![]() ‘I said: “I’m gonna buy this pub, I don’t care how much it will cost me.”’ He put in an offer immediately and soon the place was his. ‘I was in love straight away,’ says Yildiz. He still remembers the moment he first stepped foot inside it. When Yildiz bought The Dolphin in 2001, it had been an Irish pub for around 60 years. They were created by legendary pub decorators of the time W B Simpson and Sons. The building is even Grade-II listed thanks to its tiled walls and stained-glass windows (complete with blue dolphins floating at a jaunty angle) which date back to around 1900. According to records from Historic England, it’s been around since roughly 1850. The pub at 163-165 Mare Street has a history that goes way back, long before it was pumping out ’90s R&B and smashing through bottles of Jägermeister. How did this ordinary pub end up being such an integral part of east London nightlife? Photograph: Ben Rowe New beginnings It was actually… kind of disgusting! And, during that time, if you were going out in Hackney, it was almost unquestionable that you’d end up there. But in its heyday, between 20, the pub’s owner Yaşar Yildiz says thousands of people would go through the doors on Friday and Saturday nights. In fact, right now, it is shut, windows covered with notices from Hackney council about a review of the premises licence. ![]() There are even rumours about a now-defunct loyalty card.įrom the outside, with its wood-panelled front and classic gold signage, The Dolphin looks like your average traditional London pub. Its door stamp (of a Dolphin, obviously) is an icon in its own right, and not just because it’s impossible to scrub off – punters have been known to get it tattooed on their wrist. Its late licence means it’s open until 4am at the weekend. It’s a rare kind of place where the word ‘legendary’ actually applies. People have strong feelings about this pub on Mare Street. ‘It’s the only place where you can get everyone to sing along to “Mysterious Girl” at 3am without judgement.’ He got kicked out for being topless and rowdy.’ When I put out a call asking for drunken tales, these were the kind of responses that slid into my DMs: They’ll regale you with stories of messy nights, questionable decisions and sickly shots of They’ll wince and say something along the lines of: ‘Is that that place on Mare Street?’Ģ. Ask a Londoner of a certain age about The Dolphin pub in Hackney and it will probably go one of two ways:ġ.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |