The Lexington Review

Best for: Bourbon; Live Music; Alternative Bands.

Great: American beers; Indie Bar.

Music venues were once dark, dank pits with a sound system, serving plastic glasses of flat lager. An ever-present fug of narcotic smoke made it hard to distinguish gender and resulted in many a gangly newcomer accidentally putting the moves on long-haired Iron Maiden fans, down from the Midlands.

Countless pairs of Dr Martens would grip the layer-upon-layer of semi-dried-on Strongbow that coated the floor like lacquer, while the sweat of lusty teenagers accumulated and dripped down from the ceilings and walls. The toilets were a cocktail of all the essential bodily fluids, and some solids, accompanied by one poor sap, who, overwhelmed, had sought refuge by floating face-down in the effluent.

Music has changed a lot and, thankfully, become a much more sanitised affair. Most music fans need not venture beyond their front door to seek out the latest talent. Instead you flick on your computer and search the web for a couple of hours. Music today doesn’t even require you to so much as put on a pair of trousers. Today’s music experience is completely devoid of any sort of hardship and music venues are beginning to reflect this.

Recently I ventured down to The Lexington on the Pentonville Road, a plectrum’s throw from the Angel Islington. My companion was Ready (that’s his name, not his state of being); an ageing guitarist and a leading light on the Walthamstow music scene circa early noughties.

The Lexington is a world away from music venues of the past. Smartly turned out, with a menu to match, it manages to be both a fully-functioning live music venue showcasing the latest in alternative music, and a pub where you could happily spend the afternoon leisurely perusing the NME.

The main bar was, at heart, an old fashioned London boozer that someone had decided to paper over with half-hearted Americana. Similarly, the menu offered 54 different bourbons (ranging from £3.40 - £55) and a selection of wonderfully named American beers. Clearly, modern live music venues are best when they are a bit American. Ready and I ordered ourselves two Goose Island Honkers and took a seat.

Needing to line our stomachs before we went all Keith Moon on the bourbon selection, we decided to tuck into some food too. It would seem in its bid to conquer starters the world over, Balsamic Dip has now made it over the Mason-Dixon Line. At least The Lexington seemed to think so. Ready was sucked in, and later disappointed, by this invasive condiment, accompanied by some pitta bread (who wouldn’t be?).

I was busy eyeing-up the burgers and opted for The Lexington, a tasty number on par with the gourmet burgers you’d find at your local gastro-pub. The chips, though, were excellent and of some comfort to Ready when the Balsamic Dip reappeared on the salad accompanying his slow roasted chicken.

Right, time for the bourbon. After studying the menu for a good ten minutes in a manner that suggested we knew what we were doing, I manfully strode to the bar and ordered a shot of Four Roses Single Barrel, and a Yellowstone, straight-up. Walking back to the table, I chanced a dismissive look at a table of students. My look said, “You leave the hard drinking to us grown-ups, electro-boy.” I took one sip, barely even that, and made a face like a two year old eating an olive. By the end of the glass I’d managed to get a grip on the more obvious involuntary reactions and less manfully went and ordered two more, but this time with ice.

We popped our head in upstairs to find a small music venue that could comfortably fit around 100 people. Most nights, The Lexington plays host to a selection of undiscovered musical talent, serving up an eclectic mix including the latest in ska, rock, punk, electro, soul and some genres that my ageing ears have yet to encounter (Play Pop?). Thankfully, the band that night didn’t have much of a following. However, there were enough supportive parents and enthusiastic friends to ensure it wasn’t too obvious when we slinked out twenty-five minutes later.

Maybe ten years ago we would have stuck it out until closing (2am in the week, 4am on Friday and Saturday) and gone to work the following day complete with hangovers and boyish enthusiasm for the band we discovered last night. These days we get more excited by really nice chips.

...read more

Patrick Evenden 12 Dec 2011

Customer Reviews for The Lexington

Average (based on 2 votes): 2 Atmosphere: Value: Quality:

The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of The Lexington.

“The lexington is, overall, a pretty big music venue holding about 250 upstairs and seating about 100 in the main bar, and the quality of sound and bands is exceptional. Great food for a music venue and an amazing selection of beers and not forgetting they are open late every night!!”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
damien, holloway (1 years 6 months 5 days ago)

“Went to a night in Jan called marmalade to see The Munroes and it turned out that the main act was Sham69 onstage with The Prodigy and The Towers Of London! Didn't see that coming, absolute genius night. There were loads of bands on but the only other 1 I remember was The Blaggers cos the lead singer had a executioners mask on! Bloody brilliant.”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
Michael McKeown, London (5 years 3 months 7 days ago)

Additional Information

• Cuisine Type: Bar
• Average Price: £11.00
• Dress Code: Not Specified
• Group: (Independent/Freehouse)