Farr's School of Dancing

Words by Jane Ryan

Farr's School of Dancing image 1

Address: 17-19 Dalston Lane, London, E8 3DF, United Kingdom
Tel: +44(0)20 7923 4553
Email: info@farrsschoolofdancing.com
Website: view Farr's School of Dancing’s website
Door: Open door
Style: Neighbourhood bar
Food: Tapas/plates & dishes
Established: 2014

Review

Farr's was an old dance school, now stripped out and turned into a charming and spacious neighbourhood bar. It's interior is a mixture of eclectic seating - think theatre flip-down booths, bar stools, dining chairs and plush couches scattered around the outskirts - and bare, stripped back, surfaces.

An island bar in the centre of the room neatly divides the casual drinking space from the dinning area. It's an old wooden affair, perhaps more at home in a traditional boozer than this trendy east end hangout, but it certainly fits in with the slightly decaying vibe of the space.

Drinks are served without fuss or theatre but are phenomenally tasty. Cocktails are all pre-batched and confined to two or three classics which require no fresh, seasonal produce. Think an Old Fashioned, Manhattan or Negroni. The bartender will measure them out, stir the mixture down over ice and garnish with citrus. Sounds simple, takes little to no time and produces a great looking drink which is balanced and relatively cheap, around £7.

If a boozy cocktail isn't what you're after, the bar has decent wine, craft beer on tap or by the bottle and plenty of spirits to chose from. Food is decently sized and fairly priced but more gourmet than you'd first expect, rather like the well-made cocktails. At present the kitchen is serving the likes of duck liver mousse, ox cheek, quail and lamb shoulder.

The vibe in here goes from casual drinks to buzzy very quickly, and with its spacious setting, it never feels too rammed.

Farr's School of Dancing image 2 Farr's School of Dancing image 3 Farr's School of Dancing image 4 Farr's School of Dancing image 5 Farr's School of Dancing image 6 Farr's School of Dancing image 7 Farr's School of Dancing image 8 Farr's School of Dancing image 9