Cafe OTO in Hackney

Lovely café in Dalston. Great coffee and simple good breakfast. We’ll come back ❤️

Eclectic bookings and great sound. Worth taking a chance on a performance on any given night.

A rare creative space, with an open minded audience.

I often check out various Cafés in North, East and South London and the good cosy spots and Café OTO is, for me, easily the best Café in North London, if not in the entire city. I sometimes work on my laptop from Café OTO and I've found my productivity levels and creativity brainstorms are increased in this space. It is spacious, relaxing, dim, discret and has superb food to boot with vegan options and an exquisite vegan banana cake. The staff are also friendly and welcoming, they also allow me to bring my bike inside - most places get funny about that.

Artsy collaborative performing arts space with food and drinks (non alcoholic and alcoholic alike). There was also a distinct Japanese theme in some of the whisky and snack choices. With beers on tap and biodynamic wines on offer, the venue had a cool and calm atmosphere, at least on the weekday afternoon I visited. Hoping to come for one of the live performances when it is less chilly.

Loved the venue - very welcoming.

Very laid back atmosphere and food/drinks are great

Great record Shop and venue for experimental music

Best place for free jazz lovers!!!

Visited for a Resonance FM charity event. Bought a drunk at the bar, enjoyed a few hours of music in an interesting venue. Near to shops and two nearby train stations.

Intimate setting to hear underground, esoteric music.

Very cool spot but the “Muesli” on the menu it’s actually a bowl of milk with oats and pears, not a Muesli.

lovely venue for more contemporary music. came here with friends for a tribute event to Jaimie Branch (rest in power). really good ambience that night & I am deeply impressed by those performing.

A true hidden gem in London. Experimental music (sometimes with film) in an intimate space with candle light. The bar serves some strong Belgian ales as well. Speakers and setup are great. Do give a visit if you are into active listening and have an open mind for music.

I can’t say I’m an advocate for overpriced ‘trendy’ coffee shops although I do find myself in them most days; this one actually has charm and the staff are fairly normal. So here we go, Rick Review #14.. The one thing I find as I regularly leave my front door to venture out into the world is peoples inability to impress me or meet my basic requirements in customer service; today nothing changed. Feeling a bit fragile after an argument with the mrs I decided to leave my small apartment and head on down to cafe oto for some before noon grub. Having had explosive diarrhoea from a drunken night out that ended in getting food at Grab a bite (hot cheesy hot), I thought I’d go for something basic, as I didn’t want to set off anything that would require staff to clean the premises toilet’s after. You’d think going anywhere and asking for toastie, there would be a pretty small chance of someone managing to annoy me in the process of handling such a simple task, clearly today was not the day. My toastie came after the man was capable of having a 7 minute discussion with someone about the health benefits of soya milk…yawn. It came slightly undercooked, crunch level 3.5/10. Overall disappointed, but not as much as the fact I turn 36 next week and my girlfriend hasn’t slept with me for over a month. Peace & Love, Rick.

Quirky cafe where none of the furniture matches. loads of space and comfortable surroundings. Service was a little slow, but staff very pleasant. Tucked away down a side street next to the theatre means its away from the traffic and noise.

Top team top programming good vibes always!

One of my favourite music venues, wonderful, relaxed atmosphere, fantastic music, highly recommended.

Amazing performers and Fabulous evening!

It is one of the good Cafe outlet in London. The services provided by staff was very good. It is well maintained.

I love this place. The coffee is great and the snacks are affordable and tasty too. To the people who complain about the staff being insociable, or the lack of desired small talk, I just want to say that, if they don't return again, I'm glad I won't see them at my favourite cafe in Dalston, thanks!! :)

Probably the most adventurous music programming in the capital, it's a relaxed venue, nice acoustic and a good sound system. The engineer has to cope with some we extreme artists but always does a great job. Apparently the food during the day is great. Highly recommend a visit if you're interested in cutting edge contemporary music.

Best venue in London for independent and experimental music. Love Cafe Oto!

Home of avant-garde and experimental music in London. It is a cosy atmosphere. Doors normally open at 7:30. Make sure you arrive early if you want a seat.

Greatest London free jazz club. World famous.

Still the best music venue in London. Small, great sound, no stage, great beer, always interesting bands away from the mainstream. Slight quibble, don't bother with seats unless it's a really ambient sound coming from the musicians. Keep up the good work!

