We went out for a serious drinking session on Dumskya. This is like bar central. Under classical arches, each dimly lit shop front acts as a gateway to another drinking den. But one place stands out from the rest: the red glow of Dacha beckons you past the cool kids milling on the street deciding where to hop next, into a spot straight out of deepest darkest, dirtiest Dalston.

We sat at the long bar and drank pints of beer as the Saturday night crowd warmed up to reggae tunes. The cocktails, if you can call them that, involve Jaeger, various syrups and crushed ice. Questionable is an understatement. But it’s not about that anyway. This tiny place has a fun, down-and-dirty vibe where everybody is guaranteed to look good by 2am thanks to the sexy red light bulbs and the dirt-cheap drink prices.

Pack your baby wipes: there’s a loo, but they forgot the sink. Bothered? Not at all, down and dirty is how we like it.

Photo Credit: Phoebe Cronk