Loading in Dalston is a haven, of a specific sort. The bar is hidden in plain sight, with no obvious signage. This adds to its charm; it seems the kind of place that you’d only find if it had been pointed out to you on the high street.
If you manage to find your way in, you’ll be greeted with a sight that might seem a tad garish.The bar is a little hard to find; the walls are painted in a fantastic mural of roses, clouds, and – for the specific clientele of the bar – a wallpaper of a popular video game.
The pub has a grunge feel, like an cool dive bar frequented by punks and free spirits. There are posters for video games, and arcade machines galore, but it never feels scrubbed clean and nerdy. The beer is pretty standard London prices; a fiver for a pint is nothing special. But it’s the games, scattered everywhere, that make the bar special.
Old school
I saw the very old school Dreamcast and Nintendo 64, as well as Nintendo Switches and Playstation 4s playing popular games like Donkey Kong Jr. Street Fighter II and Addams Family Pin-Ball. It’s not all digital gaming here though; board games dot the walls, with everything from Monopoly to the almost unheard of Jetpack Joyride: The Board Game.
This regular old pub has taken a tack for the slightly niche, but very loyal. The staff are all lovely, and will help when your goddamn Playstation 4 controller is bugging out.
The community feel is incredible. You’re all there playing games, meaning that – shock horror – you interact with strangers.
Loading has this incredible sense of community, which you get almost from your first visit. A great night out with some friends, if a pint and a quick round of Mario Kart is your thing.
