The Knowhere Guide

Eating and Drinking in Brixton, Greater London*

Brixton, Greater London Pubs, Cafes, Coffee Shops and Restaurants

Food

• The Kabab shop opposite the old white horse pub (now the samba bar) is one of the best plus my mums house
• Babushka is now closed.
• eco, brixton market, best pizzas in england
• Fujiyama and Ichaban off Railton Road for Japanese, the Noodle bar on Coldharbour lane for very cheap Chinese.
• No way - the food in the Sate Bar is rank. Barely defrosted food they just bought from Iceland.
• as a balance to the lengthly assault on Pangaea - I'be been going there since it opened and have always had excellent service and excellent food
• BEWARE of PANGAEA pizza restaurant on atlantic road. we went in there yesterday evening, because we heard that the pizza there was great, but... we got there at about 8.15, and didn't get our order to close on 9.30. firstly, they gave me lemonade that was more like soda water, because the soft drinks mixer wasn't working properly. then people that came after us, got their food way before us, our orders got mixed up, and we received the wrong food. when we got the right pizzas, the aubergine on my pizza was stone cold [whilst the rest of the pizza was hot]. to be fair, they did compensate us with a free drink, as it was taking so long to get our order cooked. when i asked for the bill, it was put on the counter and not given to me where i was sitting, - our waiter was having a drink behind the bar, and we had to ask again for our bill. by this time, I got quite annoyed about the whole meal, and the lack of customer service. for our sins, they had added 10% customer service onto the bill as well. the manager was less than courteous, saying that he he hadn't forgotten the order, just that they had got it wrong. then he asked us what we wanted. when we asked him what would be the usual practice, he said that he'd take off £5, plus the 10% - when we paid, there was the cursory cheers, and that was it - no admission of sorry, nothing like that. it left me with a rather derisory experience of eating there, and I don't recommend that you pay the service charge for such god awful service, if you do decide to visit. the bread and olives were good, but then i don't suppose that you can go far wrong with them...can you?
• The range of West Indian food available
• Inner City London Market style.
• Eco in Brixton Market (Inside Arcade) make the best Pizzas in the world! Fact. 'Nuff said. Also check out the Brixton Wholefood Co-op. It's well stocked, and try the fresh New Zealand(!) Carrot Cake.
• SATAY BAR..THE BEST RESTAURANT IN BRIXTON. AFTER 6 IS THE BEST TIME TO GO IN. BETTER ATMOSPHERE, GOOD SERVICE, LIVELY MUSIC, NEVER SHORT OF PERSONALITY. A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PLACE.
• Helter Skelter - fabulous food, quite posh but in the scariest bit of Atlantic Road.
• Peter Pepper's Mediterrean Vegetarian Take Away - its not just take away, it's a cool spot to hang out. Which is what you might end up doing as service is a bit slow. But the food is imaginative and tasty and the staff are very friendly. It's up near the top of the Hill in Morrish Rd ( last turning off Brixton Hill before the South Circular). Mid price. Open In morinings for that interesting concept,veggie fry-ups and in the evening for really good Medddie Veggie dishes.
• Helter Skelter - Restaurant in the maze that is the market (perhaps Electric Avenue - just wander til you find it) Excellent food, eclectic sort of modern British come Thai come... Lots of fish & vegetables. Around £20 per head. Paintings by Jasper
• Great food at good prices in a pleasant atmosphere at Goya on Acre Lane. Eclectic (?) music and menu.
• There are others poppong up all the time especially on Coldharbour / Atlantic Road.
• Thai Cafe also in Market Row and great for fresh Thai food.
• Pushkas also in Market Row and a good wholemeal veggie restaurant.
• Franco's Pizza in Market Row off Electric Lane serves the best pizza in London but only open during the day with the markets.
• Bah Humbug - In the crypt of St.Matthews Church a great restaurant serving veggie and fish.
• Fujiyama - a new Japaneses noodle bar off Coldharbour Lane in Vining Street.
• Satay Bar - a new Satay restaurant/bar next to the Ritzy on Coldharbour Lane.
• The Markets: Market Row off Coldharbour Lane hides some great little restaurants/cafes.
• Brixton Wholefoods is a cool shop, their wholemeal bread is heavy and filling - a loaf will last you ages and it's just the thing for curing those 3 am munchies.

