High Water

Best bar in Dalston. Nice, dim, atmospheric cocktail bar with a deliciously unique drink menu and an extraordinarily talented bartender. I visited Dalston for 9 days and had a nightcap here almost every night before walking home to my hotel. Highly recommend to any cocktail connoisseur. And don’t miss the late night owner/bartender’s charm, handsome smile, and dedication to perfection.

I like High Water.
Classic cocktail bar, does what it does well. There’s no frills here, just a good menu of good drinks.
We sat right at the bar and got to chat with the bartender and he was a really nice guy and showed us how he makes the drinks step by step and chatted with us.
It’s not fancy, and a little pricy, but damn good cocktail. I have and will be back.

Linzi M is always finding out about spots near my house which I’ve never heard of. Clearly her finger is on the Dalston pulse in ways mine clearly isn’t.
So, off we trot to High Water on a Saturday evening at 7:30 before our late dinner reservation over at Buen Ayre (the walk between the two intended to sober us up and burn off some calories before the epic steak that awaits).
I have to say the cocktails were fantastic. I had one with peanut butter and banana stuff in it. I chose it partly because peanut butter and banana are not my favourite flavours but the waitress described it as ‘very balanced’, which it was. Yum.
There weren’t many people here, it’s not quite as hip as Ruby’s over the road. The building resembling a suburban detatched house’s conservatory. Their logo also reminds me of the the writing you might see at your local Vietnamese restaurant. Still, the drinks and bartenders make up for that and if you’re not into hipstervilleness and just want a great drink then you’re in the right place.
We will be working our way through that cocktail menu (being rather a hefty one at that) in the near future.

‘Shall we just drink the menu then?’ ‘Well, it’s a Sunday, so just the specials’
My first visit to High Water but definitely not my last. They were hosting a Scottish night for Robbie Burns Day featuring complimentary Irn Bru and haggis. They also had a list of special whiskey cocktails at only £6 each. Damn. I’m there.
This place is special. As soon as we walked in, the owner and bar staff were super welcoming and friendly. We sat for hours drinking and soaking in the atmosphere. Epic music and amazing drinks, I could live here.
Since it was a Burns night, they were handing out shortbread and specially made haggis balls. Have you had haggis? If this is any indication, then sign me up! So so good.
And as for the cocktails, well that’s where it gets special, they make very, very good drinks here. I don’t really drink whiskey cocktails as they can be overpowering, but these were just so smooth and slipped down so easy that we had powered through all four specials without even feeling it.
My only complaint would be that the bathrooms are pitch dark and candelit. Um, I need to see my makeup after that many drinks.
High Water, I’ll be seeing you soon.