When the Vauxhall Food and Beer Garden opened a few years ago in the bin storage area behind London’s most notorious nightclub, we said to our bemused selves ‘right, so we’re supposed to eat and sip cocktails in an alley behind Fire, surrounded by empty kegs and nitrous oxide canisters?’

Since opening in 2014 the Food and Beer garden has been incrementally upping its game, and last year even started hosting comedy nights. As they’ve been plugging themselves relentlessly on social media recently we went over to inspect. Additionally, we liked the fact that the space allows people to eat and drink more safely by being outdoors (with big marquees if it rains). 

We timed our visit to coincide with the ‘after work’ crowd, but when we arrived we realised that the ‘after work’ crowd really doesn’t exist anymore. Undeterred, on our mission we discovered no fewer than 40 beers on tap, with wines also available On the street food front we spotted Greek, Mexican, Chinese, French, Wagyu burgers and ramen. Even if it had been buzzing there was plenty of space to distance yourself. This extended to the toilets, which are the spacious toilets of Fire (but we suspect a lot cleaner). 

Before the world turned upside down one of our favourite pastimes was sitting in Starbucks of a Monday morning and watching people falling out of Fire at 9am. We called it ‘Fire damage’. 

The Vauxhall food market is open daily from lunchtime to 10:30pm and is great for a quick drink with friends or a ‘I don’t want to cook tonight and I have to get out of the house’ meal. We have also strolled past on a Friday night recently and it is rather lively.