Cafe Oto

{{Short description|Music venue in Dalston, London, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox venue | name = Cafe Oto | image = Cafe Oto, Dalston, E8 (5273183631).jpg | caption = A view to the entrance to Cafe Oto | address = 18–22 Ashwin Street | city = London | country = England | coordinates = {{coord|51.5469|-0.0747|display=inline}} | opened = 2008 | closed = | website = {{URL|www.cafeoto.co.uk}} }}

'''Cafe Oto''' is a restaurant and bar offering free jazz, experimental , and free improvisation performances located in the Dalston district of London, England.

== History ==

The building was originally occupied by a paint mixing company from 1866 to 1954.<ref name="Time Out 2025">{{cite web |last1=Balmont |first1=James |title=‘You always know you’ll get something interesting’: an oral history of Cafe OTO |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/music/you-always-know-youll-get-something-interesting-an-oral-history-of-cafe-oto |website=timeout.com |access-date=15 March 2026}}</ref> During the 1990s, the space was used as a club.{{Citation needed|reason=It was, but not supported by the existing ref - see talk page|date=March 2026}} Cafe Oto was opened in 2008 by Hamish Dunbar and Keiko Yamamoto with funding from a local investment charity.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/may/02/cafe-oto-italian-vogue|title=Why east London's Cafe Oto is Britain's coolest venue|first=Alex|last=Needham|date=2 May 2012|via=The Guardian}}</ref> It has subsequently been the recipient of Arts Council England funding.<ref name="Time Out 2025" /> The Cafe provides a platform for experimental music ranging across all genres from folk, rock, noise, to electronica. The venue is a single room with a 150-person capacity. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/may/01/10-years-of-cafe-oto-how-the-east-london-venue-became-the-heart-of-the-underground|title=10 years of Cafe Oto: how the east London venue became the heart of the underground|first=Noah|last=Payne-Frank|date=1 May 2018|via=The Guardian}}</ref>

Occasionally, artists take up a brief residence across an entire week, such as Sun Ra Arkestra playing five nights in a row.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/mar/05/gig-venue-guide-london-cafe-oto ''The gig venue guide: Cafe Oto, London''] The Guardian</ref> The venue is used to record live albums released under the cafe's ''OTOROKU'' label, among them Peter Brötzmann, John Butcher, Lol Coxhill, Phil Durrant, Fred Frith, Mats Gustafsson, Alexander Hawkins, Joe McPhee, Roscoe Mitchell, Thurston Moore, Paal Nilssen-Love, Steve Noble, Other Dimensions in Music, Han-Earl Park, Evan Parker, Eddie Prevost, Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp, Damo Suzuki and Ken Vandermark.<ref>Tom Lord ''The Jazz Discography'' (online, accessed 12 September 2014)</ref>

Around the corner from the venue, Cafe Oto maintains the Oto Project Space, utilised by aspiring artists and filmmakers to develop their craft through practice and workshop areas. In May 2020, the venue launched a new in-house digital label, ''TakuRoku,'' featuring works created in response to the London lockdown and social distancing measures, with 50% of the profits going directly to the artist,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Eede |first1=Christian |title=Cafe OTO Launches Digital Label, TakuRoku |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/28283-cafe-oto-digital-label-takuroku |website=The Quietus |access-date=1 February 2021 |language=en-GB |date=19 May 2020}}</ref> providing a way to help sustain both Cafe Oto and the artists involved.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cafe Oto launches lockdown music label TakuRoku |url=https://www.thewire.co.uk/news/58316/cafe-oto-label-takuroku-releases-lockdown-music |website=The Wire}}</ref>

== Critical reception ==

In 2012, Cafe Oto was noted by Vogue Italia as the 'coolest venue in London'.<ref name="auto"/>

In 2025, composer Daniel Blumberg thanked the venue in his acceptance speech at the Oscars.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bakare |first1=Lanre |title=Oscar winner’s shoutout for London music venue Cafe Oto stuns owner |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/03/oscar-winner-shoutout-london-music-venue-cafe-oto-brutalist |website=theguardian.com |publisher=The Guardian |access-date=15 March 2026}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== Links == {{Commons category}} *[http://www.cafeoto.co.uk/ Cafe Oto Homepage]

Category:Jazz clubs in London Category:Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hackney

Category:Experimental music