The best Brixton bars

Not to be confused with the Effra pub down the road, this Effra is a charming old working men's club that is now used for a variety of gigs, club nights, ping pong, darts, quizzes and roasts on Sundays. It's also home to one of the best deals in town: From 12-7pm every Monday to Friday, pints and glasses of wine are £4.50. Bargain. 

Naughty Piglets may tempt passers-by with delicious dishes and small plates FROM guest chefs, but its real passion is natural and low-intervention wines. Opened by a French husband-and-wife team, bottles are sourced from small producers all around the world to serve up to locals out on date night or oenophiles keen to expand their wine horizons.

There’s an industrial glamour to this bar; a cavernous concrete shell dotted with metal fixtures and faux-Tiffany lamps giving a faded art deco grandeur. The drinks menu is impressive with inventive takes on classic cocktails, a great selection of wine on tap, and a fine choice of absinthe, which they serve in the classic French style. A taste of Italy is on offer in the form of fresh pasta and pizza. If you turn up early, the bar is open for weekday hot desking - bottomless coffee is included.

An alchemist’s laboratory of tinctures, potions and spirits dominates the tiny and sometimes frenetic front room at Shrub & Shutter, a cocktail bar on Coldharbour Lane. Puns are used with abandon on the drinks list – gimmicky though this may be, the cocktails are expertly made and will wake you up big time when paired with the bar’s expertly curated soundtrack. They are as proud of their small plates and smoked BBQ meats as they are of their vinyl DJ sets.

Part of a mini chain that’s a staple in Brixton, Barrio is colourful and full of the unexpected – which includes a caravan that’s been made into a seating area. Cocktails play with flavours from South America, served in measures ranging from shots to sharer jugs. The bar snacks are a cut above the usual - filthy £2 tacos cannot be ignored.

Rumoured to offer London’s largest selection of bourbon, the Blues Kitchen is a Brixton gem situated on Acre Lane. The bar transforms into a live music extravaganza every Friday and Saturday, for evenings of classic blues, soul and R&B. Wednesday’s £6 cocktails should also be a staple your diary.

Market House’s signature Caribbean flavours are easily evidenced in their amazing food and flamboyant cocktails. Every Friday and Saturday downstairs the dance floor plays host to House Party - so bring your dancing shoes as mashup of funk, soul and disco takes centre stage.

This eclectic jumble of shipping containers is home to street food stalls, restaurants and shops – and of course, the odd bar or two. These include Brixton & Friends, who proudly champion a wide selection of beers from local breweries. Nestled amongst the containers is Batanga, a bar devoted solely to showcasing the artistry (and taste) of tequila. Thursday DJ sets and a big fat monthly quiz are also calendar staples.

Three Eight Four has a strong armed cocktail list that uses a range of international flavours, while the food largely focuses on Spanish bites and snacks. Forget happy hour, it’s round the clock joy on Sundays as cocktails will set you back £8. Perch at the bar or take to a small table for the best vantage point when admiring the artfully distressed interior.

Brixton’s only Irish cocktail bar, The Whiskey Tumbler is a pot of gold nestled on Coldharbour Lane. Their house specials are guaranteed to have you singing along with trad tunes, and the Paddy Express and Gunpowder Negroni cocktails are as strong as they are whimsical. Every Sunday evening live Irish music takes centre stage.

An eclectic yet sophisticated establishment serving up dim sum and hand crafted cocktails alongside late night burlesque cabaret; the Courtesan offers quite the combination. Their enviable drinks list champions wine, spirits and liqueurs made only by women or companies owned by them.