Bike Shed is a posh but unpretentious moto-themed venue in Shoreditch, nested under the railway arches of the London Overground. The Shed consists of a resturant, bar, lounge, gear shops, a barber, a tattoo stylist, and the nicest motorcycle parking I’ve ever seen. The London location has been open since 2015 and a much larger sibling opened in L.A. just last month.

This was my first visit to a Bike Shed and I was impressed by the environment and the vibe. We stopped in during a sunny Sunday afternoon to find outdoor tables filled with diners enjoying the weather and the scene. You wouldn’t think that the smell of burgers and occasional motorcycle exhaust would be a pleasant combo, but somehow it works here.

Neither of us were hungry so we didn’t try the menu, but we did hit the gear shop. Naturally, the merchandise titled heavily towards the café racer style, which is not surprising given the locale. I ogled some cool Bell retro helmets but in the end could only justify buying a Bike Shed t-shirt strictly as a souvenir of the visit.

I love the café racer look, but being the responsible middle-aged guy that I am means that my riding outfits generally scream safety/adventure dork with a healthy dash of on sale at Revzilla. But maybe — just maybe — one day I’ll trade in my MT-03 for a Thruxton and get a new wardrobe to match.

While I hope we’ll get a Bike Shed in NYC one day, I have a feeling our rents are too high and our bike scene too small to support one. Until then, Bike Shed will be just another execuse for me to visit L.A. and London more often.