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If you asked a millennial about their favourite clubs in London, they might be likely to say somewhere like fabric, Inferno’s or Drumsheds.
But where are the Gen Zs going out?
Because despite what headlines might say about the generation born between 2012 and 1997 being sober party-poopers, they do in fact go out. And London has plenty on offer when it comes to nightlife – it’s why Gen Zs voted the Big Smoke as the UK’s second-best city for under 30s in a recent Time Out survey, thanks to the city’s amazing cultural, food and nightlife offering.
To find out exactly what the kids are up to these days, we needed to speak to a Gen Z Londoner who knows their stuff. We asked Anish Kumar, a 26-year-old DJ and producer who lives in London, to recommend the city’s best nights out. Here’s what he said.
1. The Lion & Lamb, Hoxton
What is it? An intimate club for audiophiles hidden inside an unassuming flat roof pub.
Why Anish loves it? ‘This one is super local to me in Hoxton, and it’s somewhere I discovered soon after moving to London last year. It’s a pub that just happens to have one of the finest soundsystems for a venue its size. They always have really good selectors coming through playing vinyl. There tends to be a really friendly crowd here too.’
46 Fanshaw Street, N1 6LG
2. All My Friends, Hackney Wick
What is it? A plant-laden casual bar-slash-pizza-joint-slash-record-shop with a late licence on weekends, run by the people behind the Cause.
Why Anish loves it? ‘Such a lovely spot in Hackney Wick. What I love about it is the real mix of people coming through, you have people with their dogs and their children, which you don’t see often in music-focused venues. The programming is super variable in sound but of course I have to recommend coming down to the Sunday Sessions, which are the laidback afternoon sessions I host here on the first Sunday of every month haha.’
96 White Post Lane, E9 5EN
3. Moth Club, Hackney
What is it? A legendary indie gig venue famous for its glittery gold ceiling.
Why Anish loves it? ‘Another one just down the road for me, I had the pleasure of seeing Dar Disku play with their eight-piece live band there most recently. It’s a super indie music and comedy venue that’s a real hallmark of the area, having been an ex-servicemen’s club since 1972. The venue is facing threats to its future operations due to recent planning proposals immediately adjacent to it. It would be amazing if people would sign the petition to help protect the local venue as it is a cornerstone of the community here in Hackney.’
Valette Street, E9 6NU
4. Phonox, Brixton
What is it? A single-room club with a banging sound system and one of London’s best disco balls.
Why Anish loves it? ‘I love the nature of a single room, you’re either in or you’re out. The music is always killer here and the residencies (which have been headed up by Ross From Friends, Hunee and Peach) are famous. I had the pleasure of joining my friend Sofia Kourtesis most recently here for her takeover along with Kornel Kovacs. The crowd is young and friendly and it gets really packed out.’
418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY
5. Village Underground, Shoreditch
What is it? One of London’s most atmospheric venues, with a capacity for 700 punters underneath some cavernous railway arches.
Why Anish loves it? ‘I came here for the first time for an afterparty for Dialled In Festival, an event celebrating South Asian artistry. This festival was the first time I had ever played out in London and the afterparty at Village Underground was the first time I ever heard one of my own tracks getting played out by a DJ. Who was the DJ you ask? It was Four Tet! I remember rushing to the front of the crowd in a stupor. That feeling doesn’t really go away over the years. It’s a really fun venue.’
54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ
Time Out’s guide to the best clubs in London.
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