Bars & Pubs

Tucked down a Bethnal Green side street, this East End working men's club has been responsible for the whole burlesque and variety show explosion. It might look like Phoenix Nights, with grotty carpets and a cheap as chips bar, but the line-up is inimitable. Lucha Britannia, with its Mexican wrestlers and German nurses, is held one Thursday a month, and Whoopee presents Hip Hip, the essential burlesque try-out night, on the second Friday of the month – check the website for upcoming events, as the line-up changes frequently. Be warned, though: if you're not there by 9pm and dressed in your vintage best, you probably won't get in.

Time Out Bars, Pubs & Clubs Guide 2008/9