Ghost Whale

70 Atlantic Rd, London

Opening hours

12PM-11PM

Sunday 12PM-8PM
Monday 4PM-8PM
Tuesday 4PM-9PM
Wednesday 4PM-11PM
Thursday 12PM-11PM
Friday 12PM-11PM
Saturday 12PM-11PM

Craft Beer Paradise with Cozy Garden

Nestled snugly in the pungent heart of Brixton lies Ghost Whale, a proverbial library of craft beers where the bound books are cans and bottles, and the gleaming staff speak their language fluently. On a balmy Thursday evening—a perfect pretext for fermented indulgence—I ventured into this shrine to hops and barley, with its promise of eclectic brews whispering sweet nothings in my ear. As you might expect from what could be interpreted as an angelic nod to the spirit of beer, Ghost Whale is astutely meticulous in its collection. With an eye-popping array of cans displayed like a shop of edible curiosities, you’ll require strong casual resolve not to sink into the cozy allure of its petite beer garden out back, subtly enlisting all who've stumbled quite accidentally into someone else’s liquid treasure hunt.

In times where the definition of service seems increasingly elusive, here it manifests unwaveringly through the amicable chat of staff members who more than resemble guides to the labyrinthine beer tadkas—half explaining, half sermonizing in enthusiastic semi-inebriated poetry. The place pulses with vitality, attracting a clientele that meanders around a metaphorical melting pot of cans, drawn like flies to the honeyed hum of on-tap offerings spanning tastes and continents. Trust the resident herbalists; they’re remarkably good at directing incriminatingly ignorant wretches to ale nirvana. Each suggestion turns pages toward agave sweetness or the cheek-kissing bitterness of pale ales one wouldn’t dream ever came in liquid form. Those same literary-turned-fizzy pursuits guarantee I’ll return quicker than you can pop a cap. Besides, who knew enlightenment was meticulously brewed and livably held in South London? — Penelope Savory