please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Last of the four Brixton pubs I visited last weekend. Never been there before, Antic now run it. A couple of minutes from Brixton station, can see from railway line,
Was showing live sport on a giant projector screen, so very busy. Had a decent pint of Volden, can't recall how much. Bar staff friendly and quick.
|
I popped in with a mate to watch the footy the other saturday and ended up staying all night. Turns out it turns into nuts nightclub at the weekend! Nice selection of drinks only two cask beers though. Although one the 'vim' was an in house affair and pretty good. Nice staff and atmosphere.Good Hangover!!
|
I come here most Fridays after work with my mates, we always have a great time. The music is fun to dance to!! Chhhooooonnnnssss!
Luv the dogstar
|
really great pub, fantastic atmosphere and lovely staff. i come here a lot on a friday or saturday night and always have a blast! 10 stars!!!!!!!!!!!
|
Was in here for pre gig drinks before venturing to the Academy. Staff pleasant drinks fine. It was a good way to start the night out. Was generally quiet with a mixed clientele I could imagine that it gets pretty busy later on but didn't venture back so cant be sure. That said I would recommend it early on at least particularly before a gig
|
Great for pre-gig drinks when it's still quiet but like the black hole of calcutta (if that had ironically dressed indie-twats cluttering it up) later on. Beer garden is hilarious.
|
Deliberately grimy pub/club, too cool for school, but has a strange charisma all of it's own. Mostly bottled beer and spirits. Turned into a club as the evening went on with the usual Brixton mixture of old school rap, dancehall and impenetrable, hardcore electronica. Challenged to table football doubles by a savagely drunk Polish man. Lost.
|
Has too many ambitions to be a trendy club for my liking - I'm not a fan of establishments where someone hangs around in the toilet with soap and smellies for the customers. However, I did enjoy the table football.
|
Wow, I have never been to a place quite like Dogstar. There are so many different types of people from your cool kids to your chaves to your rich posh totties. But for some unknown reason it works. I felt a bit sorry for the staff as it was so busy and they seemed rather short staffed. It took awhile to get severd which was the only down side to the night I didnt actually know there was an upstairs till right at the end of the night. Its got a real coolness about the place. Although its a little dingy it just adds to the the atmoshphere of the whole place.
Any ways I love Dogstar and you'll see me again next weekend!
|
It's still there! I just moved back to Brixton and I went to Dogstar for the first time in years recently and had a top night out. I used to go a lot back in the day and it's changed loads but it's still holding onto its roots and the old vibes. The music was varied, I didn't like it all as some of it was too commercial but then the DJ started dropping some old house cuts! That's my bag...& I didn't stop dancing for the rest of the night! Wicked, legendary venue. So glad it's still going strong, be heading back there soon.
|
This pub breaks my hears, It was the best night out in London 10 years ago. Now its just a sad shell. Bad music and no ambience. Why have they destroyed such a London landmark. I hope the owners read this and sell up!!
Very Sad
|
If you like bars as opposed to pubs, come here. A spectacular array of spirits greets the eye over the barman's shoulder, the surroundings are scruffy trendy and the clientele representative of every race and creed - in that, it sums up one of London's most exciting quarters.
|
this place lates the f'ing p1ss. sorry for the bad lingo but i am a long term brixtonian and it is nothing but shoddy to have toilets this terrible for so long, i would talk about drinks normally when reviewing but they are over priced and undercared for, lastly they used to do good mexican, now, no.
|
Had my 30th birthday at the dogstar last weekend upstairs in the top floor. And I had the best night ever! The staff were really helpful and all my friends had a great night. thankyou dogstar,Sally Eberhard
|
I had the best Saturday night I've had out in ages there over the weekend. The place was packed with DJs playing loads of different styles of party music (not just the usual rubbish house and hip hop mainstream bollocks) all night and there was an amazing band playing upstairs. I haven't been there for a while but will definitely be heading back as soon as possible. Somebody told me their sunday roasts are really good too. Cheap, friendly and fun.
