Like its stablemates in Shoreditch and Camden, the Brixton branch of Blues Kitchen strikes the right note with its menu of stateside comfort food and finger-licking barbecue favourites. Get the party started Kentucky-style with a cool Mint Julep from the bourbon-focused bar list, before launching into moist crab doughnuts and chipotle mayo, or spicy buffalo wings dunked in blue cheese sauce. Burgers, gumbo, jambalaya and buttermilk chicken are options, but we couldn’t resist a barbecued feast of beef brisket burnt ends and St Louis pork ribs, slow-smoked for hours to meaty melting point. The fun doesn’t stop there: live music every night ranges from funk and soul to gospel and bluegrass, with a second stage upstairs and dancing until 2am at weekends. The look is New Orleans drinking den: comfortably laid-back, with ceiling fans, vintage-style tiles and generous leather booths. It’s perfect for large groups – and large appetites.