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The Effra Social, not to be confused with the nearby Effra Hall Tavern, has been around since Victorian times as a former Conservative club. It's said that Churchill occasionally drank here, plus John Major and Iain Duncan Smith. Until recently, it was part of the south London empire of the Antic pub company (who also owned the nearby Dogstar), but it's since been snapped up by Portobello Brewery. They've sensibly left things well alone, and the main drinking space would still be recognisable to earlier generations of drinkers.
The place can get busy at weekends (with queues, even), but also offers a relaxing, dimly lit experience midweek. You'll just have to chuckle at the small stage area. Decked out with silver ribbons, it looks like something off of Phoenix Nights, or perhaps some end of the pier show. While not huge, the beer choice is at least novel, with three or four lesser-spotted ales on tap. This is as much an event space as a pub, hosting comedy nights, pub quizzes, live bands and other shindiggery — while the bar staff dish out Aperol spritzes and bloody marys to get hopped up on. A marvellous space, used to great effect. . This former Conservative social club has kept the social and lost the conservative.
