Despite its unpromising location on a dreary parade of shops midway between Brockley and Crofton Park stations, Brickfields is an enviable neighbourhood asset. This cool wee cocktail joint – moody in mustard, gold and midnight blue, with smart blue-leather bar stools – has assembled a strong cast of local booze. Try, for instance, gin from Peckham’s Little Bird or Bermondsey’s Jensen’s; alternatively, sup beer from Peckham micro Brick, or draught ale from Deptford brewer Villages. Owners Ed Bing and Emily Conway, who also run The Orchard, describe the place as a ‘sanctuary for grown-ups’. Twists on cocktail classics are the speciality: Blackberry and Sage Margarita; Passion Fruit and Chilli Martini; and a Wild Turkey bourbon Maple Old Fashioned. Relish, too, the satisfying simplicity of Island Old Fashioned, featuring gorgeous Guernsey-distilled Blue Bottle gin. Bar snacks of mac & cheese, bacalhau croquettes and charcuterie are further reasons to sally forth to deepest SE4.