The Social

Born from legendary ’90s club night the Heavenly Sunday Social and smack bang in the centre of the West End, The Social is a modern day speakeasy and home-from-home local. Open and fiercely independent for twenty three years, The Social is one of the last bastions of free-thinking fringe culture for the capital’s open-minded drinkers, keen listeners and late night thinkers.

The Social took stock during the pandemic and completely redesigned and rebuilt the downstairs venue in order to suit what goes on in there. It now stands in a class of its own as one of the very best places to lose a night in the UK, whether at a frenetic whites-of-the-eyes live show, a brain feeding literary event or a packed out electronic club night. Over the years, The Social has played host to everyone from the Chemical Brothers to Caitlin Moran, Four Tet, Kae Tempest, Jack White, Flying Lotus, Fat White Family, Fatboy Slim, Beck, Erol Alkan, the Avalanches, Andrew Weatherall, Michael Kiwanuka, the Charlatans, Aphex Twin and Lily Allen (to name a few). Many have made the journey back to the basement several times on account of the genuinely familial atmosphere created by the spirited souls of the team that work there.

The Social remains a hole-in-the-wall, a best kept secret where you can turn up on your own, but never feel alone. An architectural oddity designed by Will Russell and David Adjaye, it’s a place where countless weekends still get lost, sometimes as early as Monday night. Long may that continue.