The Department Store

A restaurant and bar on the top floor of Squire & Partners' restored Bon Marche building, under a bespoke glass dome.

★ 4.3 $$$ Brixton, London A top-floor Brixton cocktail, a glass-dome room, a design landmark

Published February 12, 2026 · by the barsforKings editorial team

The Pitch

The Department Store occupies the restored Bon Marche building on Ferndale Road in Brixton, an Edwardian landmark that the architects Squire & Partners reopened in 2017. Upstairs, on the top floor, is a restaurant and bar.

The building is the story. The restoration added a hand-crafted glass dome and kept the period detail, and the Upstairs bar trades on that setting. Come for a cocktail under the dome and the architecture. Skip it if you want a cheap local, because this is a design destination with Brixton's higher prices.

At a Glance

Address248 Ferndale Road, Brixton, London SW9 8FR

NeighbourhoodBrixton, London

Nearest transitBrixton (Victoria line), about 8 minutes

Price Range$$$

Typical spendabout £12 a cocktail

Drinks specialtyCocktails, seasonal food, a top-floor dome bar

ReservationsBook the Upstairs restaurant and bar

HoursThe Upstairs restaurant and bar runs lunch through evening; hours vary by day. Check the official site for current times.

Best forA top-floor Brixton cocktail, a glass-dome room, a design landmark

Plan Your Visit

The Department Store is in Brixton, London. Book the Upstairs restaurant and bar.

Get Directions Ask Our Team

248 Ferndale Road, Brixton, London SW9 8FR

The Room

Upstairs sits on the top floor beneath the bespoke glass dome, a bright room that doubles as restaurant and bar. Brixton Buzz reported the studio spending heavily on the restoration before opening it to the public.

The wider building holds a coffee roastery, a record shop, and Canova Hall, so the Upstairs bar is one room in a larger restored complex. The design detail is the reason most people climb the stairs.

The Drinks

The Upstairs bar runs a cocktail list alongside the food, with drinks around twelve pounds in line with the room. The setting under the dome is half the order.

Order a cocktail and take a seat by the glass dome. The kitchen runs a seasonal menu, so the bar works for a full dinner or a drink with a view across the rooftops, and the architecture carries the visit.

What to Order

A cocktail under the dome

Around twelve pounds. The glass-dome setting is half the draw.

A seasonal plate

The Upstairs kitchen runs a changing menu alongside the bar.

A glass of wine

A straightforward list to pair with the food.

Coffee from the roastery

Volcano Coffee roasts in the same building downstairs.

The Crowd and Vibe

The Department Store draws Brixton locals, design and architecture fans, and a smarter evening crowd heading up for the dome room.

It runs busiest at weekend lunch and on Friday evenings. The mood is calmer and more polished than Brixton's market bars below.

What Regulars Say

The building and the glass dome are the headline. DesignCurial and Brixton Buzz both centre the Squire & Partners restoration.
The top-floor setting gets singled out as the reason to book, above the food or the drinks list.
Reviewers note the higher prices, framing it as a design destination rather than an everyday Brixton local.