The East London Series: Dalston
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The Hackney Series
Dalston, the neighborhood that tries to never sleep
If you’ve been reading our entries for quite some time, you’ll know that Dalston is a place very close to our heart. We’ve spent nearly three years in this bustling neighbourhood, and it wasn’t until recently that we moved up the street to our now much beloved Stoke Newington.
If you happen to be around the area or are looking to spend a day out East, here are our recommendations for a perfect day in this ends!
Start your day
with good coffee and a pastry at AllPress HQ on Dalston Lane or else head to Dusty Knuckle to indulge in the best bread you’ve tried to date. Dusty Knuckle started as a little truck shop in a back street off Arcola theatre, mostly catering to restaurants and neighbors and now is being sourced pretty much everywhere in London. Rightly so.
If you want to spend some time just walking around and discovering the area, our favorites nearby are HJ Haris Antique & Café Shop and Dalston’s Eastern Curve Garden. The first is a quirky little corner shop that provides phenomenal coffee and hidden gems, all at a very competitive price. The latter is one of the most enchanting garden/ little forests in the middle of the city. On Tuesday nights they host music & entertainment nights while indulging on some pizza and during the weekend they tend to run workshops and serve all-day food.
If you only had a cuppa and now are ready for a proper brunch,
then Brunswick East or L’Atelier should be your choices. I mean, look at these pics!
Now you are fed and ready to continue, you can immerse yourself into Ridley Road Market or go clothing shopping around the numerous thrift shops on Kingsland Road. Towards Haggerston you’ll find Oxfam and St Vincent and towards Stokey you’ll have Pelican & Carrots serving you a more curated selection of luxury goods or Traid and Beyond Retro for superstores on vintage.
Is it time to drink yet?
God, the options are endless for that here. Dalston really is like a playground for adults, and when it comes to nightlife and entertainment it provides the most.
If you are after wine, then we suggest you try Spanish Deli Furanxo or the more classy Austrian shop Newcomer Wines. Both are fab.
If you are after cocktails, then the choices are obvious: Untitled for the fashion victims and Three Sheets for the cozy bar lovers. Both serving the best cocktails in town, in our opinion.
If what you want is a beer and some friendly environment, then The Victoria, Three Compasses or Farr’s School of Dancing are your pubs of choice.
Dinner time
is reserved for Angelina if you are going for a fancy evening out. New kid in town Attawa or Voodoo Ray’s and Del74 are also wonderful cheap and cheerful options.
It’s now nightime
and the drinking shall continue so grab a few cheap drinks at Ridley Road Market Bar whilst listening to some 90’s R&B before heading out. Night out at LGBQT club Superstore is always fun and unexpected though we love mingling with the most fun yet crazy DJ while sipping the cheapest drinks in town at Jazz Bar.
TCB xx