Dalston Superstore

A queer friend and I went for the drag brunch on a Sunday. I had never been to the Dalston Superstore before, but came across the website when searching for sissy events for my friend. The site gave the impression that there would be a drag show of 'drag superstars'. In fact, it referred to it as a cult hit, like a historical, well-known, fabulous, morning-after gay tradition. It sounded wonderful and I couldn't wait to take my friend, who had never been to any queer venues, and he was excited to see his first drag show. I can assure you, this 'show' was not fabulous nor was the person presenting it a 'superstar', hence only 3 stars for Atmosphere. It was a normal-looking cafe. Fair enough, we were going for brunch, afterall. But I was looking for the stage or some set-up for a performance. There wasn't any. What it was, was a man/person in a long plain skirt and plain top, wearing flipflps and Darth Maul make-up (yes) doing a DJ gig from a little platform that I hadn't noticed at first. The sound system was at a deafening volume. I couldn't even understand what he/she/they was saying. I could tell they were trying to be funny, but it wasn't going down too well. There was no explanation that I could hear for their strange attire. But the whole thing was shabby and disappointing. It was not a show. It was someone who seemed a bit jaded, dragging him/herself into work in whatever clothes they picked up off the floor and, in some fit of madness, decided to paint their face with a Star Wars character. I don't intend to be unkind to that person. I'm sure they are nice. They were trying hard to get us involved and be funny. But this 'show' or presentation wasn't working, and then they sort of playfully (or not) gave us a hard time, several times, for not responding with excitement and getting involved or making song requests. It was supposed to be a performance. I didn't realise that we, as people trying to eat our food, had to be involved and prop up the entertainment. If it had been promoted as a live DJ show in a queer venue, that would have been accurate and I wouldn't have been disappointed. Other opinions: 1) Wait staff: excellent. Friendly manager. Very cute, professional waiter boy. 2) Food: Great. Breakfast Waffle was scrumptious, as were Loaded Veggie fries. Mimosas and espresso martinis also good. 3) Venue itself: Colourful and fun decor, with artwork on display. A litte shabby (genuine shabby chic), but I loved that about the place. It had character and reminded me of places I used to go when I was young(er). Bathroom was black and felt a little grubby (though the toilets were clean), but I was ok with that. Again, it reminded me of my youth, and the mini parties I used to have in bathroom stalls. Though I was disappointed by the sign that said no more than one person per stall. Come on! Where's the fun in that? lol. The only thing I didn't like about the bathrooms is that they are unisex. 4) Atmosphere: It was ok. I didn't have a horrible time, but, as noted, the show could be improved. Overall, good concept, good food, friendly staff. 5) Finally, based on others' reviews about being judged as looking 'not gay enough' by the night bouncers and some staff, I just wanted to comment on my own experience. Though it was hard to tell through the face painting, it seemed that the DJ gave me a few dirty (or at least questioning) looks as he/she/they walked past our table when interacting with the audience, like 'what are you doing here, straight lady?' Well, I may look 'straight' these days, but I'm not. I was dressed rather conservatively and looked like any regular middle-aged lady you'd see walking down the street. However, I am not straight, and I am not conservative. I was a wild-arse, partying, dyke punk throughout the 80's. And have been up to kinky shenanigans ever since. So it really isn't fair or accurate to judge people's queerness based on their looks. You just never know. The most straight-laced looking person in the room might be the wildest, most outrageous, most radical person you ever met.

Best drag brunch experience ever! Even if it was a holiday and not too energetic, the hosts and staff kept up the great vibes. Plus the food and drinks were fairly priced. Y'all should definitely go!

Sadly I have to give my very fist 1/5 review. We got rejected by the club for absolutely no reason. The bouncer claimed my girlfriend was drunk and couldn't walk straight. I was so confused as we were both perfectly sober. I asked for an explanation and the guy started to talk about the fact that "god sees everything and we knew why we were being rejected..." Which was even more confusing. I'm not religious, and we were trying to get into a nightclub not a church, that comment was so inappropriate that I simply booked a Uber and went elsewhere. This place promotes inclusion and diversity and yet I assume we got rejected simply because we were clearly a straight couple (i mean we were not "drunk", he could have simply said that we were not cool enough and that would have been a better excuse...)

Lovely queer atmosphere! The drag show was super funny and entertaining!!! Drinks were good and the staff were super friendly.

