If quality bars, top nights out and drinking are your religion, then the Holy Drinker is a great place to worship.

The Venue
The Holy Drinker is a blessed change from the many chain bars and pubs littering the areas surrounding the trendy Northcote Road in Clapham. Taking its name from a 1939 novella The Legend of the Holy Drinker, a touching tale of an alcoholic in Paris, this bar is refreshingly unique with a chilled-out character.

It’s fairly tiny - no wider than a shopfront - but stretches back into a cosy little hideout with a couple of brick fireplaces, slouchy couches and rows of quirky vintage cinema seats. The decor with simple furniture, predominantly blank walls and roughed-up floorboards, proves you don’t need fancy embellishments to impress. The walls of a corridor out the back are scrawled with quotable sayings from famous ‘alcohol enthusiasts’ like Homer Simpson and George Best and a large screen plays random film clips, adding an extra touch of individualism.

The Atmosphere
If the squishy couches and low lighting don’t chill you out then the bopping laidback soundtrack, with mixtures of funk, soul, classic rock and dance, will. A relaxing haven in the early evening, the Holy Drinker regularly buzzes with a vibrant crowd as the night goes on. Resident DJs play the two biggest nights, Communion on Saturday and Holy Smoke on Sundays.

The Drink
If the bar looks weirdly sparse to you, it’s probably because it’s not crammed with taps. The only thing you can get from a keg is Guinness, whilst the rest of the beverage offering is devoted to standard and specialty bottled beers like Old Speckled Hen, Summer Lightning and Little Creatures, a simple spirits list, and alternative choices like the premium South African cider Savanna. Sample your favourite Nectar of the Gods from £3.20 for bottled beers and £3.50 for single standard spirits for a 25ml shot with mixer. The wine list is refreshing with some unique Australian, Italian and French choices from £3-£4 for a small glass.

The Last Word
Unpretentious, the Holy Drinker is definitely one of the better places for a drink on the Northcote Road.

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