If you are ever walking along Hackney Road, frustrated that on one side Essex louts are bringing down the tone of Shoreditch and on the other side everywhere is shut, then stop at the Golden Grill a kebab shop opposite the delightful Mecca bingo. Because not only will you get polystyrene trays full of tasty meat but you will also be close to a local mezcal bar.
Although there are stairs down to MQ in the kebab shop, you need to leave your garlic sauce (or take it) and take the outside entrance downstairs into the bar for extra Mexico City style seediness. The cracked tiles and peeling wallpaper on the stairs wasn’t Shoreditch effect raggedness, it was more the never ever been done up effect. On my descent , I was very confused and nervous but on opening what I think I remember as being a white garden door, I was presented with an amazing dark and seedy (in a good way - actually, is there a bad way?) dive bar with decent music and a real life DJ.
Being as it was a mezcal bar I elected to get two double mezcals. When in Rome, do what could potentially make the Romans puke. Firstly the staff were amazingly kind enough to give me my mezcals for a few quid cheaper due to it being 1am and being cashless. Nice touch. They then gave us a cup of orange slices scattered with chilli flakes which you bit in to after each sip. That suggests you are meant to sip these dangerous drinks. However, my friend obviously tried to neck his double with disastrous results. The bar itself was busy but you could still get served quickly and the DJ was decent.
This place is a very safe option for a night out which will challenge the only other usual option of going to Efes for a second night in a row. The kebab is also obligatory on leaving, but alas they don't do fajitas or guac which is whack.
Oh, and bring chalk as the walls have blackboard paint on which to write expletives.
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