Macbeth, Hoxton  

Location, as estate agents bore us by repeating, is everything. However, these days everywhere is a 'location': few areas remain undiscovered, rough neighbourhoods are usually 'up and coming'. In the case of Macbeth, this geezerish local was once in an area where Hoxtonites never ventured. But as the 'grit' that once characterised the area recedes into the huge housing estates, the Macbeth has transformed itself into a hangout for impossibly young people in tight jeans. They come for the live music, DJs and album launches which fill up plenty of late nights here. The clientele has shifted, but the décor is unchanged from its former life - the remains of some fantastic Victorian tiling (illustrating scenes from the above play) sit at odds with a 1970s stone cladding refurb. Its likely that the older locals still come here during the day, but on our evening visit only a few of them were still present at the bar, as a lively crowd whirled around them. They may live nearby, but its not the local they remember anymore: Macbeth has sold its soul to a trendy devil.

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