-lit dinner. I can recommend it highly for this purpose, but I can just as easily imagine it as a restaurant for a dinner party. Just beware all the cupid arrows flying around the place.

Lallibella is amazing. Going there with a group of friends is an event not just dinner. Downstairs is a tiny bar, a few tables and the washrooms but most of the seating is upstairs. Try get a table upstairs if you can. I found it is always quite busy in here, the atmosphere is amazing and so is the decor.

You sit on cusions on the floor and eat with your hands. The sour dough ‘pancakes’ you eat the food with is addictive. The food really is amazing and must be tried. You’ll want to wash your tube hands before you eat though -- no cutlery needed here.

You finish your scrumptous meal off with a thimble full of freshly ground sweet ethiopian coffee which returns the swagger to your hips.

Look , let’s get this straight. You don’t want to bring your date here to impress. Rather, this is the place you come to if you’re feeling nostalgic and want to get your drink on like you did at Uni. A massive varsity campus sits opposite on Regent’s canal so the place is usually full of students drinking beer and alco-pops and eating really cheap (yet tasty) pub food which some of them might then unceremoniously deposit outside on the pavement.

It sits on Mile End road spitting distance from Regents Canal so an exit can be made swiftly if needed - especially if you happen to have a kayak stashed nearby.

I reckon it would get pretty rowdy in here on a Friday night. Not tried that yet, (back problems you see) - but did stop by one afternoon en route to Roman Road and was pleasantly surprised by the friendly staff, cheap and cold beer and tasty baguette that cost a whopping £3.50.

I ended up staying for a second - or was it third(?) pint.

I like Coffee@ Brick Lane - free WiFi with your cup of fairtrade java, sofas so deep they can cause back injury attempting to get up, Nick Cave belting in the background, arty types reading the Financial Times and City types reading Vibe Bar jazz show brochures.

Coffee junkies get your fix here.. And don’t worry if you’re accompanied by any of those ’’ooohh I don’t drink coffee’’ types, they serve some pretty good organic juice too.

The sign on the wall says it all - ’’Arrive Happy - Leave Edgy’’ - exactly what I did and do whenever I’m in Brick Lane before 5pm- after which the caffeine fairy turns into a pumpkin.

I enjoy this area very much too and luckily stay just down the road. Its great for long walks when the weather is good and you can also pop in to Fat Cat's at Bow Wharf for a beer.

The way I normally get to the canal is from White Post Lane. Although they've closed the road/bridge to traffic, due to the Olympic development, you can still access the canals by foot.

As a matter of interest, two of the pieces you put pictures up of were done by a local artist called Mantis. The one is the bird seeing a vulture as his reflection and the other is the one of Ronald McDonald eating a human. there wasn't the question mark on mcdonalds head before- that's new. Its in pink so might have been SweetToof?