The Light Bar & Restaurant

I have visited the Light Bar many times & I have had a positive experience each time I have been. It is a cool hang out for quiet drinks during the early afternoon or for the busy club events which they hold from time to time. My only critism is that the drinks prices are quite expenssive.

This place shouldd be good but somehow just misses the mark. There's a small restaurant downstairs and a trendy wine bar area filled with city types gluggling down huge glasses of wine. food in the restaurant was strong - had salmon and some green veg that looked a bit like seaweed. staff werre attentive but the place remained pretty quiet all night.

When did people start serving large glasses as standard?

As Jess' partner in crime a few weeks ago, it really annoyed me when we weren't asked if we wanted small or large glasses of wine. We were on our way to another party - I didn't particularly want a goldfish bowl of wine in me before we got there. But, they make more money by not asking and that irked me. The barmaid would have swapped the drinks, but I bet she's been told not to ask and that gets my goat.

I liked the outside bit of this bar, but after coming back on Friday last week, I promptly left. The inside is just horrible. Awful load music and overpriced drinks. The cusp of the city/Shoreditch is always strange - you basically get suits who think they're cooler than they are.

It's safe to say if I'm in here again, it wasn't my idea.

It's a decent use of space here - the building is impressive and a half, and there's plenty of room to sit, lean and be merry with lots of friends in a semi-industrial-chic environment.

Drinks are the usual fare to expect from an after-work bar, however, be careful when ordering 'wine'. You won't get asked what size you want. Luckily, I'm open minded enough to be happy drinking large glasses of wine without a second thought (indeed, might not have noticed if my partner in crime hadn't pointed it out). This is more than sneaky - I daresay they would actually take it back if you asked - but not a lot of us british lot would actually say something, would we now? Ruthless on the trading floor, useless at the bar...

The Light was time ago a light power station, meaning there are high ceilings, industrial aspect and some elements that show its previous function. Now it is a smart, nice, well decorated place, with a very good selection of drinks (much more than average) and a restaurant. They have special courses for lunch that are not as expensive as the regular menu. Upstairs there is another club, so if you want to go there you have to buy a new drink. The beer garden it’s all right, no trees or anything, just some tables for enjoying the sun when possible.

Really nice bar in Shoreditch. Great location very close to Liverpool Street, near the city so useful for meeting people after work. Light Bar is in a listed building and is in danger of closing down to make way for a car park, so would really value people’s support at the moment.

Very, very quiet in the day, tends to get very busy after working hours, particularly friday. Decor is very simple and clean. Nice outside seating area, with quite a lot of tables and an area under a canopy and with heaters for the bad weather. Not tried the food, but it is available. Drinks fairly standard price for London.

Ended up watching/celebrating the US elections at the Light -- not a bad place, just not much going on for it either. It’s huge and has a nice outdoor space but the interior doesn’t have much in terms of decor; it’s all very simple. Not sure what the regular crowd here is like, but could be a fun venue if you had loads of people with you.

A great venue for a summer party. A massive courtyard area with plenty of tables (perfect for when the sun's out) and a big big space indoors.

Being right on the edge of the city and shoreditch I can imagine this place has its fair share of annoying clientèle, but if you have a ton of people to entertain then i can think of a lot worse places to throw a big bash.

(had to include the video of Qype Team member CaribQueen doing the vodka luge...had to!).

Went to the T3 summer party here last night and had lots of fun. I think my star rating is somewhat skewed by the fact that the booze was free and there was a giant hog roast cooking away in the corner, but all in all this is a decent venue and perhaps a good place for a future Al Fresco Qype party! The outdoor space itself is pretty massive and can easily accommodate 2-300 people. Lots of picnic tables and low walls, so definitely no shortage of seating. Inside seemed a bit bland and i’m told that upstairs kicks off at the weekend (didn’t see it last night).

If i’m back in Shorditch any time soon, i may drop by again.

I have been in this cosy place twice, and it was both for Secretsundaze, so I could not say how it is in standard days. Anytime i peek from outside the fence I can see a bunch of suits on fridays and they seem very happy so I can conclude this is a great place for a swift one after work.
The courtyard is massive, so don’t worry if you are in a big group. Inside the pub there is also loads of room, and I quite like the decor pretty straightforward as far as I remember.
I recall being shocked about the prices, fairly cheap, but who knows how it is in normal days.
In short, The light is an option for courtyard for a Brick lane evening you may not be considering. When 1001 and Vibe are impossible you may still have an al fresco chance if you can come close to The light.

Do not pay to go upstairs – its awful even worse than downstairs which is saying something ! It is full of suits – if you are a girl and reasonably attractive then you will be plied with free drinks which you will need if you are here!

The City of London is trying to rip down the building to build more office blocks. If you go there please sign the petition to save the Light.
Its a great place to have a pint and some food, the terrace is great even doe they dont open it too often, but the terrace is also very nice on a sunny day. Best party the have is when secret Sunday is playing , usually on a Sunday:)

You can try and get in here on a Friday night along with the rest of London’s workers, because from knock off time to about nine/ten o’clock the place is packed, including the beer garden in the front.

The entrance is not easily visible from the road. Walking from Liverpool St Station towards Shoreditch the bar is on the left through large gates that lead into the garden. The bar entrance is on the right.

Later in the night the bar empties and the music is simply not as good, but the prices remain fair. It’s also a place that has many of the best Djs working the music, and the staff are friendly and happy to help.

This place is awesome. It’s in the heart of Shoreditch so bang in the centre of the coolest area in London. It’s about 10 minutes walk from Liverpool street and easily reached by a number of buses. This place is a revamped warehouse. There are 2 or 3 floors. The main bar area is on the ground floor and consists of a massive trendy room with leather sofas, high ceilings and hip high tables and stools. Just outside this area there is a lovely green area where people gather to smoke and chill outside sitting along the wall in the garden away from the noisy high street. The top floor of this place is magical: indoors there is another vast room (although not as big as downstairs!) with a similar sort of vibe as downstairs, perhaps a little bit darker and soulier. If you want some fresh air, be sure to step outside onto the terrace where you will feel you have set foot in New York. You are surrounded by the city’s skyscrapers and shimmering lights and it’s not often in London you get such urban views from up top. Definitely recommend this bar any day of the week!

The Light is in a good location and building is very nice with high ceilings. It’s a great choice for lunch, the bar menu offer delicious food which I highly recommended, and you can sit in the main section made up of comfy leather sofas and wooden benches. They also have a proper restaurant section for proper meals and a different menu which is so-so. I personally wouldn’t recommend coming here in the evening, it use to have a great after work vibe, but has since turned very pretentious and unfriendly.