East London runs the latest and cares the least. Shoreditch is the front door — Old Street, Rivington Street, Curtain Road — and behind it Dalston, Hackney and Bethnal Green carry the part of the night that everywhere else has stopped serving.
It is also the area where knowing what is on matters most, because the good nights move around. Realtime shows live activity from venues across the east so you can follow it.
A selection of venues on the Realtime map. Open the app to see which are busy tonight.
Bar
"Swift Shoreditch is open from 3pm each day, serving the finest cocktails in Shoreditch. Part of the iconic and award-wining Swift Bars, we take a mixture of walk-ins and bookings right across the bar."
91-93 Great Eastern Street, Hackney, London, EC2A 3HZ, United Kingdom
Bar
A 1940s post office-themed cocktail bar, nestled within London’s Borough Yards! Delivering first-class cocktails, suspicious mail activity and ‘High Spirits, Scoundrels & Swing’
18 Stoney Street, Southwark, London, SE1 9AD, United Kingdom
Bar
"Tonight Josephine Shoreditch is the ultimate party haven, with feathered pink ceilings, sassy interiors, and unrivalled late-night vibes."
39a Hoxton Square, Hackney, London, N1 6NN, United Kingdom
Bar
Experience breathtaking views at Sabine, a top choice among rooftop bars in the City of London. Enjoy cocktails at a stylish rooftop bar near St Paul's. Sabine also offers a laid-back escape where the skyline meets culinary delights, premium pours and soulful soundscapes with live music Thursday-Saturdays from celebrity DJ Munro. Sip, dine, and unwind in a rooftop designed for elevated nights for those who know how to live in the moment.
10 Godliman Street, City of London, London, EC4V 5AJ, United Kingdom
Shoreditch is dense, walkable and permanently busy from Thursday onward. The streets around Old Street roundabout and down towards Redchurch Street cover everything — cocktail bars, taprooms, big late venues and a strong run of pubs that predate all of it.
It is the easiest east London night to plan because you do not have to: get to Old Street or Liverpool Street and walk.
Dalston is where the night goes after Shoreditch closes. Kingsland Road holds a long run of bars and late venues, and the Overground makes it far more reachable than its reputation suggests.
Hackney Central, London Fields and Broadway Market are the more relaxed version — pubs, beer gardens and the best Saturday daytime in east London.
Bethnal Green and Cambridge Heath have picked up a solid arch-and-warehouse scene, and Hackney Wick sits at the far end of it with the most committed late nights in the city.
The trade-off is transport: plan the way home before you commit, or accept the night bus.
Pub
235 Victoria Park Road, Hackney, London, E9 7BT, United Kingdom
Bar
28 King William Street, City of London, London, EC4R 9AT, United Kingdom
Pub
31 Leman Street, Tower Hamlets, London, E1 8PT, United Kingdom
Bar
26 Osborn Street, Tower Hamlets, London, E1 6TD, United Kingdom
Pub
19 Great James Street, Camden, London, WC1N 3ES, United Kingdom
Pub
27 Minories, City of London, London, EC3N 1DE, United Kingdom
Pub
76 Broadway Market, Hackney, London, E8 4QJ, United Kingdom
Pub
28 Holywell Row, Hackney, London, EC2A 4JB, United Kingdom
Tap room
SE1 1XU, London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Pub
34 Redchurch Street, Tower Hamlets, London, E2 7DP, United Kingdom
Pub
2 Sylvester Path, Hackney, London, E8 1EN, United Kingdom
Pub
Whitefriars Street, City of London, London, EC4Y 8JJ, United Kingdom
Shoreditch is the busiest and easiest to reach, Dalston runs latest along Kingsland Road, and Hackney and London Fields are best for pubs and daytime drinking.
East London has the latest licences in the city. Venues in Dalston and Hackney Wick regularly run into the early hours, considerably later than central London.
Realtime maps live activity from venues across Shoreditch, Dalston, Hackney and Bethnal Green so you can see where the night has moved to. It is free on iOS and Android.
