What a dope little minimalist bar! Vibes are immaculate. Tiny little nooks and crannies to hide in…read moreand talk about all the things, not too dark and not too bright― juuuust right. My friends reserved in advance and we got to see them spin music for a few hours. The house endured our twerkng and loud antics (sorry to the other guests who were hoping for a quiet atmosphere that night), and the cherry negroni came highly recommended. I would definitely come back and hang out again. Give it a visit if you're in Hackney Central!

My first impression was so-so... Came here last friday night…read moreafter eating in, to enjoy a few cocktails. This place is literally behind a wall and down the stairs, just find the "Bar" sign. Kind of like that secret/word-of-mouth feeling around it. Unfortunately couldn't find anywhere to sit but at the bar. The place looks well...still "under construction" which I get might be the entire point of the pop-up. In any case, those very uncomfortable wooden stools made me think about how important comfortable seats can be. Wasn't completely blown away but the cocktails either :( Need to give it another shot.

'Shall we just drink the menu then?' 'Well, it's a Sunday, so just the specials'…read more My first visit to High Water but definitely not my last. They were hosting a Scottish night for Robbie Burns Day featuring complimentary Irn Bru and haggis. They also had a list of special whiskey cocktails at only £6 each. Damn. I'm there. This place is special. As soon as we walked in, the owner and bar staff were super welcoming and friendly. We sat for hours drinking and soaking in the atmosphere. Epic music and amazing drinks, I could live here. Since it was a Burns night, they were handing out shortbread and specially made haggis balls. Have you had haggis? If this is any indication, then sign me up! So so good. And as for the cocktails, well that's where it gets special, they make very, very good drinks here. I don't really drink whiskey cocktails as they can be overpowering, but these were just so smooth and slipped down so easy that we had powered through all four specials without even feeling it. My only complaint would be that the bathrooms are pitch dark and candelit. Um, I need to see my makeup after that many drinks. High Water, I'll be seeing you soon.

Very welcoming and lovely staff. On a bit of a dalston…read moresession, a few of us ended up sat at the bar, working our way through a handful of drinks, which you could very easily do here. The bartenders know their stuff, and one in particular joined in with both banter and more serious chatter in an extremely human fashion. They have happy hours and theme nights and specials, which are cheaper than the standard, which makes it reasonable. I would happily go back.

An art deco heaven with a cocktail menu that delivers the classics with exceptional service. That's…read moreall you really need to know, the rest is just extra information I could be giving you. Recently created by a burlesque performer Emerald Fontaine, this drinking den effectively combines all the little touches that make you feel swept away in the moment. The service is stylish and nothing short of a performance in itself. Even something as simple as the cucumber water pour punctuates the moment as your servers become one with the 1940s atmosphere. The sofas are intimate, the lighting is flattering and if you can't find something on the menu that you'll like, then you've clearly never been introduced to the pillars of cocktail culture so start from the top.

Came here for a very special person's birthday and they treated us wonderfully! The bar interior is…read morevery sexy with dim lighting and cosy seating. We ended up downstairs in the private room, which was surprisingly well set up - a perfect mini-stage and a bar to fill our needs. The staff were smiley and attentive and I'd come back here in a heartbeat! Be warned that the loo is tiny though, and the hand dryer is located sort-of by your head when you're sitting, so it can startle you if your barnet sets it off accidentally ;)

We had onion soup, braised beef cheeks and creme brulee. Soup was ok, but the beef cheeks and the…read morecreme brulee were REALLY good. The atmosphere was amazing and the menu was fairly priced. Will definitely go there again...

Having just moved into the area and having spent all weekend unpacking and putting things up, we…read moredecided to venture out into our new area. The Bonneville was literally the closest establishment with food we could find so we decided to give it a go. My boyfriend was a little dubious as from the outside it looks a little shabby but as soon as you enter past the velvet curtain you are transported to a different time. It's very atmospheric with an arched ceiling in the restaurant part and dim lighting throughout. We opted for a starter and main each and what a delight they were. We both had the trout mousse to start (gluten-free without the bread) and it was delicious. Next came moules & frites for me and Braised Beef Cheeks for himself. Both dishes were delicious but the beef cheeks didn't come with veg, so had we not shared my chips I think my boyfriend would have been hungry. They also have a great bar where you can get a glass of very drinkable wine for £3. Himself had a beer, served in a tankard which added to the experience. A wonderful local. Can't wait to return!

Great little cocktail bar opened up in Dalston. It's relatively new yet has made it into the Worlds…read morebest bars list, see here: http://www.worldsbestbars.com/united-kingdom/london/north-and-north-west-london/rubys/ It's a small bar in a basement so book to avoid disapointment or queue's. In true Dalston/NYC style, there is no real sign for the place. They have the old cinema sign where they change the words often ('Nothing to see here' one week, then 'A nice day for a White wedding' another week etc). Small bit of useless info: The building it is in was once a chinese takeaway called Ruby's. It was also used for filming/photography by Adele, the late Amy Winehouse & Rhianna. The cocktail list is small but good. They serve drinks in old milk bottles, tin cans etc. Blackberry Mojito is delish. It is CASH ONLY at the moment. Reasonably priced drinks (including bottled beers), cool unpretentious staff, friendly relaxed vibes. Yes, defo recommend Ruby's!