Unfortunately like many other reviews here, we had a disappointing experience trying to enter a club night because of our appearance. No attempt by the ticket-person at the door to explain why they thought we weren’t allowed in, and the manner in which they spoke was intimidating and felt like we were being looked down upon. Doesn’t feel like a very inclusive space at all. Edit: grammar

A sick and sexy atmosphere at 12 in the afternoon ;) the staff and queen were lovely and tried to get to know all at a personal level and not be robots. The staff was honest with wait times but the food was worth it. The performance was not as frequent with half hour breaks between, so in an hour and a half sitting we heard 3 songs, but again, with no reservation charge and good food, it was fab.

So unfortunate because the bouncer on 27/07/25 was absolutely horrible! Refused us entry when the place didn’t close till 1am and we arrived at 11:30. He was super rude.have been here so many times for years and have never been spoken to so rudely by any of the staff before, they’re normally so polite.

Ahhhhh! I got a recommendation from a friend to come to Dalston and had a GREAT time! They played so many songs that I loved and while I went on a Tuesday I’m sure a weekend trip would’ve been fire 🔥 Mr. Useless by shy girl played and I lost my marbles because I’ve been dying to hear this outside as my chosen summer anthem!! 🌈🌈🌈 LOVE YALL! 🌈🌈🌈

So I won't lie, I was slightly blurry when I went here on Friday but I don't think that's just because of the alcohol. The place itself is a blur of noise, colour and people - not that this is a bad thing, it's just what sticks out in my mind. There was a barman that was an absolute dream - sadly I can't remember his name but he had the most amazing afro and he really was a diamond. Quick service, super friendly and he made me laugh, A LOT! I must say the music in this place was on point (for me anyway) - track after track of sing-a-long hits including Ella Henderson, Ghost - a sing along staple for me. I absolutely loved it and danced along until late late in the morning. My only negative is the toilets and the stairs up/downstairs - beware the stairs, they're really rather steep and slippy with alcohol. I have a cracking bruise after a stumble so watch your step. Also, the toilets are unisex, rather messy and constantly busy which was slightly frustrating. To note - this is a gay bar so if you're not into eccentricities I wouldn't recommend this venue. For me however, I loved it!

I've been here several times, daytime they serve food and it's nothing amazing. Their drinks are pricey for what they offer anyway. I'll be boycotting any queer bar that requires papers to go in, such discriminatory and dystopian regulations doesn't not deserve your money.

I'm so sorry to do this to you guys but you just let me down. This place is a Jekyll and Hyde venue, posing as a cafe/restaurant by day and a gay bar by night. Now I haven't yet been at night, partly due to the scary looking queues that is permanently fixed outside the door and also because I just haven't had the time. Now from a cafe poit of view this place fails, the kitchen staff couldn't deal with more that 5 covers at once and told a friend of mine that they weren't taking orders for half an hour. When I ordered my food it came and was lovely but it did take 45 minutes to fry an egg, literally! So DS, I will be back, I will try you again, I just won't have such high expectations. It's a shame, you're bar is cool and your staff were lovely.

Other than it having too few toilets (resulting in lengthy queues even if folk double up) this plays host to a pleasantly crowded and utterly random night out. Getting served at the bar was probably no worse than a lot of other places in the 23:00 - 02:00 slot but the overall atmosphere was just a lot more chilled out. No idea really what tunes were being played as they were consumed in the general aural buzz, even downstairs where there was a few less people & so a bit of dancing room. Be careful on the stairs though as slips are possible.

Saturday's mornings are made for my laundry, a bit of house cleaning and catching up on TV. Sometimes there is even room in there for nursing a hangover from hell. Prior to one of my visits to Matalan in Dalston, i needed to line my stomach for the ridiculous amount of time I spend in there, so it was time for some brunch. Rather than go for the never-ending supply of Turkish food cafes, I opted for this interestingly named establishment. I am sure there is a story behind the name, but who cares when its downright fab. The team are casual, interesting, with, have tattoos and colourful hair. A quick, easy and tasty food session was what I as after so as I took my place on a stool, I opted for poached eggs on bread with avocado and smoked salmon. I was nursing a hangover, so there was the obligatory Bloody Mary. It had the right amount of strong, spicy and smooth tomato. There is nothing better than pinning your fork into a poached egg and watching the yellow ooze out onto the green avocado. Then there is the rich colour of salmon that added to this visual beauty, not unlike a picasso of food. Yep, it looked good, but the double lick was that it tasted fab too. The environment adds to this foodie experience with no nonsense decor, staff that talk openly about whatever and a poor maintenance man who was on the roof trying to scrap stuff of the glass sky light. I loved it because this was not a pretentious "Shoreditch trendy" spot. It was real. It was also very comfortable, especially as a solo diner. Nobody cared, customers and staff alike carried on with there business which is good because it can be quite daunting being the table for one. Me, I have no shame and I don't give a shit, but I could see why folk prefer not to dine out alone. The food was a total 10 out of 10. The service was excellent in its rawness. The environment felt like home from home, in its truest sense. A big yes to the experience and I will definitely be back. Apparently it turns into a bar type vibe in the evening, may have to come check that out at some point.

