Londoners Magazine

“You know, this is a great venue for a date,” said my male companion, eyeballing me speculatively. “Hmmm…” I thought. “He does have a point.” I turned my eyes back down to my rockabilly bingo card.

Although named after a song by London’s premier goth rockers, the New Rose is more a haunt for the beautiful than The Damned. Its red walls give it an air of romance and the dim lighting from tea candles and fairy lights add to its seductive charm.

Even a cheap date couldn’t argue with the prices. A pint of the ever-present London Pride sets you back £3; a large glass of drinkable house red is £3.70. Pizzas come in at around £6.50. On Tuesdays they’re two-for-one.

If you can tear your eyes off each other, entertainment is provided free of charge most nights. On the last Thursday of each month Deejay Wheelie Bag is in residence playing 60s R ‘n’ B. He plays from a sound system which is within an old woman’s shopping trolley on wheels. His quizzes, including rockabilly bingo, are free to enter and have the added edge-of-your-wooden-seat excitement of winning a prize from the Dalston pound shop.

This is the perfect pub in which to impress a prospective partner. My companion for the night? No, really, we’re just good friends.