London area guide: Brixton
Brixton is a delightful smorgasbord of a place, where different corners of the world come together to call this South London neighbourhood home.
I love exploring here – any time of day. Remember when women’s magazines spent years preparing us for how to take a look from day to night? They were writing about Brixton.
From coffee and brunch to nights out and summer festivals, this is your London area guide to Brixton.
Coffee, brunch, & lunch
Stir Coffee
Delicious coffee and there are always dog treats on the shelf for four-legged friends. That’s a place I want to get my flat white from. Pastries are in a glass case, like artwork, as it should be. Slightly off the well-worn Brixton track, this spot is still well worth a visit.
The Laundry
The Laundry does day-to-night dining very well, and a banging Sunday roast dinner too while we’re talking about it, but its brunch is the star of the show – and it’s on the menu seven days a week. The menu has a whole section dedicated to the various ways you can serve eggs, plus highlights including the toasted banana bread with honeycomb butter and The Laundry’s brioche bap (beef sausage, bacon, cheddar and the star of the show: Bloody Mary ketchup). It’s best to come in a pair. Mostly so you can split a savoury and a sweet breakfast down the middle.
Dining out
Brixton Village
I could write 1,000 words on why Brixton Village is the best place to go when you don’t know what you fancy for dinner, and that’s because it has everything you could dream of. Food you didn’t even know you wanted. You’ll find Etta’s Seafood Kitchen for jerk prawns, Falafel and Shawarma serving stuffed wraps, Two Twins Tacos where you’ll have more than just two, The Joint for a juicy burger, and Three Uncles for a feast of Cantonese delights. And these are just a few that I’m always going back to.
Buster’s
What a burger. What a bun. What a buffalo chicken wing. There is a minimal menu at Buster’s, but it’s done to perfection. Replacing Other Side Fried, Buster’s is a new meat-focused burger joint by the same owners – and it has recently brought a select few pieces from Other Side Fried back to the main menu. Get the garlic butter chicken burger or the double cheeseburger for a good time.
Naughty Piglets
This isn’t your usual neighbourhood restaurant. Sat on Brixton Water Lane, Naughty Piglets is cheeky in that it has a constantly changing menu created by the chef in residence. It likes to keep you coming back for more. Whether it’s Masterchef cook Philippe Sonou or now Wildflowers owner Aaron Potter, this place oozes talent – and deliciousness.
Pubs and nightlife
Pop Brixton
London loves a converted shipping container, and Pop Brixton is made up of 55 of them. You’ll find food stalls to curb your hunger, bars to quench your thirst, and an events line-up that will get you up from the sofa. Regular events include its Block Party and free R&B day party.
The Blues Kitchen
Not much beats a live band, and the stage of Brixton’s The Blues Kitchen is rarely empty. Coming up, there’s a special homage to everyone’s favourite brat – a night dedicated to the Charlie XCX album as a gospel show. You can also sing along to the Brixton Got Soul set every Saturday or take it behind closed doors and book the karaoke room for up to twenty guests. Or for two. I’m not here to judge how you do karaoke, I just know it’s my time to shine.
Duke of Edinburgh
Arguably the best beer garden in South London, the Duke of Edinburgh is a hub of your Hinge matches when summer rolls around. With seven screens dotted around, inside and out, it’s also a fan favourite for sports lovers. Whatever the occasion, just be sure to get down early to secure a good bench outside and set up camp for the day. You don’t come here just for the one pint.
Effra Social
This is the best place to do a bottomless brunch in Brixton. Effra Social offers 90 minutes of unlimited margaritas, among other bottomless drinks, and buttermilk fried chicken waffles, among other brunch dishes, and that to me is heaven. Every Friday is Mike Urban’s Mega Pop Party for the pop girlies and Saturday sees DJs take to the decks bringing you different vibes each week. It’s a solid all-rounder, our Effra.
Things to do
The Ritzy
There’s not much I love more than rom-com worthy declarations of love – and when the Ritzy’s board changes from film times to ‘Will you marry me?’, it melts me like a puddle. Showing new films, screenings of older classics, and well-loved movies, this is my favourite cinema, hands down.
Brixton Life Drawing
For the arty and the not-so-arty. Brixton Life Drawing is a weekly, inclusive life drawing event hosted at Paddy’s Yard. The evening is split into two halves of drawing, each with different, timed poses for you to tackle. All materials are provided and you can grab a drink and meet like-minded people while drawing the human form.
Brockwell Lido
It may be more of an ice plunge during winter, but Brockwell Lido is always a refreshing visit. Whether you’re cooling off from those two weeks a year where the temp hits over 30 degrees in London, or swimming with a woolly hat on, having this lido on the doorstep of Brixton is a treat. And you can grab a pizza from Four Hundred Rabbits after your lengths, too. The Clean or The Dirty pizza, either will satiate that post-swim hunger.
Brockwell Park
Home to some of London’s best festivals, Brockwell Park is the place to go most weekends from May to June. There’s Brockwell Bounce and Lambeth Country Show for the families, Field Day for a two-step, Mighty Hoopla for divas, and loads more to enjoy in the fields. And any other time, it’s a lovely place for a stroll, a takeaway coffee, and a natter with your besties.
brockwell-live.com
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