You can tell a lot about a place by the music they play. I often like to think that a pub's jukebox is the glowing capsule inside which its very soul is housed, and it is this concept that Venn St Records has really taken to heart. Spinning woozily on the cusp of being a trendy vintage record shop, it is most certainly - upon closer inspection - a bar. And not a bad one at that...
Situated on Venn Street (surprise surprise...) next door to the picturehouse cinema, Venn St records is essentially a cocktail bar with a musical twist. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, and there is a definite air of discovery as you walk into a bar which feels at times as if it could be parked in some New York basement or Soho loft. A huge collection of vinyl records is displayed proudly behind the bar, and the walls are covered in a montage of gig posters from yesteryear.
Exposed brickwork and sleek angular furniture add a bohemian vigour to the space, which is dominated by the fantastic fluorescent red Venn Street sign.
At the bar, the cocktails are priced reasonably and named aptly, with a "Rock 'n' Roll Star" and an "AC/Dacquiri" amongst my personal favourites. They also have a menu full of pizzas which look to be just as flavorifically audacious as the cocktails, which is no mean feat. The staff are skilled and friendly, and the cocktails look fantastic.
Venn Street Records also regularly plays host to live bands, with house bands Redgrave and Last of the Blue Flamingos covering a huge variety of different songs, styles and lineups. Weekly listings can be found online.
A great venue for music lovers then. With ace tunes both on record and on stage, the discerning music lover is left with little to complain about. Add on top of this a great atmosphere and happy hour 2 for 1 cocktails (Tues - Fri & Sun 5-7), you most certainly have Clapham's most Rock n Roll night out.
Website:
www.vennstreetrecords.com
Photography by Ayesha Rivers