Cute venue in Dalston area for drinks, coffee, brunch. A lot of young gay people having fun here all day long or even on special nights.

It seems like most of the reviews here tend to diss Dalston Superstore because of the daytime food on offer. That's an easy mistake to make, but Superstore really, really doesn't excel at being a cafe or even a restaurant. I have never eaten here and I don't plan to. To be honest, I don't really trust restaurants that turn into clubs at night - I'm plagued by paranoia that come nightfall, somebody will be snorting something off the arugula in the kitchen. But as a bar and a club, this place is great. I've had great nights at Superstore and bizarre nights at Superstore. One night that combined both consisted of a Scottish investment banker bulk-buying my friends and I vodka shots while a teacher lectured me on teaching history to inner-city London kids. This is not atypical of a Superstore night. So the crowd's mixed, but mainly Superstore attracts hip young things. The vibe is pretty gay, though it's by no means unfriendly to straights. Unusually, it tends to attract a pretty even gender ratio, so queer girls don't need to feel like the odd one out if they're accompanying their gay mates here. It's almost always full (but you can get in on the guestlist really easily through its Facebook page) and it stays open till 2AM or later - and even then the crowd usually migrates to the nearby Joiners Arms. It's cheap and it's grimy but in a nice way, not in a 'you'll get ebola if you eat something off the floor' way. Most venues in East London excel at this vibe, although some of them veer more towards ebola than not. Superstore, thankfully, is not one of them.

Oh dear. It isn't often that I'm grumpy about somewhere that sells coffee and food but get ready for a ranty rant from moi. First up the shop signage is rubbish !!!! Totally inadequate. A chalk A-Board and tiny neon signs do not constitute good shop/bar signage, especially when you are on the other side of the street. But for the helpful kebab shop opposite, I would have missed the Dalston Superstore entirely. My server was a sweetie who tried his best to show willing, despite being obviously unworked. But then I got my latte and my day bombed! Without a doubt the worst latte I have had all year. It was served in a glass ! Not clever, not cool, not alternative, just silly, completely impractical and very badly made...grrr... My hamburger was average, but took its sweet time arriving, despite the fact the place wasn't exactly jumping with customers. Those customers who were huddled over their laptops seemed happy enough with their connections. For evening drinks and music, I am sure that the space is perfect and the bar is more than well stocked. Whether I could be bothered to go back, after that pants latte (it really was poor !!!) I just can't see it. The only saving grace at Dalston Superstar was the bright pink toilet on the first floor. It was very clean...yep that is how much I liked the place!

It's a gay bar? Couldn't tell the difference on the night we went really. We got there at about 10:30. It was a pre-party for a screening of " Madonna: Truth or Dare". Crowded enough but still room for our little group. I like that they have side tables that can be placed flat against the wall for when it gets dance-y later. When we came back from the screening to attend the after-party it was apparently back to its normal crazy crowded self. Even with our guaranteed spots to cut the normal line we were waiting for a long time and eventually gave up. I mean it's an ok venue but who would want to wait in the normal line at that time of night? I'll be up for trying again when they don't try and schedule a special event AND allow the same amount of walk-ins on the same night.

I legit thought this was a club, well i guess it is. 5 pound cover at 2am though? EHH, but it's a cool place to go, wish it was bigger....the downstairs portion anyways. Wow, the toilets are unisex..hahaha

I came here for food on a Tuesday Afternoon. A coffee and some fishcakes set me back about £9.60. The portion was very generous. 2 massive fishcakes, freshly made with a nice rocket salad. Simple, yes, but tasty. Didn't take too long to get to my table, but it wasn't that busy at all. Would love to come back for the nightclub at some point to see what it's like. Though as a cafe and a meeting point I think it does rather well.