|
Went last night for what promised to be a good night out- music policy described as indie/electro/breaks, which sounded a nice alternative to the rubbish you usually get in e.g. nearby Clapham. Instead mightily disappointed by unimaginative DJ playing big stoopid 'jump around like you just don't care' commercial hip hop and other rubbish that makes the pub is just no different to lots of other places- if it ever was edgy and imaginative, it ain't any more. The lack of imagination stretches to the drinks selection as well I'm afraid. I wanted to have fun here, but it's just like Clapham music and beerwise now. The only difference is that the people dancing aren't public school rugby and hockey playing accountants. No wonder that even on a Saturday night it was strangely quiet and lacking in atmosphere. If you appreciate good music in pubs on a Saturday night, there must be alternatives to this, I hope.
|
Long time since I was here, went back recently, staff were okay, toilets were flooding, Guinness was good. There were stuff all people around though (5pm-ish, Sunday) so the staff should be on their toes.
|
I second the comment that this is not a 'proper' pub. However it was a lot better than a chain pub in my opinion.
I had a great meal in there last night with some friends. Service was chilled but in a good way, price for the food was excellent vs quality and quantity + beer prices were fair for London.
The only thing that let the night down a fraction was the Guinness
|
avoid this pub. i used to love the place until my mate recently got glassed just outside it by one of their customers.security were worse than useless. really, really horrible. keep clear of this one folks.
|
i love this place still. yeah the staff are a bit irritating but i love the decoration, i love the vibe its not a place to chill but good for a dance and a good night out
|
Went here to watch the football last night. Tried to order food at the bar and was told to wait for the waiter. Half sn hour later, I worked out who the waiter was and walked to him to place my order 20 minutes later I got my food just in time for the 2nd half!
|
Great building
Good location
Pretty good food
Not bad beer
Totally ignorant and incompetent staff
|
I don't know why I like this place but I do. Not for a proper pub goers but if you want some good mexican food and a pint, you can't go wrong here. Music gets a bit loud later at night but the place kind of turns into a club then and people seem to like that kind of thing.
|
I have been twice & won't go again. The 1st time I ordered a whiskey and there was old cigarette ash in my glass. The 2nd time I went with 3 friends for 2 for 1 Mexican food on a Monday, and although we were talking about the 2 for 1 deal when we ordered, and it was advertised outside, the waiter didn't tell us until we got the bill that it wasn't valid on bank holidays. On top of that they overcharged us. The food was really average, not fresh and not special in any way. And lastly the barmaid was really rude and put the ice into my tap water with her hands...
|
For the record, the shooting was 500m away - not outside - and furthermore, this year in london 18 teenagers have been killed - which is a tragedy and why on earth would you use it in a pub review?
now a few comments: the food is some of the most reasonable in brixton... i go there most fridays and there have been none... also we have found the friday djs to be really good - anyway, its only an opinion but
you can see hard fi djs, the happy mondays - peter hook from new order, the list goes on and on- in a little bar in brixton - quite an amazing feat...
finally, to each their own - it sound like you might have a few hidden agendas - but there are 1000s of people who still go there every weekend - and i am one of them! its not perfect - but it is free to get in before a certain time - pub prices and i've found a really nice staff... i don't know about the toilets - funny if someone was yelling at you and a bit bizarre -
but the world is a funny place sometimes...
my two cents.
anonymous - 31 Aug 2007 18:09 |
That poor kid was shot outside Dogstar a few days ago. Another reason to stay away from this crime ridden terrible venue.
|
Really terrible place, will never go back!
Went there for some food with friends, horrible and expensive. And then for the club night on the Friday, there were 2 fights, I was harassed by guys there, the bar staff were rude. And the DJ was so bad.
Stupidly I went there a second time (because a friend lives in Brixton), and it was even worse. There's a lady in the toilets that was swearing at everyone that didn't give her money (since when do we have to pay to pee?), and, wait for it, another fight!
Do not go to this shithole.
