The Laundry

The Laundry occupies Walton Lodge, an Edwardian building on Coldharbour Lane that operated as a traditional steam-press laundry until 2014 - the source of both the room's name and its exposed-brick, tiled-floor, vintage-furnished character. It is the first solo venture of chef-sommelier Melanie Brown, previously a chef at The Providores and the wine buyer behind The New Zealand Cellar at Pop Brixton, and it trades all day as a neighbourhood bistro, cafe, bar and wine shop.

Wine is the anchor: a curated, roughly 50-strong list of old- and new-world bottles, a weekday L'Apero, brunch bellinis and Bloody Marys, and cold-weather Sunday roasts served across two semi-private dining rooms and a covered, heated terrace that runs food and drinks until late.

The non-alcoholic side is modest but real. The bar lists mocktails including a Seedlip Spritz, built on the pioneering British zero-proof distilled spirit, and a house Watermelonade, so guests who aren't drinking have proper made-to-order options rather than just a soft drink. For a wine-forward Brixton bistro, that alcohol-free thread makes it a workable low-and-no destination in a part of south London otherwise thin on dedicated NA programs.