New Cross Inn

You'll find yourself on New Cross Road, surrounded by the kind of gritty creative energy that makes this corner of South London proper interesting. The New Cross Inn is exactly what it says on the tin: a proper boozer that takes its live music seriously, hosting everything from indie bands to folk nights without any of that try-hard venue pretension. The crowd's a mix of local regulars nursing pints, music nerds who actually know their stuff, and the occasional wanderer who's stumbled in from Deptford High Street. Sticky floors, character in spades, and an honest atmosphere where nobody's worried about their Instagram story.