http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults Shunt Vaults - London, 20 Stainer Street, SE1 9RL, United Kingdom en http://cdn.trustedplaces.com/i/uploads/placepics/124396_9cb64a94.140.jpg http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/108156n
Review by CityCat

Rating: 5.00
Tags: underground, live
Damp, dark, eerie, low-lit caverns underground London Bridge.. Absolutely loved a recent night here. There were exhibitions set up in some rooms and live music too. It was so much fun to wander round! Can't recommend enough.]]> Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:33:51 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/108156n1711579524 CityCat underground live 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/119x37
Review by Yambo

Rating: 0.00
Tags:
Shunt]]> Mon, 25 May 2009 23:13:11 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/119x3743002218 Yambo 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/173sr7
Review by stantoncarlisle

Rating: 4.00
Tags:
Coming out of London Bridge Underground through the turnstiles into Joiner Street is a black door where you can leave the harried commuter faces behind. In The Portrait of Dorian Gray, Dorian enters an East Opium den with a dwarf at the entrance, a gateway to another world. The nondescript door at Shunt Vaults is like that. Inside, mobile phones don't work, the signal can't penetrate the vast arcs of concrete, brick and stone. The Outside world is placed in suspended animation - at least for a while. The entrance smells acrid in a mausoleum way, dusty and claustrophobic. The foul smell and dripping water continues along the candle-dotted corridor until you get to the huge inner chamber which opens out Lord of Rings fashion. It doesn't have the polished artificial gleam of CGI, its way more decrepit. With bars, movies screens and game rooms what you get is a cross between a squat artists collective and the Playboy mansion with a spoonful of hedonism, unpredictability, lots of space and the idea that more surprises lurk around the corner. The quality of events depends on the programmer and how organized they are. Which can be darn variable.They shipped in filmmaker Kenneth Anger, the great granddaddy of subversive film. Showed his films. Ran into technical difficulties, ran out of time and didn't give Hollywood Babylon Ken time to talk or answer questions. Bit of a waste - surely Kens rap would be more interesting than a video projection to any culture monger. That night was dogged by disorganization. No announcements that the film show was ready to roll - despite constant promises. Lots of venue changing and pushing & shoving by Latinos with lousy manners connected with the place. Be prepared - this gaff has Unisex toilets with no bolts on the cubicles. I don't mind girlies wanging in through the stall door when I'm having a piss but then I'm fairly easygoing. On the whole events and programming varies from the sublime to the toothless. A great place to know about. I'd get in there before it's totally taken over as the watering hole of banal arty airheads looking for Nathan Barley.]]> Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:01:30 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/173sr7527868147 stantoncarlisle 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1n5r77
Review by Lynth

Rating: 5.00
Tags:
I had a wkd time, the atmosphere was amazing, the company was brilliant and I got absolutly hammered!! Good times]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:20:41 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1n5r771317818027 Lynth 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1n7q57
Review by Brooklyn45

Rating: 4.00
Tags: friendly, mature, cool & smart, young professionals, underground
Not sure what the Shunt Vaults are like today. But, when we visited two years ago (to see a show called "Tropicana") the experience was terrific. Tropicana was the show and the main task (at least for us) was to find out how to get in. The entrance to the "show" was through a door in a wall (very well concealed) in the side of a tube station. Once we figured this out we were escorted through the entrance into what appeared to be the locker room for the tube employees. Then we went through a locker (no kidding) and entered into an area where we could order (and get) drinks through a rather small window. After that we went down an elevator to the "vaults". The rest of the evening was a mixture of completely dark (entirely) and then rather extraordinary props and characters. Overall it was a great evening. We would do it again in a heartbeat. And now that the UK pound is coming down from the stratosphere we may very well be in London in a few weeks. We always look forward to our return. We love the U.K. and can't wait to get back.]]> Sat, 15 Nov 2008 02:35:03 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1n7q572132512616 Brooklyn45 friendly mature cool & smart young professionals underground 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1g1h18
Review by gregwo

Rating: 5.00
Tags: relaxed, cool & smart, young and fun, underground, friendly
The Shunt Vaults have an atmosphere that can't be matched-- deep in the tunnels of London Bridge Shunt is making amazingly craetive work in the context of a members bar. It's a fantastic evening where you can enjoy some drinks and check out whatever is on offer that week to see-- bands performance art, theatre or a range of other things. The place has a great buzz about it and there's nothing that I know of like it around. The work they create there is so interesting and diverse, you'll always be in for something new every time you go!

Most definitely worth checking out!]]> Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:04:23 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1g1h182099666592 gregwo relaxed cool & smart young and fun underground friendly 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1q4ap8
Review by girlswear

Rating: 5.00
Tags: live music, late license, indie, cool & smart, live, electronica, young and fun, pool, underground, trendy, friendly, cool
This is one of my favourite places in London. The Shunt Vaults situated beneath the London Bridge, you can still feel the dampness and musty air of this Victorian vault.

No matter how often you visit, it's a different experience on it's own, mainly because each week is curated by a different artist including art, performance art, dance, live band and DJs. Permanent area includes a small pinball arcade and pool. You can go into different rooms with different things happening, or find that secret vault with your friends. Shunt is a MUST experience if you've never been, and you'll be addicted.

£5 entry for Wednesdays and Thursdays, £10 for weekends. There are seasonal passes available for sale which allows you and one guest to get in, no queue. Entry stops at midnight but there is late license inside the place. On weekends, I highly suggest to go early as by 10pm, the queue is impossible. Besides, if you go earlier, there are more chances you can get free tickets to participate in some of the installations or performances.

