The space once occupied by Sanders Jewellers in Brixton has finally been put back to use, with coffee uber-chain Costa moving into the premises last month.
Once you get past the awful street frontage (they’ve got rid of the old display window, so the cafe always looks closed), you’ll find that there’s a lot more space inside than you might remember.
Where there was once ramshackle shelves full of dodgy cheapo stock and novelty tut, there’s a clean, modern space with lots of delightful exposed Victorian brickwork.
Despite the plentiful lighting, the lack of windows make this a rather oppressive place to tarry, and I wasn’t so keen on the rows of tables that made it feel a bit like an airport waiting lounge.
There seemed a fair selection of food and drinks on offer, and it looks a decent enough place for a lunchtime snack or a business meeting.
Situated more or less opposite Brixton tube station, Costa is certainly in the right location, although the uninviting frontage may lead people to assume that the cafe is yet to open (as some posters on the urban75 discussion thread have observed).
With independent coffee shops like Federation and San Marino a short walk away, Costa is not really for me, but I’m happy to see this long-abandoned building being brought back to life.
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