Very nice relaxing place good food and friendly staff

I've been here as a music venue many times, my type of jazz and good range of local bottles ales. A good place to pause during the day too, with nice cake!

I like this cafe, I come here often because the lighting is low and it’s normally quiet and you’re left alone; but today I’ve come at 11.30 on a Thursday, for an early lunch, and they’ve got someone in tuning their piano. I get that this needs to be done, but feels pretty unfair when I have paid an expensive fiver for a sandwich and now I have to sit here with notes being banged out. I really do like this place, but I wish hipster venues would still show some concern to their costumers. It’s stressful sitting here with notes being banged out.

Came here for lunch and an online conference call. Excellent coffee and the vegan wrap was incredible (I’m not vegan, but I didn’t miss the meat in this flavour extravaganza!). The cafe has a really chilled out hipster vibe, very friendly staff and average prices for central London. Nothing to complain about here - an excellent place!

This place has an amazing outdoor setting and really good food before they stopped doing brunch. But unfortunately, I avoid this place like the plague, because I find the staff so disinterested and unfriendly. I even tell my friends to avoid it, because I don't want them to have the same bad experience I've had on several occasions in the past. It's such a shame because otherwise this is a really cool venue.

Café Oto is my favourite hang out in Dalston. I'm in the area mostly during the day so I go there for a coffee or for lunch, which consists of either a coffee and a pastry or a wrap. They serve coffees and European beers and a wide variety of mostly Persian food. In the even the space converts to a music venue. I've never been there for the music, but it's usually crowded whenever I'm working late and I pass by.

One of the most intriguing music venues going. Try out all sorts of music that you may not have experienced before!

Finest music venue for experimental music and jazz.

If you are interested in experimental music, from drone, stoner's rock to Free Jazz, look no further, Cafe OTO will deliver. Probably one of the most avant-gardist and eclectic program I have seen. The venue itself is kind of dark but also really intimistic, and they have a separate venue further down the road where they also organise music events. I can't really comment on the prices since I only came here to see gigs and never actually ordered a drink there.

Of an evening café Oto transforms into a quirky jazz club, mainly free jazz with some great acts. By day it is a so-so café with staff who are not a bit helpful and a manager with the longest face ever.

I saw the Pastels and Ela Orleans play here on Sunday in a sold out intimate gig and was impressed with the sound, venue and staff. Well done.

Great coffee during the day, good concerts at night.

Great intimate venue. Nice beers. Nice atmosphere.

Was here for newyears and it really was the perfect vibe!

Really great place, have been in the daytime for coffee/food, great cool ambience, great food, really recommend as a lovely spacious place to chill. And you know the best thing about it is that the staff GET IT - ie they dont trawl yr table picking up yr used stuff as you reach the last mouthful and intimidating you into buying more & more & more.... no, feels like they value your privacy and why you're there in the first place, leaving you in peace to share quality time with yr mates, with yrself, wotever - and that creates a lovely relaxed, calm, chilled space to be in - so thankyou Cafe Oto you have created a lovely precious space, will always make this my first call when needing a cafe in Hackney area

Amazing venue. Puts on ambient and experimental gigs that nowhere else does. Nice atmosphere, can sit down, great food and drinks. Also sell some good records and posters

Cafe Oto in Dalston in East London is a relatively large venue combining a restaurant and a bar and a cafe and a music performance space. Lovely smells emanate out of its kitchens, although we only went there for a drink. This was served with huge friendliness and bonhomie. It is a shade expensive, but makes a good change from the local pub.

I like the food but confused and slow service.

El personal de la recepción parecía no decir la cocina sobre nuestra comida. Me pareció que parecía poco prometedora de la manera en que se tomaban su tiempo entre los clientes que sirve, a pesar de la cola. También falló en llevar mi bebida y cuando fui a pedir que me dijeron que no trae las bebidas a las mesas y me echaron por no esperar cuando les pedí (la chica que me atendió en el mostrador mostró ninguna señal en absoluto de vertido de mi bebida mientras estuve allí). Me pareció que eran muy bruscos y que no vamos a volver, aunque había una disculpa muy agradable y auténtico del camarero que finalmente trajeron la comida (no había ninguna de las dos chicas que fueron muy groseros).

