Dalston Jazz Bar

Planted in Dalston’s jazz micro-district alongside Vortex and Servant’s Jazz Quarters, DJB is a down-at-heel jazz joint; the kind of place you could walk straight past – were it not for the raucous trumpet blasting out of the door.

There’s a smattering of outdoor seating, and inside the place is usually rammed, with multiple people crammed around tables, a live band wedged into the corner, and servers weaving through the paths between them bearing steaming hot plates of food.

Speaking of which – you can’t order those. Instead, you’ll be able to pick between veggie and non-veggie, and wait as a fleet of dishes appear, unannounced at your table. You won’t know what they are. The waiters probably won’t either. But they’ll be delicious, and might even include the occasional zebra burger.

Looks like it’s not just the musicians who are improvising.

A polished, speakeasy-style jazz club it is not – it’s more like being crammed into a living room where the neighbours have popped round to serenade you with live music. But with a good bottle of wine it makes for an intimate jazz setting with an unpretentious, authentic feel, where the musicians are sat feet away from you.

As the set draws to a close, the tables are pushed aside (whether you’ve finished eating or not), the chef hangs up his apron and hits the DJ decks. They don’t take requests and the music could be anything from reggae to pop on any given night, but it’s as convivial a night out as you could ever hope for.

Just don’t go hoping for anything other than what the night brings.

NOTE: Dalston Jazz Bar is open Friday & Saturday nights. The food is served on a pay-what-you-want basis, with a base donation of £20pp for 3 courses. You can book a table HERE.

Dalston Jazz Bar | 4 Bradbury Street, N16 8JN 

Last Updated: 2nd July 2019

Looking for somewhere a little more formal? Head to Nightjar