Comedy Café: The best way that I can describe Comedy Café to you is as follows. I love comedy and I love going out. Comedy Café is a three-minute walk from my office, it’s free on Wednesdays and can be as little as £5 on Fridays. I have only been once in three years!

Comedy Café is like a poor man’s Jongleurs. You sit on benches and a vast number of the seats don’t face the poorly located stage, so you have to turn or twist to see the comedian. The food is overpriced for what it is and it attracts a very drunk audience that can ruin a show before it has even begun regardless of the act.

Comedy Café is very cheap and very popular with work parties but if you are looking for good comedy in this area take the walk down Bethnal Green Road and head to Lee Hurst’s Backyard.

Price: £8-£15 / Wednesday new acts night is free!
Acts: It says “4 Top Comedians” – but don’t believe everything you read. Much like the Jongleurs chain, you regularly get one solid act and three variables.
Atmosphere: Not great: very office do, and very drunk.
Website: www.comedycafe.co.uk
Location: 66/68 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY

Backyard Comedy Club: Thank you Lee Hurst! Lee Hurst stopped working on television so that he could take more time to run his comedy club. This is a huge step for any comedian and a major risk - but Lee has made the right decision.

The Backyard Comedy Club is a true comedy venue. Its layout allows for a good-sized audience and its special offers attract new customers every week, which means that the atmosphere is always loud and fresh. Acts to keep an eye out for are local boy Mickey Flanagan, Aussie Steve Hughes and of course Lee himself.

Price: £11-£14 / Thursday special £9.99 with three drinks and a hot snack!
Acts: Lee Hurst himself will often step up to the mike and the guests that he invites are usually of a high standard. You do get the occasional turkey but on the whole the standard is high.
Atmosphere: Great atmosphere, good-sized crowd who have turned up with laughter in mind.
Website: www.leehurst.com
Location: 231 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 0EL

The Laughing Horse: One of my mates dragged me to The Laughing Horse in Camden quite recently (above Liberties Bar, 100 Camden High Street) so that we could see a new acts night. I had never been to a Laughing Horse before and I am not quite sure if I will go again. I think I saw nine acts in all (I may have slept through one) and the majority were terrible. Then like a shining comedy beacon an unknown stepped to the stage and managed to turn the audience and get us laughing!

I think that the best thing to say about Laughing Horse clubs is that they’re good, small venues that offer comedy at excellent prices (what else can you do for £5 in London?). And even though some of the acts bomb it is well worth staying in case you discover a hidden gem. As I have said before, everybody starts somewhere…

Price: £5 (Can vary for individual nights)
Acts: A lot of newcomers and steady veterans trying out material.
Atmosphere: The venue is good but atmosphere depends on laughter - which can sometimes be in short supply!
Website: www.laughinghorse.co.uk
Location: Camden, Soho, Earls Court, Wimbledon, Oxford Circus (See their site for details)

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