Me encanta el café Soto, si estás buscando algo experimental y desafiante y luego tome un recogida de cualquiera de los eventos. A menudo no saben nada acerca de lo que estoy viendo, y esa es la alegría de que, si me encanta o lo odias siempre una maravilla. También tiene un agradable bar con cervezas y sidra, podrían obtener un vino mejor, pero esa es mi única queja. Si estás de visita en Londres o vivir aquí es un ultra fresca lugar para visitar.

Varias veces cuando comimos aquí sirven una comida persa muy auténtico. Este es un tipo de lugar que compartir una mesa con un desconocido y empezar hablando en tema interesante en el libro donde la persona estaba leyendo. Muchas personas trabajan allí, o tener una reunión o simplemente escribir, con una taza de café o con almuerzo. Muchos de mis amigos salen de noche para concierto de jazz, pero nunca he sido. Aparentemente algunas personas buenas jugar allí.

Soy un habitual en el Café Soto. Me sentaba allí varias veces a la semana para reuniones y trabajo. El café es amplia, pero a menudo frío y oscuro. Cafe SOTO tienen sin duda el personal más grosera que parece molestarle a ser en el trabajo y tratar con clientes.

It's a place that you need to give time and you may need extra therapy after

This is a place I know better for its evenings of great live music than it's days of food and non-alcoholic drinks. The latter are equally good!

Hipsterville. It's the people and the scene, not the place... good open space, sound is good. Staff are friendly and the place is clean.

He estado viniendo aquí durante un par de años, y siempre he encontrado el personal muy amable y acogedor.

Do you like Music? tired of mainstream stuff? looking for something new and fresh? This is THE place!

Loved this place. Hope I come back soon.

Unique venue. Bit poorly organised but had a fantastic night there discovering music.

En general una velada muy agradable. Tres interesantes y muy diferentes actos una multitud alegre, creando un ambiente de apoyo. Hay sillas y bancos al azar distribuidos alrededor si no estás dispuesto a bailar o estar en el corazón de la gente.

Pretentious hip place in the heart of Dalston - pricey but good selection of craft beers - great alternative music venue with limited capacity and uncomfortable seats

I was having a coffee and the waiter allows to a homeless take a sit in a sofa next to me. The smell was not nice at all but even I am a customer I hold my horses. My surprise was when the gentelman pee himself in the sofa. After he left I told to the waiter, he replied it was quite a common situation and he went back to the counter without removing the sofa or puting any sign or apologise to me to let him in. So just say, be carefull where you take a sit in this place.

Gran lugar para tomar un café en dalston. Gran cueva como espacio con wifi gratuito. Muy cadera si te gusta ese tipo de cosas.

Accessible and welcoming venue, programming some really interesting and innovative music performances

I loved the events at Cafe Oto when i lived in London, but today on meeting a friend at what was once a familiar old haunt. Was somewhat tainted today by the really negative attitude of the guy that served. My low key polite request for a paper cup was met with an "if you insist" from a sour faced barista. I'm unlikey to go back.

Her kan du finne veldig sære konserter med avansert ny musikk. Veldig kult sted. Alle som jobbet der er frivillige.

Good music venue; went to see the current incarnation of the Arkestra; started late; very crowded (even on a Monday night) but worth the visit

I have lived in Dalston for 7 years, and occasionally visit Café Oto for its Live Music. They host a number of genres and the atmosphere , sound and organisation is always great. I found myself forgetting why I hadn't visited for a while, then I was reminded.The Staff. Not as a whole, mind you, some are friendly enough- but there is a particular few who have the most condescending, patronising attitude, which is not acceptable- at all. They will happily backchat you and must be made of stone, perhaps if they smiled they may just crack? I understand most of the staff are volunteers... but maybe that's the emphasis - don't volunteer somewhere you so clearly don't want to be and serve people you show so little respect to. You should love your work and be proud of what you do - show it . These chaps need a little customer service SOS. What a shame!

