Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 19/06/2026 20:29:00

Built in the early nineteenth century on Curtain Road in Shoreditch, the Horse & Groom is an East London pub that has become widely known as the area's original disco pub. By day it operates as a traditional East End tavern, and by night it transforms into one of the neighbourhood's most respected dance-music spots, blending the character of an old boozer with the energy of an intimate club. It has built that reputation since the current operation opened its doors in 2007. The building carries a remarkable piece of theatrical history. In 2012 it was recognised as standing on the site of the original entrance to Shakespeare's Curtain Theatre, where works such as Romeo and Juliet and Henry V are believed to have been performed, and archaeologists suggest a portion of the long-lost playhouse still survives beneath the area. This heritage helped protect the venue, and a museum dedicated to the theatre has been planned nearby. As a pub, the Horse & Groom keeps a traditional offer, pouring classic and craft beers and ales alongside cocktails and premium drinks, with food from its kitchen and US-style street-food specials. The atmosphere during the day is relaxed and unpretentious, in keeping with its role as a local, before the focus shifts firmly towards music as the evening goes on. After dark, the pub's two compact dance floors, including a tiny upstairs room, fill with crowds dancing to house, funk, garage and rare groove. Thanks to a quality sound system and strong programming, it has hosted some of dance music's most respected names, with DJs such as Dimitri From Paris, Greg Wilson and Todd Terje appearing, and a late licence keeping the party going into the early hours. This combination of pub-clubbing, historic significance and credible bookings has made the Horse & Groom a distinctive fixture of Shoreditch nightlife. Affordable, characterful and rooted in the area's creative spirit, it continues to keep this corner of East London drinking and dancing, just as it has done for well over a decade.