Farr's School of Dancing

Farr’s School of Dancing is one of the newest pubs from the Antic group, a company who seem hell bent on being the trendsters answer to Fullers or Samuel Smith. Not that that is a bad thing, mind you. Their work with Brixton’s Effra Social Club, Balham Bowls Club, The Forest Tavern in Forest Gate and the Clapton Hart - amongst many others - provide a blueprint for the type of pubs that succeed in their fast evolving areas.

Located on Dalston Lane, Farr’s School of Dancing is the result of a renovation that apparently changed very little from its nearly derelict former inhabitant. All the exposed brickwork, peeling paint, dusty wood and lumpy floorboards remain but they have been spruced up by the arrival of vintage cinema seating, large dining hall tables, assorted bric-a-brac and the odd bendy desk lamp.

Not yet serving food, the pub is relatively quiet when we visit on a Sunday afternoon. Its posturing as ‘Dalston’s Public House’ is apt. If you’re looking for a quiet pint – of craft beer, naturally – then this is a good bet. A healthy events lineup advertises 60’s psych, blues and Northern Soul DJs at weekends and as the name suggests, there’s plenty of space for grooving at Farr’s.

With basement bars usually the standard in Dalston, Farr’s School of Dancing is a welcome alternative in an area that has pretty much everything.