Ruby's was started by a guy who liked to drink cocktails. As a result, it's a lovely place to drink…read morecocktails in. They have awesome staff and generally a queue out the door as there is a no standing policy. The cocktail menu is every changing but really that doesn't matter as they can make you pretty much anything you want... Clover Club anyone? It's not classy, it's quite cool and considering the area, it's not pack full of twats (just a few huddled in the corner). A pretty good bar, that some may call a speakeasy if you were so inclined.

Dalston Roof Park feels like a tiny, well-kept secret. It sort of is. To get here, one has to…read morenavigate a confusing warren of hallways and elevators through what feels like a building full of NGO and charity offices, cross some fire escapes, and then emerge onto the roof. I'd give you directions but I've already forgotten the way. Still, it was a fun adventure, and it yielded a neat London space. There are nice views out across Dalston, south over Haggerston, east to Hackney and London Fields, and north toward Stokey. The roof itself is covered with astroturf and has little planter boxes of herbs and veggies, and a ramshackle bar with an enticing cocktail menu. There are quite a few places to sit and enjoy the fresh air and views. I went in the middle of December with a friend who was ill, so staying to hang out for a while wasn't an option, but I will definitely be back in summer!

Drinks: 5/5 Service: 5/5…read moreCleanliness: 5/5 Decor & Style: 5/5 Great view at night and very casual, relaxed environment to chill with a group of friends. I still recommend going early so you can grab a table. Large selection of drinks and the service is quick! Great open area where you can sit on the ground as well for the ones that want to truly relax and even laydown! Very different rooftop bar from what I am used to. See the great view of the pic I took at night time.

Great hidey-hole cocktail bar in Hackney, serving interesting tasty drinks from a funny seasonal…read moremenu. Vegan sours available, as well as drinking from an eagle.

This is just across the street from Temple of Seitan so we stopped in for a drink after. They must…read moreknow the neighbourhood - all of the sour cocktails use aquafaba (chickpea) instead of egg white as a stiffener so they're vegan. It was pretty quiet on a Saturday afternoon. The cocktail menu was interesting, with some creative options. Both of our drinks were great. I had the "Five Go To Mexico", their take on a margarita. It's definitely the kind of place to come if you want an original cocktail, they take mixing pretty seriously behind the bar. The interior was nice, lots of wood. It's pretty small but doesn't feel crowded, there are plenty of spaces to sit. There's a garden out back but it was raining so I didn't check it out. Everyone was really friendly, so we'll be back.

Harry Potter (or any other wizarding worlds) fans rejoice! The Cauldron was seriously one of the…read morebest experiences of my entire life. When you entire the venue, you are immediately given a welcome from a wand-keeper who goes over the rules and regulations (I'm going to be vague as to not spoil the experience). After that, you are taken to your seat and introduced to a wizard waiter and expert to tell you about the experience and what to do to start brewing your cocktails or mocktails. Overall, the drinks were phenomenal in my opinion (most of the welcome drinks are really sweet, so if you don't like sweet mixed drinks then ask for the beer). My friend and I were really happy with our choices and we had such a good time. If I lived in London, I would probably end up here at-least once a year.

What a fantastic find in London!…read more Be sure to reserve your spot early. We sat in the "dungeon " and would highly recommend that area. It's in a slightly odd location but it's well worth the travel. The staff were fantastic, you get robes and wands and get to create two "potions" and drink from the magical heads on the wall for the price. Well worth it. The staff were very helpful and taught us everything we needed to know. Lots of fire, sparkle and smoke. A great evening for everyone that was there. A must do for wizards and muggles alike!

Yes, I am giving these guys 5 stars after only being here for one night, but I stand by my…read moredecision! Celebrated my sister's bday with a bunch of people the other night and made use of many games. All the games we played (they have a big variety) had all the pieces and were well maintained. Lots of space downstairs to play if you want less of a bar vibe and better lighting to see your game. I'm only in town for one more week, but if I lived here, I'd be here alllll the time. They also have really tasty video game themed cocktails! Amazing.

Loading at Scenario is quite simply the best place to go, any day. They are usually open on Sundays…read moredespite what Yelp says, with events on most nights. I mostly come here for the board games as the consoles get booked out or taken up fairly early on, but if you are willing to wait, or talk to mew people everyone is pretty friendly and willing to let you join in. The drinks are amazing, all cocktails are gaming themed with some amazing artwork on the old menus. Table-top Tuesday will always see me and my friends trying to win the game of the week, Thirdsday (marioke) every third thursday of the month will have you running from the bar to avoid my singing, but wednesdays for poker night is also worth dropping in for. Apparently there are djs and live music events too, but its all about the games. It has been known for parents to bring their kids at the weekend for a party. Not a bad place to entertain kids, but the bar is wasted on them. I can't recommend this place enough. Also if you see me there let me know and I'll probably spot you a drink!