There’s a reason Three Eight Four has been around for a decade

The independent businesses in Brixton never fail to impress and Three Eight Four is no exception. This cocktail and small plate bar is a perfect example of somewhere that’s got it ‘just right’. The space itself is a dimly lit, intimate area that would be fantastic for a date. But in the same vein, you’d not feel uncomfortable being here solo- just grab a seat by the big windows that look onto the street and you’ve got a great people watching area.

It’s got a small, delicious food and wine menu and an extensive cocktail list. But, despite there being over 100 cocktails on there (yes, really!) it’s surprisingly simple. It’s split into different cocktail families (daiquiris, negronis, martinis…) so all you need to do is workout what kind of drink you want and go from there. Their signature cocktail is the Ziggy Stardust, after the ex- Brixton legend. We couldn’t say no to that, especially when we heard it came accessorised with a bright pink lightning strike. It’s made with a home-infused citrus vodka, creme de cassis, pomegranate, bitters and aquafaba and is as zingy as it sounds.

One of their most popular dishes is their wings (chicken or cauliflower) in a homemade sticky rum sauce that comes in a honey and mustard dressing. It was Americana condensed onto a plate and we loved the generous levels of sauce; there was certainly no scimping! Tangy, tender and just perfect with a cocktail. It went really well with the fabulously named ‘Hanky Panky Sours’. This is one of their seasonal drinks, made with gin, vermouth, aquafaba, lemon juice and bitters and the tartness of the drink cuts nicely through the rich sauce of the food.

You may have noticed aquafaba coming up in both cocktails. Cleverly, Three Eight Four have used this in all of their drinks instead of the usual egg white, which means all of their cocktails are vegan friendly. If you are used to classic egg whites in your drinks don’t be put off, we couldn’t taste the difference.

To soak up the alcohol we tried their oozy smoked aubergine which came with a fresh pomegranate and pistachio crumble and maple miso dressing. Their homemade hash brown piqued our interested and we are so glad it did. It arrived on a melty puddle of cheese, plus extra grated on top. You can never have too much cheese and this was a great example of that! Cheese and carbs are pure comfort. Lastly was the prawns in a punchy black garlic butter. These were dressed up with pickled fennel and came in a cloud cloudlike homemade brioche bun- flavours we’d not had together before but another reason to trust the folks at Three Eight Four. Properly delicious.

Another really cool thing about this spot is that they partner with local spirit companies for monthly takeovers. It means that they get to showcase some excellent local small businesses and there are always at least 3 new cocktails to try out every month. And they’ve just launched a deal on Sundays where you can get a large portion of their cocktail menu for just £8 a pop. The perfect antidote to the Sunday scaries!

Whilst you are there, check out the beautiful achingly cool downstairs area. Book it out for your next party and there’s no doubt you’ll be talk of the town (plus the space itself doesn’t cost extra as long as each person booked in buys at least £5 worth of food or drink on the night… we challenge you to find a deal better in London).