About
Brixton had its own properly illegal drinking dens (known as ‘shebeens’) long before Londoners fell for pastiche Prohibition-era speakeasies such as Sovereign Loss. You’ll uncover this first-floor film noir gin joint above the Prince of Wales boozer, behind a door marked ‘trade entrance’ next to the pub. The dimly lit art deco-inspired interior resembles an Edward Hopper print, though there’s also an attached terrace – handy in summer. Co-owner Chris Dennis (ex-Zetter Town House, Clerkenwell) is the head honcho, his capable and enthusiastic young team happy to mix reasonably priced Martinis, Old Fashioneds and revisited cocktail classics such as Journalist, Corpse Reviver, El Presidente and Metropole (a brandy-based Manhattan named after the notorious Times Square hotel of the 1900s). A covetable 24-hour licence means the venue (closed Mondays) currently stays open until as late as 5am at weekends: ideal for nightcaps after a bar crawl around Brixton’s increasingly diverting cocktail joints.