A venue formerly notorious for violence and under-age drinking has been transformed into a high-end brasserie selling soul-food and cocktails. 

Bojangles Brasserie in Old Church Road, Chingford, will officially open to the public next weekend after new owner Byron Senior started renovating the premises in January. 

Inspired by the British and American soul music movement and selling traditional Caribbean and U.S. dishes such as Jerk Chicken and New Orleans Gumbo, staff are hoping its troubled history will be a thing of the past. 

Most people know the venue as the former Prince Albert, which had a reputation for under-age drinking and violent attacks.

The venue struggled to change its reputation under a series of owners and renamed the Bird Cage and then Chanz.  

Now, with its new decor, including four VIP booths and crystal-studded feature walls, marketing and events manager Daniel O'Gorman is hoping to bring a bit of 'West End' nightlife and entertainment to Chingford. 

He said: "Before, it was very much an over 18s to 21 crowd and the previous management were guilty of letting people in hammered. 

"It is a late-night venue but we're bringing something of a certain standard to Chingford. 

"There is nothing like it anywhere near besides your Jazz Cafe in Camden or Madame Jo Jo's in Soho but yet this area has a massive cross-section of cultures and Chingford Big Weekender is just one example of showing there is this demand.  

"We recognise it is a challenge and all of us want to see it do well."

The venue will serve food daily from midday until 9.30pm when the seating area is then removed to open up the dance floor with live soul music on Fridays and cabaret on Saturdays until 2am. 

Once a month, its doors will stay open until 4am for a club night, with performers such as American R&B dance singer Jocelyn Brown among those being sought.  

Mixologist of fifteen years Arie Juliusburger, of George Lane in South Woodford, is hoping to entice 80s soul-lovers with his creative take on cocktails such as rum and ginger beer-based Ebony & Ivory, the Master Blaster and Sir Duke. 

Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist La Voix will kick off the venue's first cabaret night on September 6.