184 Hackney Road

It takes will and determination to find Hackney's hippest mezcal spot — but once you make it down those hidden steps, you're in for a night you'll never forget. 184 is intimate 00 a long room where you'll undoubtedly need to get your elbows out on a Friday or Saturday. And mezcal is, shall we say, not for everyone. Fermented from agave, it's got the lingering punch of tequila with a cumin-like earthiness. But once you've settled in, come to terms with the spirit on show, and started mingling with the graphic designers and artesanal brewers you're bound meet, you'll realize that there's nowhere you'd rather be on a weekend night out in the East End. It's a little taste of Mesoamerica an ocean away, and the prices make it worth the (somewhat epic) journey.