Great spot for a fun, lively night out! There is a bar area upstairs with really abstract wall art (Seems to change frequently). There is also a downstairs for when you feel like a late night boogie (tiny Tina on the decks is pretty cool!) The music after hours is the kind where you are dancing away and each time the song changes you say 'Ooh I used to love this song!! Woohoo!' whilst waving your arms around and smiling madly! Great fun!

Great funny place , the rock Venezuelan bar attender rocks! Beautiful guy.

I think this is a great little place. I come here for drinks very often and love that you can either have a chilled drink upstairs or on a weekend head downstairs to the club room. They have quite nice wines here which is good as I'm loving the red wine on a week night at the moment. Also reasonably priced which is wonderful. Its also got a really nice crowd of people and all the staff are lovely. They had mulled wine at xmas which always makes me happy. :)

I can't work out how I feel about this place. On the one hand, the music's good and it's all friendly -- assuming you are. This is a gay, but not exclusively gay, bar. On the down side, the crowd can get really pushy and meat market-y, it gets really crowded, and the staff are blindingly rude, at least to me. I was served well after several other folk who'd sidled up after me. Cap it off with wickedly expensive drinks and... well, I'm just not sure. I'll be back, as the music and whatnot was good, but to pay £4.50 for bottles of beer and be treated rudely... I want to like it, but it's tough to.

Had a great night here a while back. The bouncers are definitely quite cheeky fellas with all their...ahem, frisking. Still - beats regular dickish bouncers! Great DJs, great bar staff, makes for a good night!

I met a one-time party boy friend of mine whom I had not seen in the best part of five years on the Dalston-Stokey border, after getting stuck in a hailstorm so vicious that everyone had evacuated the streets. As we stood in the rain and hail, we talked about the meaningful things in life: journeys to broaden the mind, spirituality and of course Dalston Superstore. It actually started as a Facebook-promoted dance party called (if I recall correctly) hot boy dance bar - and it was so popular that they decided to turn it into a club night. Hence the Superstore was born. And darn well super it is. It's the new oh-so-cool place to say you hang out, taking over from the George and Dragon Bistrotheque of yesteryear; the music predictably is that mix of electro, random 80s ironic hits and East london eclectic stuff that signals that 'this place is COOL kids. Stand around here in your American Retro/Apparel clothes and Wayfarers and try to look intimidating'. Of course I am being facetious. This place is a joy for all its fashion-fixated club kid filled hyperactive flair; expect 'impromptu performances' by lads in drag who have not been to sleep since Thursday night, lots and lots of neon, star tatoos and cycle caps, and faces that look a bit mean for the first hour but swiftly loosen up as everyone gets steadily drunk until closing time. Hipster-tastic!

This is a day time review as I've seen the doorman and how bitchy he can be and we've only decided to go here before it gets too much of a scene. Good drinks, good music. I recommend trying an afternoon / early evening drink then head elsewhere. Bar staff are friendly, laid back and quick., but this is a daytime review and have always left by 9pm. Definitely reminds me of bars in the East Village (NYC) from the 90s, and that's a good thing! I'm gay and wouldn't even attempt to get in here on a Saturday night as I'm not cool enough.

Dalston superstore is one of those cool places that define gay east London. It's always got some kind of exciting event lined up, and even when you're not on the dance floor, the barspace upstairs is pleasant enough in the day for a pint and some food. The decor is really hip and you'll be hardpressed to find another location this forward thinking and exciting in Far East London

If you can actually get it to this place then don't expect too much just because of the queue outside. Although pricey for the area, the bar selection has gotten much better recently, with more spirits and bottled beers than when it first opened. Also, beer on tap is now available. Considering this is Dalston, and everything here is still quite initial, this bar has become an almost central point of the high street. The inside is dark, with a long bar running the stretch of the room. Downstairs is the club which is fun on weekends. A few Nathan Barely's from Hoxton and the who's who's of the East-End gay scene make up the majority of the crowd. The too-cool-for-school bar staff and sometimes rude bouncers make this sometimes an unpleasant start to the evening, but if you can put up with that then I would recommend this bar.

