Cafe Oto

Café’s and bars can’t just be themselves anymore if they want to keep one step ahead of the crowd and Café Oto in Dalston is one of the new (yet old) breed of art and performance spaces supplementing themselves with events that rival established clubs and theatres. Tucked away on a side street just off the busy Dalston Junction, it couldn’t be more different from the chicken shops and brick-a-brack stalls just around the corner. It’s a vast space that celebrates the shady dimness that resides across the venue despite the large windows that form its façade. A small counter bar and kitchen room break off to one side while the rest of the warehouse like room is spattered with tables and chairs and a small collection of worn sofas. But what does Café Oto do for fun? Well, it hosts various hip events like magazine launches and similar exclusivity but there’s also live performances, bands and art shows, which make this one of Dalston’s most interesting destinations. Expect to find Hackneyists and stylish Dalstonites hanging out, mingling and fiddling on Macbooks during relaxed daytimes and atmospheric, buzzier evenings. The tiny kitchen serves simple sides of grilled cheese on toast and Japanese snacks along with Sierra Nevada and Asahi beers as well as offerings from The Kernel, a London based microbrewery.