Dalston Bars

One of the most urban and interesting portions of East London, Dalston is a hubbub of cocktail nooks, creatives and industrial crannies. From hidden cocktail caverns and party pubs with a penchant for live music, to late-night restaurant bars and a top roster of laid-back interiors; check out our recommendations for some of the very best bars in Dalston. 




Ruby's Bar and Lounge

Continually rated as one of the true gems on the east London scene, Ruby's pulls in crowds from all over the capital to their intimate basement bar confines. The Bar specialises in a seasonal menu of innovative cocktails, with the Lounge focusing more on a wider choice of beers, wines curated from Clapton experts Verden and Vietnamese street food from the Hanoi Kitchen. A hidden treasure perfect for all occasions.

The Shacklewell Arms

The Shacklewell Arms in Dalston caters to all needs, with a cosy pub room and a pretty courtyard. There's also a buzzing back room that features a stage and a dancefloor with bands, solo acts and DJs raising the roof nearly every night of the week.

The Three Compasses

Three Compasses is a charming pub on Dalston Lane that doesn't conform to what you'd typically expect from a popular bar in zone two. It isn't a super-chic hipster parade with a microbrewery and a room for stroking cats; it takes a much more simple approach - focusing on serving up some of the best burgers in London, pouring the finest ales, offering a plethora of board games, and boasts some of the friendliest bar folk around. 

The Victoria

When it comes to the nitty, fun and gritty of live music in London, The Victoria is up where with some of the best of them. Not only a prime indie music space, The Victoria is ever a bustling pub known for their affordable pints, classic interiors and top pub grub.