After operating out of a shipping container in the Dalston car park of the Bootstrap offices, The Dusty Knuckle has since expanded into one of those former offices, with a bakery, cafe, and a terrace where they run pizza nights in the summer and regular guest chef Dusty Dinners, and a second cafe and pizza restaurant in Haringey. The bakery turns out a range of breads and pastries, including pain au chocolat, morning buns, potato bread, and feta & honey swirls. The monster sarnies, made using their signature bubbly bread and filled with everything from lemongrass pork meatballs and sambal mayo to mapo tofu and sweet potato. What makes The Dusty Knuckle especially great is their support for young Londoners who are attached to the justice system, coming out of custody, or are asylum seekers, through their successful work experience and employment programmes.
"Is the potato sourdough at Dusty Knuckle the best loaf of bread in London? It’s definitely up there. A great bakery and a great company that really cares about what they do and about looking after people. The products are all really top notch, alongside the aforementioned loaf, a special shout out to the breakfast roll, and the chilli cheese focaccia with bacon. "
Andy Kerr (the founder of The Sun Tavern, Discount Suit Company and The Umbrella Workshop) and Tom Gibson (founder of Ruby’s and operator of The Bluecoats) teamed up to open cocktail bar Parasol in Dalston. Formerly The Nest, the subterranean space is now a bar serving riffs on classic cocktails with a side of 80s NYC disco. Expect serves like the Yuk Fu (El Gobernador Pisco, Green Chartreuse, lemongrass, pandan, coconut, chilli, and lime), The Space Coyote (Dewars 12yr Scotch Whisky, Cap Corse Blanc, lacto mango, and pimento) and the Korean Jesus (Ocho Blanco Tequila, Quiquiriquí Mezcal, plum soju, gochujang, sesame, coriander, ginger, and honey).
"A relatively new underground cocktail bar with a DJ and a nice buzz. Although we miss the Nest nightclub that was there a few years back, this is really the venue for the modern Dalston-goer. Great tunes and affordable drinks. "
Ararat Bread has been a stalwart of Ridley Road Market for over 20 years and has gained a reputation for the best naan-style flatbreads in town. The humble hole-in-the-wall shop focuses on the basics – and nails them. Whether you like your bread plain, with meat, cheese or eggs, the choice is yours. But one thing is for sure, it’s going to taste damn good. And at such a bargain price, why wouldn’t you go back for more?
Photo credit: @apt2bread
"Right at the end of the market, just by St Mark's Rise is a stalwart of Dalston. The guys there allude to the fact it is a mix of Pakistani and Turkish heritage. What I do know is that a fresh naan from here is as good as you’ll get in London. For a hangover I go for the cheese bread to take the edge off."
Evolutionary Arts Hackney, aka EartH, is a stunning new arts space from the team behind Village Underground. Once an ABC cinema the main building was left derelict for years only to be rediscovered, restored and relaunched in 2019 – both the theatre (with seating) and the concert hall (standing) now host gigs, poetry readings, DJ sets, talks and more.
"Two great venues rolled into one, this is as eclectic a mix of music as you’ll find anywhere. Venture upstairs for a brilliant venue that feels like it’s from another era, and downstairs for a more clubby vibe. I’d also pop into Mersin Tantuni next door for a delish Turkish snack on my way home. "
The clue’s in the name. Everything on offer at this Kingsland Road cafe is Dead Good. Coffee, matcha, pastries, fresh sarnies, toasties and more are served here every day of the week 8am-4pm. If you’re needing your caffeine fix out of hours, fear not, Dead Good sells its own coffee blend for you to enjoy at home – the morning after, night before and everything in between.
"Obviously I’m biased, we share the space with these guys to do our prep in Dalston. The coffee is great and the vibes are even better. Matcha is not really my jam but they do great matcha based drinks, and an amazing Croque in a Croissant. You can grab a seat and watch the guys prepare the cocktails for the week ahead."
It doesn’t look like much from the outside but that’s all part of the charm of this boozer. There’s a big horseshoe bar and some trippy paintings on the walls – what’s that banana one all about? It’s a fave with Hackney locals, especially on the weekends, thanks to the decent pub grub menu and the atmosphere is always on point too.
"Long the hangout for the fashion crowd and now a mix of this, plus the families that have moved to the area. Always busy, always fun and with the added addition of Dough Hands, the best London pizza I’ve had so far. People sometimes say the service is a bit slow, but in reality they’re a lovely crew."
Umut 2000 in Dalston is constantly praised for its authentic and carefully prepared food – it’s a strong contender for the title of best Turkish grill in Dalston, which says a lot. The menu is packed with meat and fish dishes cooked over a charcoal grill, but make sure you don’t miss their wraps (these guys have a rep for killer wraps).
"Well documented, and rightly so. The best in the area especially if you’re looking for some more interesting dishes, although the classics are also great. Chicken kofte and lamb shish is my order, and if we’re with a group, probably we’d add the lamb’s liver on hummus too. You can still twist their arm for decent corkage, and the food fits so well with a great bottle of red."
Hector’s, run by former Hill & Szrok partner Jimmy Stephenson and his wife actor Anna Shaffer (along with the backing of current Hill & Szrok owner Luca Mathiszig-Lee), takes inspo from the bars of Paris, San Sebastian and Lisbon, and brings those European vibes to De Beauvoir. During the day it runs as a coffee shop, serving pastries and Climpson’s brews, and a bottleshop stocked with a range of classic and natty wines. In the evenings (from Thurs – Sun), it flips into a wine bar with vino available by the glass and bottle, alongside small plates like Cantabrian anchovies in olive oil, courgette carpaccio with fresh cheese, tins of sardines on toast, pate-en-croute and bocadillos like tortilla with red peppers and jamon con tomate, with guest chefs coming in to cook too.
"Jimmy made his name over at Hill & Szrok when it was maybe the coolest restaurant in East London, and then a few years ago he brought his brilliant palate over to Dalston and opened Hectors. As is thankfully becoming more commonplace, he really pioneered Natural wines that don't taste like a farmyard. Championing conscious winemakers that produce wines with finesse and nuance. Go early, it's rightly popular. "
Papo’s Bagels, tucked down in the arches by Hackney Downs, is doing proper NY-style bagels in east London. Set up by New Yorkers Papo and Georgia after they missed real deal bagels from across the pond, Papo’s does plain, salt, everything, onion, poppy, sesame and cinnamon & raisin bagels, which are all hand-rolled and baked fresh every morning. Fillings include lox, tuna salad and cold cuts but the classic – smoked salmon, tomato, onion, capers and cream cheese – on an everything bagel takes some beating. Papo’s even does handy bundles with everything in one box so you never have to be without bagels for brekkie again.
"Believe the hype, as good a bagel as you'll get in London. They just moved to Hackney Downs but I’m keeping that in the Dalston conurbation area. In the summer you have to go for Georgia’s Heirloom “IYKYK”, especially when there’s wild garlic about."
Dalston-based Babsang offers some of the very best Korean food in town, nailing classic dishes such as bibimbbab, bulgogi and Korean buns. But the fried chicken is the real star of the show. Be sure to order some crispy dumplings and kimchi to go on the side.
"Korean food and a busy vibe. They do table barbecues, but I’m more into the starters and the fried chicken with yangnyeom Sauce. The topokki is amazing alongside some ice cold Hite beers and soju. The owners are always kicking about and are great fun. "
