Drink
De Beauvoir Deli has been a neighbourhood favourite for over a decade, known for its exceptional produce. This July, founder Harry Davies is giving it a new lease of evening life with De Beauvoir Wines, transforming the much-loved café across the road into a wine bar. We went along and bagged a spot on the terrace, which is exactly where you want to be in summer. There’s a strong by-the-glass list, concise and ever-changing, plus seasonal cocktails if you’re not in a wine mood.
Food-wise, it’s classic wine bar territory: interesting cheese plates and a charcuterie selection for sharing, alongside a few extras – the pork belly, rillette and even the bowl of crisps are all worth your time. It’s all built on the deli’s long-standing relationships with independent growers, producers and suppliers, so expect top-tier produce throughout. Same warm hospitality that’s made the deli a local institution, just running later. Costa De Beauvoir is the place to be.
This is one of the biggest pub gardens we’ve been to. In fact, the Leather Bottle says it has THE biggest in South West London. Book a table for big birthdays, Six Nations and World Cup matches, or just a sunny pint in the sun. Plus there are seven garden huts which can hold up to 25 people.
River views don’t get much better than this. Just down the path from Hammersmith Bridge, it’s hard to take a stroll along the towpath without stopping for a riverside pint at The Crabtree. The terrace seats fill up quickly, but the back-up option is just as good – a secluded, wisteria-filled garden with tables hidden away in every nook and cranny.
What’s better than a beer in the sun? A beer in the sun with a barbecue, of course. The Garden Bar Grill and Smokehouse by Cue Point London offers both. And we’re not talking your standard hot dog and burger situation. Mursal Saiq and Joshua Moroney take barbecuing to a new level with their Afghan-Texan fusion. The concept is built around low-and-slow barbecue, mixing Texas-style BBQ, and Afghan spices, chutneys, pickles and sauces. The garden is massive too, providing the perfect place to watch the live-fire cooking while sipping on a pint.
If you’re looking for a cocktail done well, head on down to Spirits & Sounds. You can find all the classics, alongside a menu of small plates and snacks. But it’s not just about the drinks here. As the name suggests, at Spirits & Sounds, music is just as integral to the experience as the booze. Enjoy weekly DJ sets, live jazz and classic hits nights with a highly curated tracklist. There’s even a games night every Wednesday for when you’re feeling competitive.
Had a bite in Brixton Village and looking for a post-dinner bevvy? Well, the Liquor Club is the place to go. It has a huge range of expertly curated spirits, wines and cocktails, with a focus on local, Black-owned brands. The staff have a deep knowledge of all things drink, so you can pick their brains about the best rums, whiskeys and tequilas over a boozy slushy or a cup of the signature house punch.
Clover’s has been serving the people of Brixton since 1999. It serves a menu of Caribbean crowdpleasers, like jerk chicken and saltfish, as well as burgers and wraps, alongside local beers and cocktails. Clover’s also hosts regular artists in residence, so there’s even more reason to go, besides the coffee, the food, the cocktails and the vibes.
Harvey Nichols has just relaunched the Fifth Floor Terrace with a new summer à la carte menu and a view over Knightsbridge that earns its place. This is a proper sit-down spot rather than somewhere to perch with a drink, with seasonal dishes and an extensive drinks list that includes the Champagne PIAFF collection, fine wines and cocktails. Open for bookings and walk-ins.
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HAUSU
Set in the old Peckham Station waiting room, Hausu took over the space that was previously Coal Rooms in October 2024 and has most recently opened a cocktail bar on the first floor, Upstairs at Hausu. Downstairs remains the spot for more formal dining, while upstairs is a bit looser, a 35-seat cocktail bar with DJ playing, draped with long red curtains in a little nod to David Lynch’s Red Room – Hausu itself is named after the director’s 1977 cult horror film. Co-founder Holly Middleton-Joseph,heads up the kitchen with a modern, seasonal menu that’s shaped by her Chinese and Trinidadian heritage – think dishes like boquerones spiked with lime leaf oil; Miranda tomato garlic toast; filletto lardato charcuterie; whole wild bass stuffed with samphire, pickled lemon and rice; and potatoes with miso confit garlic. Her brother and co-founder Tom is in charge of the drinks programme and has created cocktails like the Salted Tomato Martini, the Honey Orange Old Fashioned and the Sour Apple Mezcal Margarita.
We were very sad to see one of our fave East London spots Papi shut up shop but Matthew, Charlie and crew didn’t leave us mourning for too long by opening the Golden Tooth, on the site of former pub The Leconfield. It’s a more grown-up, crowd-pleasing version of the food that Matthew was cooking at Papi, which suits the new set-up perfectly. The dishes may be less experimental but the flavour is all there, and there’s a real focus on British ingredients too. Think the likes of brined tomatoes finished with Dorstone cheese, ex-dairy beef tartare, cheese custard tart rich with Lincolnshire Poacher, red prawn and chicken stargazy pie, Iberico chop with burnt apple ketchup, and creme caramel with blood orange. Charlie, who owns Wingnut Wines, has really come into his own with a cracking wine list, which is about 80% English.
Molly Blooms
If you’re looking for a traditional Irish pub in Dalston, it’s hard to miss Molly Blooms, mainly because of its bright green exterior. It’s a proper locals boozer, so expect lots of Guinness being poured at the bar, GAA and Celtic matches on the telly, and plenty of characters to bump into.
If you spent any time in Haggerston over the past seven years, you’ll have walked past the shuttered exterior of The Fox, the pub on the corner of Kingsland Road and Middleton Road. Happily it’s been given a new lease of life – the red exterior is gone and is now dark green – thanks to the same team behind Hoxton boozer Howl at the Moon. Fresh Hot Pizza in the kitchen, and weekly events, sports, gigs and more.
Jumbi
Founded by Nathanael T Williams of Colour Factory and Bradley Zero of Rhythm Section, Jumbi is a celebration of the flavours and sounds of the African-Caribbean diaspora, with a high-fidelity sound system and vinyl library at its heart. You can go down to hangout with some rum cocktails, or throw some shapes at one of the weekend takeovers.
A mainstay of the Blackhorse Road Beer Mile, Exale is the self-proclaimed ‘party capital of the Stow’. Open until 2am every Friday and Saturday, this is where music, dance, food and community come together. And the beer’s bloody good too (all brewed by the team themselves, of course). Don’t miss weekly karaoke every Friday.
In such a saturated market, True Craft helps you find the craft beers that are actually good. The team carefully curates the finest selection of beers they can find, championing local London breweries as well as independent producers from across the UK and beyond. If you need a little something to line your stomach, be sure to order one of the famous sourdough pizzas. They make the dough by hand on site everyday and source most ingredients from the best British suppliers.
It can sometimes feel like IPA is the golden child of the craft beer world, but Pillars bucks the trend. At London’s first independent lager brewery and taproom, there are no stouts or ales in sight. Instead, it’s all about pilsner, session lager, hop lager and helles. Sit among the tanks at the Walthamstow-based brewery, or visit the Untraditional Pub at CRATE St James Street.
Signature Brew brings together two of our favourite things: great beer and great music. A brewery by day and live music venue by night, you can sample a diverse discography of craft beers while enjoying some of the very best gigs London has to offer. In addition to its core lineup of lagers and ales, the brewery often serves up limited edition beers created with musicians. Previous collabs include the likes of alt-J, the Libertines and IDLES to name a few.
