Rent one of our 11 rooms in Dalston, starting as cheap as £620.
Finding a place to stay in London is not easy, especially where you’re new to the city. Overseas students and professionals moving to London to work or study will find it particularly challenging, with so many areas and neighbourhoods to choose from.
We’ve put together a curated area guide to give you all the information you need about where to stay in London. Read on to find out more about the vibe in Dalston, transport links and places of interest.
Dalston is a culturally diverse area where a mix of wealthy City traders and creatives live alongside the long-established Turkish and Afro-Caribbean communities. Property wise, it has an eclectic mix of terraced Victorian houses, converted industrial buildings, social housing estates and hyper-modern blocks of flats. Fun fact - Fassett Square which has terraces of elegant Victorian houses was used as a model for Albert Square in the BBC soap EastEnders.
Dalston is in the borough of Hackney, in North-East London, conveniently located just north of Shoreditch and the City and east of Islington. Although there is no nearby Tube station, the area is served by two Overground lines meaning that Shoreditch High Street - for the City & Liverpool Street Station - is a speedy 7 minutes away. Both Dalston Junction and Dalston Kingsland stations are just two stops away from Highbury & Islington for the Victoria line. Dalston Kingsland connects East to Stratford or West to Hampstead Heath in less than 20 minutes. There are also lots of useful buses to Victoria, Aldgate, Waterloo and Oxford Street. Dalston is in zone 2 and a monthly travelcard covering zones 1 and 2 will cost £134.80.
Locals will tell you Dalston has the best Turkish food in London. What’s for sure is that if you like meat, you’ll be spoilt for choice with the countless kebab houses such as long-standing favourite Mangal Ocakbasi. If meat is not your thing, there are several vegan and vegetarian restaurants such as Andu, a small Ethiopian vegan cafe. Other local favourites including Jidori, Voodoo Ray’s and House of Momo. But Dalston is best-known for its vibrant nightlife, attracting people from all over town. From retro (Ruby’s, Ridley Road market bar) to classy (Three Sheets) to our favourite dive bars (VFD, Karaoke Hole), Dalston caters for every taste.
Locals shop for fruit and veg at Ridley Road market, and the prices are so low it’s not hard to see why. This authentic market offers a great atmosphere and fantastic variety of food from all over the world, household products and electrical goods. Head there to stock up on Afro-Carribean fruit and veg, Asian spices and discover meats you’ve never seen before.
For film fans, the Rio cinema is a special place - an independent cinema with a history stretching back over 100 years showing a mix of indie and commercial releases. A pillar of the Dalston community, the Arcola Theatre presents a rich and varied programme and aims to be the world’s first carbon neutral theatre. Live music and jazz lovers won’t be disappointed with Vortex Jazz Club, Servant Jazz Quarters and Dalston Jazz Bar all within a block from each other.
Neighbouring areas include Canonbury, Hackney, Stoke Newington, Haggerston.
