Things the English are known for: driving on the wrong side of the road. Angry musicians. Wayne
Rooney.
Things the English aren’t known for: drinking outdoors in tropical temperatures.
Here to try to change that (albeit from an ocean away):
The Brixton, the giant new British pub and
roof deck from the ESL guys, opening July 1.
This is
the kind of outdoor drinking perch you’d take up in South London—only that’s not Big Ben in the
distance, it’s the Washington Monument; and that’s not fog in the air, it’s just the humidity.
You’ll want to bring a big group up here (but no hooligans, please) to grab a few stools at the green
marble bar. Amid reclaimed church pews and English street signs, you’ll order from their eight taps of
British beers like Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA in either full or 20-ounce pints (or half-pints if you feel
like sampling), and London-style street food like bangers, curry and jerk chicken.
At some point, you’ll also want to check out the slightly more formal first-floor dining room, done up in
brick, black gloss paint and plush curtains, or the second-floor “lodge,” with two fireplaces, antler
chandeliers and stuffed grouse—the ideal place to enjoy the Sunday Bake, with a different whole roasted
animal every week. But best to file that away for this fall.
Or the next ice age.
VITALS
The Brixton
901 U St NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-560-5045