Bluu

Pretty lampshades, pretty sexy pin-up ladies adorning the walls & menus, & a pretty middle-of-the-road slant define this Hoxton Square hang-out, once home to the Blue Note jazz club. The Bluu bars (there are three others, in London, Manchester & Birmingham) are now owned by Marston’s, which also runs the Pitcher & Piano group. The focus is on crowd pleasing, hence the extensive menu is rather dull, with the usual mezze-type titbits (chicken & chorizo skewers, olives & feta, lamb koftas), sharing platters & burgers alongside sandwiches, salads & ‘kitchen classics’ such as fish & chips. The drinks list is perky though, with inexpensive cocktails aplenty, including house specials like A Hazy View (white wine, grapes, pear, lychee liqueur & vodka). Duvel, Erdinger Weissbräu & Innis & Gunn are among the many good bottled beers.