SuzyC - 25 Jul 2007 11:13 |
well as they say ... you cant polish a turd !
this has had its day - used to be a jewel of the south cicra '97
went there a few months back and got stared out by some rude boys. I'm appraoching 40 , white and blue collar worker - dont need this shite !
shame
|
I would like to say 2 things about the Dogstar - first, as my Local - and one who suffered under the old owners - the new place is amazing. Shabby and depressing? Sounds like you work at the Living bar or at The Fridge. I can think of no other place south of the river that's so interesting inside. The re-furb actually has just been finished November 2006 - and its mindblowing what they've done with the place... as for the food - i would agree there is no place in Brixton or south london to get as Good and cheap tex-mex as here. Finally, the main reason i come here [and have for 10 years or more] is that the music is always amazing... looking at the dj line-ups they've had recently is a who's who of music - Cornershop, Stereo MCs, Massive Attack, Hot Chip, The Nextmen, Hard-Fi, etc. etc. and the amazing thing is that its free [i think b4 11?] anyway, the point im making to emilia_naan is that the DJs on fridays and sat.s especially rock the place - and if there is one criticism from the older folks - is that it gets too busy on fridays and sat - to be fair, as beer in the evening points out - don't take the reviews too seriously... so all i'd ask is for you to see and hear it for yourself -
|
I went back to the Dosgtar about 2 weeks ago (on a Friday) as my boyfriend and I fancied a bit of a drink and a boogy... And we were very disppointed by our evening there. The only reason we stayed is because there wasn't anywhere else to go in Brixton. The DJ was crap and refused to play any good music as "it wasn't busy enough"!! I reckon in order to get the punters you need the good music to attract them in! The atmosphere was just wrong... If I do go back it will be to taste some of those famous excellent Mexican food but not for anything else... What a shame it's gone so down hill!
|
Really cool venue- had an awesome night out and came back the next day for hair of the dog on a sofa. Will be back again.
|
Kitchen serves the best Mexican food in London (El Panzon, previously at the Hobgoblin). Otherwise quite ordinary, and the beer selection is uninteresting and fizzy, extending only about as far as Staropramen, Leffe and so on.
|
Very good late night bar/club. Check listings for the DJ that is on as this can change dramatically week in week out. Also shows football. I like it, have been many time and will return.
|
Quality night out about 10 years ago, but now shabby and depressing with very poor quality beer. The recent re-furb (wild west theme?) done on the cheap underscores the crap that this bar has become.
|
Rah Rah Rah Rah lets all go to the Dogstar as the great 'urban poet' The Streets once said and on returning to this venue recently I was pleasantly surprised - good pub/bar/club crossover with not too over-priced drinks and good range of top tunes
anonymous - 20 Apr 2005 12:33 |
too big and bland. No atmosphere.
|
Great for watching the football. I've personally witnessed Red Star centre-forward Davad Gartoni bar-charging here before.
ed beaumont - 25 May 2004 13:36 |
Going down trendy street like so many other good pubs, bit of a shame but better than a lot of bars.
Gareth - 26 Nov 2003 10:58 |
I visited Dogstar recently for the first time in years and had a ball. Place looks totally changed butstill guarantees ahell of a night out...Well done
john - 4 Nov 2003 23:05 |
Started to get tired but vastimprovement recently. Being a brixtonite myself I know the new owners are local so not sure is theh other comments are fair.
Darren White - 16 Sep 2003 00:27 |
Did seem to be losing the plot but seems to be getting better, still good for a night out on the vodka.
Mark Cook - 31 Jul 2003 14:50 |
What a sad, sad place. The Home Counties Set do Brixton.
Zed - 28 Jul 2003 18:14 |
I love this place, when I was living in London I would be down the Dog Star every chance I got. The staff are cool and the crowd in there have always been friendly. Don't let the reputation of Cold Harbour Lane put you off going. The mood of the place and people is chilled. Check it out.
Luke Daniels. - 26 May 2003 09:00 |
This is a good place to go if you want a bad time at an expensive price.
Justin - 28 Apr 2003 21:47 |
used to be good but not any more - its empty all the time!!!
ben - 29 Nov 2002 19:36 |
Cool venue - excellent chill outs on Sunday afternoons. Used to show 70's tv projected on the walls. Probably not for the over 35's, definitely not for parents with children!
Adrian Yorke - 8 Oct 2002 00:04 |
