Dalston Superstore, E8

Set on the main road through the centre of Dalston, this is a narrow, single room, shop converted bar that caters predominantly to the local LGBTQ+ community. It's a simple bare boarded room with a mix of plain and strikingly bright painted walls, with the servery along the middle part of the left-hand wall. Banquette booths sit under large shop-style front windows, but aside from them, options amount to either high benches and stools down the right-hand side, with a couple of regular tables and chairs at the front and back. Two large skylights help keep the space bright during daylight hours, which works well with the colourful decor. The bar has a simple counter enlivened by some nice coloured tiles which also appear on the rear left wall, whilst the white tile bar back is pretty plain and mainly notable for a "Superstore" road sign and some frozen margarita machines. Glitter balls, posters for upcoming events and a long row of photos from various gay clubs are the extent of the pub's decor and leave you in no doubt about their raison d'etre. Old 80s pop fluff was playing in the background during my early evening visit, but I imagine it gets a whole lot livelier in the evenings. No surprise at the lack of cask ale, but there were ten keg lines offering a mix of popular brands and more obscure stuff from the likes of 40ft Brewing, Queen Brewing and Brooklyn. I tried the Brooklyn Stonewall IPA, which I've had before and think is a decent option in venues like this. The bar staff were nice and friendly but I did get a bit of a short measure, which I only really noticed once I'd sat down, so I didn't go back to request a top-up. I thought this was quite a basic bar that only really stands out thanks to its bright colour scheme and risqué photo displays. It seems to be quite popular amongst its target demographic, but for the casual, passing drinker, a couple of interesting keg options are about all you can expect. Not too bad, but not really worth seeking out either. Date of visit - 7th August 2024

Facebook page of Dalston Superstore - www.facebook.com

Official site of Dalston Superstore - dalstonsuperstore.com

Facebook page of Dalston Superstore - www.facebook.com

Official site of Dalston Superstore - dalstonsuperstore.com