It's interesting reading the reviews of the "ghastly" staff below. Remember that the staff are volunteers, as I was once. I don't know if their induction was similar to mine, i.e. none at all, but the turnover seems high (new faces every time I go) and so many of the audience are up themselves that it might not make working there a pleasant experience. Without going into details, I left because of the appalling attitude of the female co-owner, and the descriptions about being harangued for talking don't surprise me in the least. Both Oto and The Vortex nearby have a 'silence while playing' policy, which is fine and dandy, but they don't bother to advertise this, which is both irritating and pretentious. It is hot as hell in the summer and has no air conditioning, which I'm sure adds to the 70s CBGBs vibe it seems to be trying to ape. I'm not a huge fan of the distressed look either to be frank; cheap is cheap in any language. The drinks on offer are fine if you are a Japanese or Trappist Monk beer type, but I'm not, and the bar staff tend to be as up themselves as the audience (apart from ?Carl, who has been there from the beginning, and is lovely). I can't comment on the food, but it looks basic, and I certainly wouldn't eat there out of choice. It reminds me of those hippy restaurants that were everywhere years ago, awash with veggie burghers and dodgy curries.I go to Oto regularly and have done since it opened in 2008. Is there anything good about it? Well, there's the music, which totally makes up for it's other shortcomings. It has cornered the market for free improvisation, my favorite genre, and consistently features acts of the highest quality. In fact, I'm going there tonight to see Trembling Bells. The entrance fees are extremely reasonable, and it has to be the most exciting venue for challenging music in the UK and possibly the world.So, make sure you eat and drink beforehand (lots of great Turkish restaurants nearby), don't take any nonsense from the staff or the poncy clientele, and you'll have an exceptionally interesting musical experience. Log on to their website to get a sense of the variety of the musical fare.

Esoteric music in an intimate space undermined by surly management and high prices for food and drink.

Truly ghastly place, made worse by staff who were clearly taking out their resentment of working there on customers. Shameful. Visited for a coffee on the evening of May 2 (bank holiday weekend). Even the coffee tasted like it had given up. How something this poor can survive in a modern era London astounds me. Have a tidy, a good scrub and get staff in who understand and treat customer as king, not an inconvenience.

Good food and seats outside, but a smile wouldn't go amiss. We had a lovely salad and a frittata wrap and kernel beer on tap. The

Bar was ok, music, food, drinks... just fine, but a waitress showed so bad education and totalitarianism. I,m not paying for rude service.Say no more.

The concert was good until some japanese girl from the staff goes around telling everybody who was just talking to be quiet.She was doing that in the worst and rudest possible way, making the whole experience anything but comfy.So, we leave and never come back.

We went for aexperimental music night, and the waitress was very rude making people silent in a quite agressive way. Prices were ok, and the music was interesting, but the bad manners of this particular person were a huge bad point.

Sono stata due sere di seguito in questo locale ed è stato molto bello. Ha un'ottima programmazione musicale e l'atmosfera è molto adatta al tipo di musiche che vengono proposte. Purtroppo però bisogna presentarsi molto presto se si vuole avere la possibilità di sedersi, perchè le sedie sono davvero poche. Consiglio quindi di essere lì almeno 45 minuti prima.. Le birre inoltre sono molto buone. Da andarci se si vuole trascorrere una serata diversa con buona musica!

Нормальное среднестатистическое кафе! Все было вкусно. Любезный персонал, достойное меню, быстрое обслуживание. Всем остались довольны. Спасибо!

Last week I was in Cafe Oto. That Saturday there wasn't a concert but just a background music.The place is nice, huge space and simple furniture.Anyway...I asked for a cider and the barista answered me that he had just one type of cider: Luscombe ( organic Devon cider). Obviously, I took this cider, I didn't have other choices.I am not joking, it was the most awful cider ever.It was like the brine. DIsgusting.

Cafe Oto has a large indoor space with a theatre/venue vibe (unsurprising since it functions as that during the evenings) and a few small outdoor tables. There are large tables, power points, free wifi and no hassling from the staff so it's an ideal place to work or study. I'm not a coffee fanatic so I can't comment personally on the quality, however I have it on good authority that it's not too bad as London goes (and that's from a fellow Melbournian)

Having been to The Barbican Centre the night before, Cafe Oto was a completely different experience. It was like a good old gig venue; wooden chairs, conrete floor, packed with people all getting hot in the confined space.But saying that, it's a great place to spend a couple of hours with friends seeing a live performance and the sound is wonderful. There's also a nice relaxed atmosphere, a decent bar and goodies for sale.

third time ive been here to see music in the evening and only once have i seen a full set by the main band,despite their website saying most gigs are done by 11 sadly this is just not true,once i missed a bands second set and today i completely missed the main band as they were still setting up as i had to leave at 11.20 to catch a train,not every one lives in london! also the venue is ridiculously hot and expensive, 2 pints set me back £9.20!

