Feel XO-nerated upstairs at XOYO
Spots and stripes at XO
Added to the current trend for gallery/café/bar-at-nights is XO, which opened on Thursday (29 March) to the sounds of Andrew Weatherall and Raf Daddy.
Having a somewhat empty gallery room upstairs, and a crowded club in the high-ceiling basement, the team behind XOYO decided to use the empty space and open new cultural hub, XO. For five nights a week you can now enjoy comedy, arts, film and live music, whilst enjoying one of XO’s bespoke drinks.
With just a minute’s walk from Old Street Station, it’s easy enough to find. XO really feels more like a gallery room than a bar whilst the window shutters are still open. The DJ booth next to the bar counter doesn’t change that impression. But once night falls, the staff close the shutters to the floor-to-ceiling windows, transforming the place into a proper bar.
The interior, designed by East London creative Camille Walala, seems somewhat circus-inspired, with geometric prints and black and white stripes painted all over the place. The real circus feeling however, sets in when eating the extremely delicious White Chocolate Popcorn – a nice nibble with a perfect balance between sweet and salty that makes you forget all about real food. Quite dangerous when having a couple of drinks.
At £7 a cocktail, you’d be advised to choose carefully. Their XO Royale – prosecco mixed with blackcurrant and pommerac – is worth trying, as is the fruity cocktail Passiflora. They also serve beer from London breweries.
Don’t be worried about finding someplace to sit – XO has recognised the no-seats-problem in XOYO, and offers many chairs and couches, both by the bar and on the floor. And before it gets dark, it’s quite nice to have a drink and sit down by one of the round tables next to one of the two windows.
But the real fun starts later in the evening. XO is the perfect place to mingle – and the worst place for a first date. The open space in front of the long bar counter fills up easily, and the music – mostly electronic – gives the atmosphere that extra tastiness, but without intruding conversations.
XO is quite a small venue, and is a great bar to start your evening, with decent cocktails and good opportunities to mingle. And with XOYO in the basement, the opening of XO was indeed a necessary step.
XO
32-37 Cowper Street
EC2A 4AW
020 7490 1198