Hootananny

The only good thing about this venue is the musical talent however the staff are disgustingly rude. If you turn up when they start charging entry be prepared to wait a very long time in the rain as they issue tickets at tortoise speed in order to charge more. The bar staff seem okay but watch out as on occasion they will diddle the prices in order to make a sweet pocket profit on the sly. The toilets are grotesque and usually there is p**s all over the seats and floor (I thought girls could aim).
The bouncers must be bored because they tend to act delusional. An example of this was when we had found a corner at the back to stand and watch the band and put our bag leaning up the wall. As we weren’t planning on staying long we didn’t see the point of wasting more time queuing in the pouring rain for a cloakroom. However, she made a point of pretending to trip over the bag that was not remotely in her path and began screaming at us that there was a «cloakroom outside» we chose to ignore her and she stormed off in a rage a bit like a toddler not getting its own way.

Having limited experience «down south», each experience counts. Hootananny was fun, it’s got a very down to earth feel, and space, space, space. Huge outdoor lawn area, spacious inside including dance floor, pool tables etc (although a touch warm!).
The band when I went was good, but not exactly dancing music (which was ok by me). 6 pounds cover is not exorbitant, especially for reliable live music place.
Also… someone was selling Jamaican patties and MAKING jerk chicken out front, which apparently happens on the regular? Cool.

I like this place, been to a few gigs, had a few drinks, danced a little, sweated a little more, had a little street food, met a few humans. You know.
Kind of cool with that BrixtonyShoreditchy vibe, you know the one, the IDontGiveAFuck vibe that actually is more like OkMaybeIGiveAFewFucksButImNotGoodWithEmotionalTalk­s vibe. It’s too hybrid for me — the drinks are not cheap enough for this to be truly hipsterish, but it’s also not posh enough to be an outdoors bar. I dont know.
Good music though, when they have good gigs.

Right I had a really good night here. But I’ll try and deconstruct so you know whether it is good for you.
Atmosphere.
Loud non mainstream live music on the night I went. It was advertised as polka. Not really sure. But inside by the stage felt like a gig. Busy and loud. And that’s ok cos I went to other parts of the venue.
The seating area on the sat night I went was clear. An area away from the stage, you could hear each other with a slightly raised voice, a little more well lit, access to bar with minimal queues (after 11). This part of the venue felt like my old student bar no frills. Bit of a sticky floor. could easily be a café in the daytime. but it was a large area.
Outside the smoking area seemed to be heaving and this is where the socialising was happening. I spoke to a fair few random people and mostly pleasant apart from the odd few.
The selection of people there was a nice eclectic mix. I’d say the average age was late 20s but ten years either side of that wasn’t uncommon. No one style was dominant… I think thw only consistent demographic was chilled out. Very casual vibe.
Staff… This is where they lose the stars. I don understand the need to search and scan us for.knives. Fine. But what I didn’t appreciate as I enter a venue in good mood Was surly rude staff. No need. killed the mood as you enter. And the kind of thing that makes me leave on entry. Thankfully as I entered I found the bar staff considerably much friendlier. Not all security were rude. But it did create an unwelcoming atmosphere
Great night out. Shame about the entrance. Entry fee 6quid. Rip off. I think a way to. keep numbers down. Drink prices were reasonable. Mostly under 5quid. Large selection if drinks behind the bar. Fast service

Such a big fan of this place, always great live music, reasonable priced drinks, food stalls outside and an awesome atmosphere. Great in the summer as its pretty close to Brockwell park.

Oh dear I’ve just come to write my review of Hootananny and note that I uploaded a photo of the Wallace Collection instead! Anyway, this place is an institution and I feel a bit of a fraud reviewing it because I have only had a drink in here and not attended any of its legendary events, or tried the food. I came on a Saturday afternoon and it was pretty empty inside given the nice day so everyone was outside. A bit of history-​when I lived in Brixton during the «interesting» 1980s it was a notorious boozer called the George Canning. I managed only once to pluck up courage to go inside. Now it is certainly a friendly and above all youthful place. But, boy did it seem, well, a bit dirty. Fag ends were swept up to the step inside and then just left there in a large pile. Inside was all a bit sticky and unkempt. That may be the style so perhaps I can’t read too much into it. Or-​maybe I’m just too old.

I went here once, with a big group of friends for a leaving do, and I absolutely loved it. It’s a very happy, energetic place with different live bands that come and play for the crowds, usually foreign styles of music from the likes of Africa and Latin America. They also have a great big sociable smoking area and jerk chicken, yes JERK CHICKEN for sale just outside. Only downside is the club won’t allow anyone is past 11pm and they’re pretty strict about it.

Really good fun, usually have great bands on. Entry isn’t extortionate and attracts a great crowd and mix of people. The place is really big and has pool tables and a seating area if you want to just chill and have a break from the live band. Would definitely recommend.