Great coffee, but the staff are a bit pretentious and rude. Don't expect a smile, but expect a good tasting coffee!

Very close to Dalston Junction overground in quiet back street. Outside tables , relaxed staff. Small music venue in the evening, friendly staff, good coffee.

un endroit très agréable dans Dalston, où les produits et les concerts sont de qualité ! nous n'avons pas mangé mais les cake sur le bar avaient l'air délicieux, le whisky est Top et ils ont de très bonnes limonade aussi ;-D à voir le jour et la nuit !

I was very much looking forward to my visit to cafe oto after booking a 'festival' type event on 'e festivals'. However when me and a friend arrived it was deadly silent. Fair enough, I thought as people wanted wanted to experience the music fully. However, this was not advertised on their site and me and a friend wanted a place to enjoy music and enjoy each others company by having a little chat. This was extremely frowned upon and a man actually threatened my friend for talking even though we purposely stayed in the bar area to avoid disruption. He actually threatened to 'punch her in the face' which was totally over the top. The staff did not support us and asked us to leave as we complained about the man in question! We were extremely disappointed at the lack of support and when we explained that we stayed in the bar area so we could talk but not disrupt the bands playing, we were dismissed. Extremely unhelpful, not advertised accurately and actually feel victimised. Would never recommend! Which is a shame.

I have been to Cafe Oto for an evening gig and in the daytime to relax in the cafe. Although the seats are on the hard side, I find Cafe Oto really relaxing. The Brugse Zot Blonde beer is excellent, you get two cups out of the pot of tea and the snacks are tasty. The last time I was there, Pink Floyd's 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn' was playing, one of my all time favourite albums. However, the volume was so low I could hardly hear it. The staff are all really friendly and helpful.

I mainly use Cafe Oto for a morning coffee while reading my newspaper, which makes me considerably older and less up to date than the majority of the other customers who I guess have only obtained their news electronically for years. Still the coffee is quite good and the homemade cookies and cakes are usually excellent. For later in the day there is a wide and eclectic range of drinks and an interesting lunch menu. The varied second-hand furniture adds to the ambience, even if it is not uniformly comfortable. It is the place to see young artists, musicians and media types discuss their forthcoming performances, exhibitions and productions as well as providing a hang out for old Dalston types and parents with kids. I have also heard good reports of it as a music venue, but that is not really my thing.

Oto is great - lots of experimental music you won't find in mainstream venues. Yes, it is a café - but nothing more and is best described as a music venue. Good bar including a great range of scotch including Japanese ones that were totally new to me. Very decent prices. If you're in town as a visitor, I wouldn't head here to eat - but would make the effort if you are interested in the music they have on that evening and want to experience a bit of Dalston. Staff can be a tad grumpy - owners excluded - they're totally charming.

Sono stato al Cafe Oto diverse volte, sempre per assistere a pregevoli iniziative musicali condite da una buona birra o da qualche bicchiere di vino. Il personale è really easy, simpatico e disponibile. Il posto è spazioso e accogliente a suo modo. C'è anche qualche tavolino all'esterno...Ottima anche la zona, piuttosto hipster e caratteristica...

I went to Cafe Oto various times for concerts and each time I love it more. It's an intimate, nice venue in Dalston with an extensive events list. I love this venue and I hope they will keep rocking as they do - the only problem is that when it's full and there's a concert it easily turns into a steam room as they do not have any air-conditioning system, nor any fans. But this doesn't stop me from recommending it. Drinks not too pricey.

As someone who's rarely been to London, I found Cafe Oto easy to get to, and great to visit. Plus, whoever does the booking should be commended. What a rare treat to go out to hear an experimental duo and to find that the former leader of Cabaret Voltaire and his latest band are opening for the evening. I'll definitely check the schedule if I ever get to London again.

Came with few visiting friends for a music gig. This wasn't my first visit there. Unlike some experimental you get to hear there, this time the music was really good. Great selection of drinks for reasonable pricing, cool crowd..now my friends think i'm cool too :)

Large lovely cafe/bar right off Kingsland Road with a bit of an old-school hippy vibe. Cheap coffee (£1.70 for a latte), hand-baked goods, good quality alcohol and lots of space. It’s a bit sparse inside – a large, low-ceilinged concrete room with school chairs and the odd sofa – but made up for by the friendly staff, interesting crowd and the gigs they put on, which range from the brilliantly weird to the just weird.