First there was Shoreditch, then it was Hoxton. Now it's all about Dalston.
With locals describing Shoreditch and Hoxton, previously two of the hippest social scenes, as passé (they're not really, but familiarity breeds contempt) and regarding the after-work City crowd and the bridge-and-tunnellers from Essex with disgust, attention has refocused on the new hippest area in town, just down the road in trendy Dalston.
If Shoreditch and Hoxton are to London what the Lower East Side is to Manhattan, then Dalston is equivalent to trendy Williamsburg: slightly out of town and harder to get to, a bit scruffier than its older siblings, but arguably far edgier as a result. Candlelight is everywhere, probably covering a multitude of sins but creating instant atmosphere.
So what are the best places to drink? Be careful, there are substantially more bars than we've listed here, many of which you'll have a good time in though leave a lot to be desired if you're at all a discerning drinker. Get it right though and awaiting you is everything from hidden away live music venues to foraged bar/restaurants, Bavarian-style beer houses, iconic London pubs/boozers and bars that might be light on drinks finesse but are big on enthusiasm and atmosphere, most within a stone's throw of each other.