Live music, huge outdoor area, lots of beer and pool tables… What more could you want? Great destination in Brixton if you are looking for one of those jeans and trainers on good nights out… Check which music is on first, and be warned you need to pay an entrance fee!

Crazy venue, crazy times!
it might not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you want a true mix of Brixton’s residents who are all out for the best evening possible then this is the place for you.
Get there in the evening but before they start charging on the door (and bring your ID no matter how old you are) and soak up the atmosphere. On most nights there are pizza and burritos being sold in the massive courtyard garden.
Inside it’s a cavernous place with a big music room. It’s all rough round the edges (including the regulars) but that’s the deal with the Hootenanny and it wouldn’t be the same without them. Each night has totally different bands and DJs playing but you can guarantee that the crowd will be totally up for it.
Settle in for a late one as the pub shuts up shop at 4am. A Brixton institution.

I wish I was cool enough to talk about the music here with any kind of authority, but all I can tell you is that the live bands on Saturday night rocked!
We got here about 10.30pm for zero queue and £3 entry. I don’t know who the Spanish warm up band was but I loved their funky salsa sound. Then the main act (who it seemed everyone else had specifically come to see and so we obv pretended to know too) were the amazingly energetic Animanz — billed as ‘HipFunkAfroLatinHop’ and it was suitably infectious stuff! We had a great time dancing away at the front, close enough to see the sweat and grab the free CDs they gave out afterwards.
The place is huge and the rest of the time we moved between the main bar (with pool tables and plenty of seats), the awesome courtyard out front (barbecue ahoy!), and the toilet queue (which was annoyingly massive for the ladies but kept entertaining by the singing attendant). It’s got a studenty grubby feel but with an older crowd, and the barmen all look like they’ve been backpacking for the past month.
The one big letdown was my first drink — who makes a g&t in a pint glass then fills it up with tonic?! Bring on the malaria — I think I drank enough quinine to give me immunity for life. It was almost undrinkable and I should’ve sent it back had my mate not queued for so long to get it. Next time I’ll maybe stick to the beer.
It was nice to go somewhere so refreshingly laidback though that you can turn up in jeans, dance in front of the stage without getting elbowed AND have a £1.50 taco pit-​stop right there. More places should do this! Bonus being you can relive it the next morning when you wake up and your hair smells of the juicy bbq smoke because you sat too close to the jerk chicken stand… :-)

I can probably confer my positive experience in Hootananny’s to the company I was with (went for a friend’s bday) but I enjoyed the laid-​back but fun vibe when I visited on a Friday night.
It’s more shabby than chic (I mean, this isn’t exactly based in Notting Hill) but it does shabby well. Very large outdoor space (an excellent choice to eat and drink a pint or 2 with friends during a rare London sunny day, which I just might try next time I visit Brixton) and a line-​up of performances throughout the week.
I didn’t research the place before I arriving (I *always* research/​Yelp where I go) but I can tell that it’s probably a Brixton institution.
Quite inclusive– you’ll find college students and middle-​aged men intermingling.
No pretense, no posers, just good vibes all around.

Just perfect if you love a bit of reggae/​ska/​alternative or whatever music they have on. Not your usual club — they host fantastic bands, though, and I always had great nights out there. Lovely outdoor as well, with tables and sometimes pizza!
Crowd is varied, all above 21 and some a lot above… Sometimes I have had to fence off dudes that were a tiny bit too stoned for my taste, but other than that never had any issue,

What can I say that hasn’t already been said?
Hootananny is an institution in Brixton. It is where I have had the most amazing memories of my excursions saafo’thariva (excuse me, crossing the Thames tends to render me indecipherable.)
The live music lends Hootananny a vibrant atmosphere, and really remains the focal point of the place. What’s more is that it is really well-​supported by the acoustics and set-​up, which leaves a lot of other venues in London trailing. You know what you’re getting with Hooters.
Leave your dinner jacket at home, and let another type of DJ take you to the highest heights of the dutty south.

This venue is an example of exactly why it is that I am so pleased to be a Brixtonite. With exciting an eclectic live music, this venue attracts an array of beauties including everyone from the edgy hipster Shoreditch crowd to some old time Brixton residents who enjoy a great night out. Even better yet, it’s actually a HOSTEL so there’s no shortage of hot tourists moseying about.
Outdoors you can find food vendors and smokers and loungers oh my! With a huge outdoor ‘garden’ area, there’s always a place to escape from the heat and intensity of whatever gritty musicy things that are happening inside. Maybe have a burrito or a taco or a pizza or hamburger…
My God I’m going to MOVE IN to the hostel! Lucky for me I live just a short walk away and that won’t be necessary. Especially when I sober up I won’t still be at the scene of the crime :) That’s what the backpackers are there for.
Don’t listen when people say that the area isn’t safe. Just man up and keep yourself and your possessions in order and you’ll be fine. If you’re savvy and smart you’ll be safe and imagine, you may just enjoy yourself!