Pubs

• theres not that many pubs left in brixton but the goose does good promotions at the moment a pint of STELLA is £ 1.85 and the food is nice if you stick to their burgers. the pubs in brixton are either trendy so the locals can't afford to drink there or look just the same as they did in 1975
• DO NOT go to Living. They are said to be racist and soon to exit Brixton big style!
• Babushka
• Living (trendy pub on Coldharbour Lane) is nice aside from the customers. I like it there as, not being a local, I can go in there without feeling like I am tearing through some "only locals & dealers welcome" forcefield. Its expensive but the tunes are usually good.
• It's out of the centre - but Bar Lorca on Brixton Road has a good atmosphere, good dancing and OK tapas
• George 4
• the living room - nice for lounging around, and reading the paper on a saturday afternoon. it's on coldharbour lane. dogstar on a sunday night - 80's party-o-rama!
• Well, it seems like the good people writing here have forgotten some pretty crucial Brixton joints, so here they are. The Duke of Edinburgh, sometimes known as 'the Rock'. A classic Brixton boozer on Ferndale Road, HUGE garden, young crowd, liberal atmosphere. THE summer pub. The Hamilton. Not sure quite where this is, as am always half cut when I get there, but suffice to say, somewhere near Railton Road and Hamilton Road. Known for: the huge sound system that cranks out reggae at a very nice volume, and cranky regulars a-plenty. The Trinity Arms in Trinity Square. From the outside, the kind of pub you wouldn't be seen dead in, but from the inside... exactly the same. But, there's something about this pub that makes it one of the best locals in Brixton. Good beer, always a seat, and a square outside with concrete over it to save on grass-mowing bills. Luvverly...
• The Hobgoblin, for the great garden in summertime. In Brixton Hill, beside the post office: The Windmill, a great small pub that organizes thematic nights (techno on sundays). Very nice atmosphere. On Saturdays or Sundays daytime, George IV for the after parties. Otherwise, go to "The Weather and Spoon", the cheapest pub in Brixton, but just to get drunk before moving on to somewhere else.
• Firkin pub is better than many Firkins - witness the small number of 'firkin toilets' etc signs inside
• Effra Tavern, superb local pub. Great atmosphere. Duke of Edinburgh. Young ravy place with a huge beer garden. Really vibey.
• there is a new pub in brixton called furze & windmill with windymiller inside yes you guest it cambelwick green is where they got the name from easy access from tube (victoria line thats the blue one on the map)and british rail and all major bus coming into brixton. nice and frienly pub sells hot & cold food though out the day aswell as bitters,largers .
• Dog Star - what was the old and notorious Atlantic Pub now a trendy bar / club place.
• Hobgoblin, Effra Road, ask for a pint of Dogs Bollocks then... enjoy.
• Prince Albert, Coldharbour Lane provides a wonderful cultural mix.

Cafes and Coffee Shops

• the best cafe in brixton is the green one in the granville arcade the people who own it have been there years and are friendy and the place is clean
• portuguese caffs on stockwell rd
• The juice bar on Coldharbour Lane, nice and comfy, all kinds of fresh juices, good (and cheap!) coffees, beers, etc. Plus a massive range of black literature.
• As far as I know Bah Humbug is closed. Cafe Pushka has moved out of the market onto Codharbour Lane & reduced its menu (bah humbug!). Was someone slagging off !ounge on Atlantic Road? Well, it doesn't deserve it. Whenever I've been in there it seems to draw its customers from across a wide section of society, from middle class students to "normal" & strange people.
• The Lounge, just no. It's full of 'Brixtonites' ie rich public school types 'slumming it'in Brixton. Close your eyes and you could be on the King's Road. Hell. Overpriced, don't bother.i rate the Effra though, much better mix and live jazz and Carribean food every night!
• SW9 near Marks and Spencer
• Try "The cafe on the Hill" for cheap n cheerful food, and also tasty thai food, get down there before 3pm.
• cafe cairo and greenleaf are nice all night cafes in landor road - inbetween brixton and clapham
• SW9 is fab
• Lounge on Railton Road has great coffee and does Internet access for when the Tate Library is closed Phoenix Cafe on Coldharbour Lane does the best breakfast in south London

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Last updated: 2006-12-08