Also, ideal for dates! Especially when your date is going well, can sneak into one of those secret vaults for a snog. Having said that, on their website's FAQ, they do mentioned no sex is allowed anywhere in the facility :P

One last thing ⬠MUST BRING PHOTO ID! NO ID, NO ENTRY!]]> Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:11:43 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1q4ap8195503188 girlswear live music late license indie cool & smart live electronica young and fun pool underground trendy friendly cool 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1q9ac7
Review by chrisp

Rating: 5.00
Tags: trendy, cool & smart, young professionals, glamorous, young and fun, students, sexy
An extraordinary place, like stepping into a Jack-the-Ripper film set, only with alcohol and burlesque dancers. Set in a good acre of sooty disused railway arches and long-forgotten brick vaults underneath London Bridge station, Shunt is a completely unique experience and well worth the effort finding it (it's almost invisible from the outside). Drinks may be nothing special, and they didn't even serve food as far as I could tell, but you can have hours of fun just wandering through the grimy urban spaces, hiding in the shadows or dancing in the spotlights. There's nowhere else like it.]]> Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:02:29 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1q9ac71002366027 chrisp trendy cool & smart young professionals glamorous young and fun students sexy 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/139a28
Review by kellytron

Rating: 5.00
Tags: relaxed, young and fun, students, underground, trendy
This place just amazed me. I couldn't think of a more perfect venue. Massive space (with hidden nooks and crannies so pick how loud/busy an area you want to be in), performance, live music, art, pinball machines, cheap booze and even a truck with chairs on the tray to sit in. I actually passed about 30minutes pretending to drive this truck and honking the pretend horn - but this isn't compulsory although it does speak volumes about how much of the aforementioned cheap booze I may have consumed.

It's the sort of place you could take a jaded Hoxton-ite and actually get an impressed look out of them.
]]> Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:11:14 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/139a28465479109 kellytron relaxed young and fun students underground trendy 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1e69n8
Review by rogoff

Rating: 5.00
Tags: cool, underground, friendly
I first went when there was a show called Tropicana here. We went through a little door in the wall of the tube station only to find ourselves in what looked like a London Transport staff room complete with Tube staff reading The Sun. From then on, the evening just got stranger and stranger as we were led into the vaults.

Anyway, that was the show and now there's the bar. I guess it's run by the same team who put on Tropicana because it's got the same quirky feel to it with quite a lot of the theatre too.

If you're looking for something fun and different then you won't find much better than this. Great space, great place.]]> Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:48:31 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1e69n8398047149 rogoff cool underground friendly 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/183988
Review by lottiebooth

Rating: 5.00
Tags: cool, cool & smart, young professionals, young and fun, underground, friendly, relaxed
I went here to the Shunt Lounge for "A Dickens Christmas" which was our office christmas party. Someone had shown me pictures before i went but nothing prepared me for how amazing those vaults are.

There are some pictures of the christmas party at http://www.dickenschristmasparty.co.uk]]> Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:41:34 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/183988337079385 lottiebooth cool cool & smart young professionals young and fun underground friendly relaxed 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1i48f9
Review by BView

Rating: 5.00
Tags: jazz, pop, indie, live, electronica, young and fun, students, rock, hip-hop, house, underground, trendy, friendly, cool
this is probably the best venue I have ever been to. That may sound like a big shout but believe me this is almost entirely unique. It is the antithesis of a poncey cocktail bar in soho. The decor is completely minimal (in fact its pretty much non-existent). This underground venue still has original brick work and is much as it was before. There are random pieces of artwork/furniture dotted all over the place (an old grand piano, pinball machines and weird pieces of "modern art). It sells cans of Red stripe at a huge mark-up but hey, what the hell, its worth it!]]> Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:48:05 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1i48f92128849376 BView jazz pop indie live electronica young and fun students rock hip-hop house underground trendy friendly cool 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1k53o8
Review by gilka

Rating: 5.00
Tags: cool, performance, experimental, london bridge, alternative, trendy, art, theatre, bar
What a great place! Shunt is a very special venue.
The first time I heard about was from a friend who told me about an interactive theater play he saw there where the audience were taking part and being guided to different rooms. The audience didn't know who is an actor and who is just a viewer... very cool!

I saw there an experimental music event in which people were playing on some very weird tools including throwing a bunch of gems to make noise...

Inside Shunt you can walk around and try different spaces until you feel you got the right one!

It is tricky to find the venue- kind of inside London bridge tube without any big sign outside.

Shunt has now become a club and there usually a huge queue outside, if you want to get in come around 8ish.

Here is an event I saw there:
http://www.gilka.co.uk/2009/01/18/sharmanka-gothic-circus/]]> Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:02:56 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1k53o8364148042 gilka cool performance experimental london bridge alternative trendy art theatre bar 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1443p8
Review by LondonistHazel

Rating: 4.00
Tags:
This place is great for performance art and the more bizarre end of cabaret. Not so great for wine and beer - drinking is incidental to the spooky surroundings and the avant-garde events so the supermarket wine and room temperature beers are just about bearable.]]> Sun, 17 Jun 2007 05:20:06 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1443p8394465175 LondonistHazel 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1u1218
Review by elaborations

Rating: 4.00
Tags:
If you have been following the Primeval episodes 2 this place will creep you out!! So I was on my guard for that Mammoth spider, as I was going deeper and deeper attracted by a faint light, and there I was with others like me attracted to this light, waiting in turn to be eaten by this mammoth spider. But it turns out to be a very funny stand-up comedian with a fat smile, amusing each one of us.

The overall experience was enjoyable and I will go back to Surprise and shock my guests.]]> Tue, 29 May 2007 23:03:10 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1n52z7g/shunt-vaults/1u12181483001746 elaborations 51.504161742552 -0.086537507055382