The Atlantic pub, Brixton 1990s

For more than 150 years, the corner of Atlantic Road and Coldharbour Lane in Brixton was home to one of South London’s most culturally significant pubs. Originally known as The Atlantic Hotel, this Victorian-era establishment would go on to become a vital gathering space for the local Black community, a flashpoint during civil unrest, and eventually a symbol of gentrification under a new name: The Dogstar. Its story mirrors the shifting social and cultural landscape of Brixton itself.

A Victorian Institution

Dating back to at least 1870, The Atlantic Hotel first appeared in trade directories with landlord William Bailey at the helm. The pub served as a traditional community boozer for decades, a familiar part of the Brixton street scene in an era when the area was still largely white and working class.

A Hub for Brixton’s Black Community

By the early 1960s, following a change in ownership, The Atlantic became one of the most visible and welcoming pubs for Brixton’s growing Caribbean population. In a period when racial discrimination was rife in London’s licensed trade—many pubs refused service to Black patrons—The Atlantic stood apart as an inclusive space.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, it earned a reputation as a vibrant jazz venue and a cultural stronghold for the Black community. Its walls echoed with live music, political discussion, and shared struggle. This role made it both cherished and controversial, particularly during times of civil unrest.

Riot and Resistance

In April 1981, The Atlantic found itself in the heart of the Brixton riots. Triggered by tensions over policing, racism, and unemployment, the riots swept through the area, and the pub, as a prominent meeting point, was directly affected. It symbolised both the unity of the local Black community and the inequalities they faced.

From Atlantic to Dogstar

By the early 1990s, The Atlantic had begun to fall into disrepair. In 1994, after a substantial £200,000 refurbishment, it reopened as The Dogstar—one of London’s first DJ bars. While the new venue ushered in a new era of nightlife, it also marked the onset of Brixton’s gentrification.

Many locals viewed The Dogstar as a loss. Though it kept the building alive and even hosted famous names like Jerry Dammers of The Specials, it lacked the cultural roots and identity of the old Atlantic. During the 1995 Brixton uprisings, The Dogstar was targeted and vandalised by protesters, a potent symbol of what some saw as the erasure of Brixton’s soul.

The Final Call

The Dogstar remained a popular nightspot into the 2000s and 2010s, eventually falling under the management of the Antic pub group. But in 2024, amid financial troubles and changing nightlife habits, Antic went into administration, and the Dogstar closed its doors for good.

The closure brought an end to a remarkable lineage. What began as The Atlantic Hotel in the 19th century had become a beacon of multicultural Britain in the 20th—and finally, a casualty of 21st-century redevelopment and economic strain.

Today, the building remains, but its legacy continues in memory: as a gathering place, a battleground, and a testament to the ever-evolving identity of Brixton.