Hideaway Records & Bar

This place still blows. «Records»? Fucking frat house.

So the first time I came here was with a social group to play board games. This is the kind of place that if you come on an early weeknight, you can cozy up in a circle of couches and play board games while you drink. Definitely my kind of place.
That was when Hideaway had first opened and it seemed like they were going for a more mid-​20s/​30s demographic. Sadly, London doesn’t seem to have that kind of scene (which is a bummer) so they’ve sharply turned the focus to Fanshawe and Western students looking for a night out like at any other local bar. Drink specials, DJs, Facebook posts basically declaring ‘come here to get wasted’ etc.
I get it… those are your repeat customers who can drop a ton of cash on slightly-​too-​expensive booze. But this place is SO AWESOME that I wish the 20-​somethings/​grad students of the world were more of the focus. I did come see a concert here and was definitely on the older side of things at 27. That being said, the staff is SUPER nice, and I’m fine with being the oldest at a place that has TONS of seating, a great second level (which is a fun perspective for concerts!), and the fact that the front is a record store is really awesome. And they have a coat check, which is super important for winter concerts in Canada!
You get 3 stars, Hideaway… I want to like you… I actually DO like you… but I wish you’d stop trying to be a Western party spot and stick with what you do best… GOOD live music, games, and couches.

OOHH!
Okay, so my best friend and I were in London for the weekend, our bus left at 8:30, it was 7 on a weekend night and what’s more fun than a semi-​buzzed bus ride back to Toronto?!
Atmosphere is awesome, great music, I loved the coasters (lol, shh, dont judge, you can redeem music off of em!!) and they had comfy couches everywhere and stuff to do on the tables nearby. And candles. I like candles.
And jenga! Beer needs to be a bit cheaper (’twas $ 13.25 for two Canadians, which I dunno if its just this city or because they’ve apparently just opened)
BUT YEAH! Pool table, big screen for hockey games, a buncha different areas to appeal to whatever you’re looking for.
Oh, and upstairs smelled like good food, I would definitely come back here for a few sunday night beers if I was ever in London again, as its got its own unique charm that appeals to my inner Gemini.
People were really nice here too, though I don’t know if it was cause we were walking around with duffel bags and apparently looked like outta-​towners or something lol, but worth a shot to check out. Minus the pricey beer, this place is a keeper of its own!
And the record shop section looked pretty cool too!