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Proving that nowhere in Shoreditch is safe from #gentrification, the Old Street Magistrates’ Court and Police Station has been transformed into a second branch of the Courthouse Hotel complete with an indoor pool, bowling alley, cinema, restaurant and bar. And boy have they run with the jailhouse theme in the hotel’s bar.
The walls are lined with bizarre paintings of famous figures imagined behind bars – from the Mona Lisa to Darth Vader. The old cells have been transformed into shiny silver booths and the cocktails have prison-themed names like Chokey and Solitary. It all feels a bit tacky, but if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. So I opt for the most OTT drink – a Toblerone martini with Frangelico, Kahlua and cacao that basically tastes like Baileys. The R&R, a mix of Mandarine Napoleon (a Belgian liqueur made from cognac and tangerine), rum and ginger beer, is better but not hugely flavoursome.
It was eerily quiet on a Friday night – but with so many rival boozers in the surrounding locale, perhaps a night in the clink wasn’t quite as tempting.