Beautiful place with a fun mixed, sexy crowd. Dancefloor downstairs is big and they play some awesome tunes. This area is soon to be the new Shoreditch--watch out for next year or so, there'll be plenty of likes of these opening up! Fun Fun Ps: they close pretty early since they still haven't got their 24 hour license, but you can head down to Jazz Bar right around the corner which stays open til 6-7am and serve everything!

I love this place for brunch and for partying! Honestly amazing, great food, energy and vibes :)

Based on their dinner and cocktails alone, pretty easily the best chicken burger I have or will ever eat. Great cocktails.

We visited Dalston Superstore specifically for the Dirty Diana night, at an Australian visitor's request. We were expecting a pretty big club night with a fun and friendly vibe, but we were sadly disappointed. The evening felt like it could have been any other night. The relatively small bar was packed to the point of discomfort and instead of the welcoming atmosphere we'd been hoping for, we found that it felt pretentious, cliquey and - dare I say it - bitchy. Add to this a basement dance floor that genuinely felt like a sauna, and safe to say I'm not planning a return visit.

Friendly bar staff and reasonable prices but when we visited for NYE, the bouncers ruined our experience totally not allowing us back in after a smoke and telling us we could get our coats tomorrow on a freezing night.

We weren't really hungry,so we ordered two sides: mac'n'cheese and the chicken wings. The mac'n'cheese was ok,I guess I'm not a huge fan. But the chicken wings were better,perfect to have them like a "tapa" while you're drinking. But I love Dalston Superstore as a dancing bar, so if you're after 9:00 pm, enjoy this place as one of the best "discos" in London

Not a fave of mine, it tends to lure in the "too cool for school people". There's a small bar and a small room downstairs, so not a big place! I recall this one time me and my friends went there and the door girl was really rude to my friend, don't think I've been there since then.

The pretentious hipster douchebag on the door would not let myself and my female friends in as we 'did not know the night' that was on. I told him this was ridiculous and bad publicity for the club. What a little prick.

Seems that I would be the only grumpy old lady mumbling in here about this place, but I really don't fancy Dalston Superstore. A place to see and be seeing, it's too pretentious with no irony. Like a Vince Noir (The Mighty Boosh) with no sense of humour or self irony, just the astonishing fashion style. I've been there once, the music wasn't that good, the Asahi was really warm (as the British summer never is) and the people weren't that funny. Maybe I should give the place a second chance... Or maybe not. I'm probably getting too old to get this kind of place.

The neon sign undoubtedly sticks out amongst the kebab shops and pound shops, and if hipsters make you physically shake with anger it's probably best to avoid this place. Dalston Superstore is the perfect example of the Shoreditch effect sprawling out into surrounding areas. It's been the subject of a lot of whinging but ultimately it signals the continuing regeneration of the area...which doesn't have to mean a descent into hipster Satanism. Though fairly new they've had a string of successful club nights already and attract a young and yes, 'trendy' crowd. Couple this with the savvy staff, clean New York-esque surroundings and you have yourself an ace night out. Provided you're willing to over-look the nut-clinging skinny jeans, ironic tattoos and lots of girls who've shaved the side of their head to be 'unique'. At the end of the day just go to have fun and stop worrying that people are judging you by your shoes.

One of best places to eat and drink in dalston.

U need to dance here! Best club on east london... Fun fun fun!!!

This is a good solid bar in Dalston, something a little more trendy from the old man pub or scary snooker bar fair otherwise available in the area. The clientelle were a fun, young crowd, the guys i met were all lovely and there were lots of people bumping into people they knew. My main critique would be that with a name like Dalston Superstore you do feel a little cheated at the size of the place which is essentially a long room which can become very crowded. There is a room down stairs and i came for an 80s night in there but never stopped down there as the 80s was not the well known cheesey stuff i was looking for. So yes, nice place full of beautiful people with a good vibe overall, just not big or silly enough for my taste.

friendly staff, laid back vibe. the upstairs looks small, but there is actually reasonable amounts of seating. drink prices and selection are reasonable too, and best of all, they are very dog friendly! it seems like the sort of place which has quite loyal regulars, but as non-regulars we were given a warm welcome!

Good for Wi-Fi in the daytime, but the drinks are expensive and the food is OK. Nightlife is mostly geared towards the gay community a good night out, but just a bit too expensive for my liking.

staff are class, unfortunately the clientele are the pretentious unfriendly prats who seem to have migrated from shoreditch.