It’s surely a recession indicator how much London has fallen in love with the concept of the ‘dive bar’ of late. Last year saw the opening of Rasputin’s, a dimly lit Mare Street spot just a few doors down from OG east London dive Helgi’s. Opened by the gang behind Dom’s Subs, it quickly made a name for itself with its £12 ‘Reaganomics Special’ – a martini and two hot dogs – which patrons order from a bar decorated with all manner of bric-a-brac and retro TVs playing schlocky B movies. Then MeatLiquor got in on the act with Bloodsports, a Covent Garden sports bar that’s open ‘til 2am , has both a pool table and karaoke machine, screens every sporting fixture you could ask for alongside classic horror films, and offers an ‘Austerity Measure’ boilermaker – i.e. a tinnie of Carlsberg and an American-sized shot of bourbon – on its sizeable drinks menu.
The latest place to capture the hearts of London’s thrift-conscious, Americana-loving booze hounds is this poky joint opened by the same people as vegan Sichuanese restaurant Facing Heaven. Also found on Hackney’s Mare Street – Hackney Central is London’s answer to the Lower East Side at this point – Easy 8 is replete with classic ‘dive bar’ signifiers; think fairy lights, wood-panelled walls, a confusing array of wall decor encompassing both a Scully and Mulder poster and a framed Sacred Heart of Jesus picture, liberally tagged loos and eerie red lighting reminiscent of a David Lynch movie.
Order this
The menu is short and sweet, featuring seven (more or less) classic cocktails for £10-11 a pop, cans of PBR and bottles of Modelo, plus the obligatory dive bar classics of a beer and shot combo for £8, and picklebacks for £6. Don’t leave without trying the michelada, a dangerously drinkable concoction featuring Clamato juice, several dashes of Tajin hot sauce, a good glug of soy sauce and a Modelo beer served half-poured into the glass. Just the right balance of zing, saltiness and umami, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one in Downtown LA.
Time Out tip
Open Tuesday to Saturday, we recommend going on a Thursday. Easy 8 has been around since 2023, but only started making waves recently, due in part to its Thursday night taco pop-up, where patrons can line their stomachs with LA-style tacos for £2, before taking advantage of a 2 for 1 drinks offer. It doesn’t get more cheap and cheerful in this part of town.