A delightfully ramshackle pub seemingly stuck in the middle of nowhere, the Birds Nest is actually the hub of Deptford’s up and coming music scene, with free live gigs of every music genre under the sun.

The Venue
It doesn’t look promising from the outside, given that it’s situated next to a busy dual carriageway with only boarded up shops and grim industrial buildings for company, not to mention its greying, fume-tainted exterior. Inside, though, the Birds Nest definitely has charm, if not much space, with its original wooden bar taking up much of the room. At the rear there’s a small, low stage for the bands, but it’s the abandoned piano in the corner, battered board games and books, and the adventurous art prints and the flyers plastered across the walls, which give it its unique character.

The Atmosphere
As befits what is a rock ‘n’ roll pub, there’s a confidently loud (but not deafening) soundtrack of blues, rock, indie and punk playing out even in the middle of the afternoon. The clearly mainly local and regular clientele evidently aren't put off by it, though, and sit happily at the bar chatting with the tattooed bar staff or quietly reading their papers. In the evening, the atmosphere gets rowdier, depending on the style of music on offer - don’t come on one of its regular stench core punk nights, for example, if you‘re expecting an evening of soul searching conversation.

The Music
As varied and plentiful as almost any venue in London, with the added advantage of free admission and extended opening hours for many events. The hardcore punk scene figures largely, but the place has also played host to singer-songwriters, country and western acts, indie and blues, as well as being where Deptford’s own widely hyped hip-hop poetess Kate Tempest learnt her trade.

The Drink
Again, the Birds Nest offers more than you might expect. There’s the usual array of beers on tap, including a highly recommended and well-kept Guinness (a half pint is a standard-to-cheap £1.70), Red Stripe, John Smith’s, Strongbow and Estrella all nestling around the £3.50 mark. But there’s also a selection of more exotic bottled beers including the beer nerd favourite Black Sheep, Cobra and even Banana Bread Beer.

The Last Word
Whether you’re heading there for a riotously sweaty night out stage diving to hardcore punk or just calling in for a quiet - well, quiet-ish - mid-afternoon pint, this is a refreshingly grimy antidote to every uptight, bland chain pub you’ve ever been to.

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