Pure Groove Records

Serial Luddite that I am, I still hanker for the days when record shops survived solely through the sales of records. Vinyl ones. Sadly, in the name of progress, times change and if you don't adapt, you die (not to be over-dramatic or anything).

Pure Groove have adapted admirably and this Smithfield location is now far more renown as a venue than owt else. It's intimate, with a great selection of drinks, snacks and coffee and a good place to come and suck up some of their WiFi if you can work to a pulsating soundtrack of music. I can't, so I tend to frequent their nifty little spot in the evenings only.

Keep an eye out for some of the club nights that they host and a regular, and pretty top-notch, stream of in-store band performances.

Pure Groove is a friendly, intimate space that feels more like a cafe than a record shop. In addition to selling music and related photos, the bar offers a good selection of beers, spirits and coffees. When I was there last, they even had cakes from a local bakery.

I discovered Pure Groove while hunting for free music in London. Make sure you check their In-Store events as often, you can find some gems performing in such an intimate space. It's a great place to spend an afternoon, checking out each record on display, sitting on the couch reading some books or grabbing a drink and watching a gig!

OK, this place is weird. It's not just a record shop, it's a little cafe which is why I found myself here earlier. I had a meeting in Smithfield market and walked past spotting the all important free wi-fi sign. And they do indeed have free wi-fi.

They also have some shocking choice in music. There's nothing good about trance music. Especially not on a Monday morning. Ouch. The music changed from trance to ska and even a little bit of Muse, but it was loud and obtrusive. But then, what did I expect from a cafe that's also a record shop? They've got a blackboard with "bands to watch" on which was a nice touch - good choice in music on there, too. Although they weren't playing any of that stuff.

But I liked that latte. In fact, it was one of the best lattes I've had in London. The fact that it was only £1.80 surprised me too (so did the 50p surcharge for paying on my card). I even got a little Green & Blacks chocolate on my saucer.

If you like your music loud and your wi-fi reliable, come here. I prefer my tunes to be a little less annoying. Especially on a Monday morning.

This store recently re-opened with a fresh approach to running a record shop. The store only sells 100 items of music which are displayed on the back wall of the shop. While this isn’t a lot, what they have there is great and it means that you can take in all their recommendations. All the items have a little description so you can see whether it sounds like something you will like which is a great way of finding out about new music. The store also has a selection of other items on sale such as clothing and books and frequently has in store performances from some of the best up and coming artists around.