Despite its prior history* Hootananny is THE place in Brixton. Be careful though, although many reviewers claim this area is safe, it really isn’t. You may get your phone jacked or worse, your dignity.
Once you have beaten back the steel drummers and street preachers, traverse the dangerous coldharbour crossing, and navigate through the dark waters of effra, you will arrive at the safe haven of the hoot where the reggae beats continue well into the morning (actually not, just till around 3 or so). Its real easy to make friends here, unlike east london– just sit at a table and they will come to you (not even joking). Friday and Saturday nights are a bit too packed for my taste though.
*The original site where Hootananny is now located used to be a sacrificial altar for the local voodoo practitioners in the area. Many bones of small birds and animals were excavated here.

Absolutely brilliant atmosphere and the live music is always an added bonus!
The drinks are cheap enough and the large front seating area is perfect for a summer drink in the sun.

#504 This place was just … trippy. The boyfriend and I were going to be at the O2 Academy in Brixton on Friday night and we had a day trip planned with friends on Saturday, so we needed a place to stay. I checked around online and found Hootananny for only 16gbp a bed per night. What a steal! Especially considering most hostels in Central London cost upwards of 25gbp per bed. So, I immediately booked us 2 beds. We only had to pay a 10% deposit, as well as a 1gbp service charge (4.20gbp). Not bad!
Once we get here though, we were a little discombobulated about how to get to the hostel. So, we went up to the bar and one of the bus boys brought us behind the bar and up to the check-​in desk where we met Sam. He was super friendly and checked us in right away, while I paid the rest of our bill (28.80gbp). Unfortunately, when he started our tour, he saw that our beds weren’t quite ready. So, he took us around while he had Skye track down 2 Japanese Rastafarians and have them relocate upstairs.
The hostel has a simple layout with 2 rooms on the first floor (of the hostel, not the building) and a couple of others upstairs. There’s a large common room with its own balcony and there were plenty of people milling around, sipping wine that night. Further back towards the entrance are the men’s restrooms and showers, as well as the kitchen. The kitchen is quite large, but the facilities are lacking in cleanliness. The breakfast offerings were also skint to nonexistent. If I were planning on staying long-​term, I would probably steer clear of the kitchen. Upstairs to the left is the women’s restrooms and showers, while to the right are more rooms.
For a 10gbp deposit, you get your own set of keys for the side entrance and locker. The entrance into the building, upstairs, and into your room are all key code, so there’s a lot of memorizing (or consulting a tiny piece of paper). Once you check in, you also get your own set of sheets, which you have to put on the beds yourself. The lockers were also pretty small and only big enough for your really important valuables. But, everything seems pretty safe once you’re inside, so I don’t think you should have to worry.
We didn’t get to spend much time downstairs, since we had to go to O2, but the place was hopping and there was loud music as we left. The security at the front were also rather friendly for a raggedy place like the Hootananny. I definitely suggest checking out this place before dumping a ton of money at a hostel in Central London.

I love this venue, it’s really one-​of-​a-​kind.
Free entry — woo hoo!
Always heaving with cool ‘Broxton’ types
Really diverse live music all night
£1 tacos, which are gorgeous and really hit the spot!
Decent selection of bottled and draft beers
Funky interior, which I’m sure looks a bit grubby in the day, but by night is very cool.

Nettes Personal und günstig zu übernachten. Aber die Dusche habe ich zb gemieden. Hatte die Befürchtung schmutziger raus zu kommen. Sehr laut durch DIW bar, und wir hatten immer den küchengeruch im zimmer

As a music venue? *****
As a pub? ***
So I’ve settled on ****
The good: Great place to see inexpensive, live, local music. A little divey. Nice folks. Fee-​free cashpoint. Generally great vibe. Nice massive outdoor space that you can hang out in & feels a little bit like Zeitgeist in San Francisco. Licensed ’til 3 on weekends.
The bad: A really indifferent selection of beers (including poorly-​poured Guinness «extra cold»)– Hoegaarten and John Smith’s are the ales. (remember, its mother/​sister bar in Inverness has a great selection of locally brewed Highland & Island ales & lagers)
The indifferent: A bunch of lagers at reasonable-​ish prices. Loads of loo space. You know, it’s a bar.
The odd: They’ve got food. It’s mexican-​ish. It’s good food, but it’s not mexican– almost like someone described mexican food for you and then you made it. It’s good food! It’s just a bit… odd.
Worth going to for a gig– and especially popping in for random gigs. Nice to sit outside on a sunny (or even cool) day, but I wouldn’t make a massive trip unless it was for the music (almost always fun at least). Has a very Brixton vibel, as Magda says.