Corsica Studios

Corsica Studios sits between two railway arches near Elephant and Castle station, an unglamorous location for a club that has been voted Best British Small Club by DJ Mag and remains one of the more respected rooms in London for underground electronic music and left field live shows.

The venue splits into two spaces: Room One, used for live shows, gigs and sound art events, and Room Two, built around a full Funktion One sound system for club nights, plus an open air yard for smoking and talking between sets and a smaller, cushioned side room for anyone who needs a break from the volume.

There is little in the way of design flourish here. The interiors are minimal, close to industrial, with exposed brick and basic lighting rigs, and the focus is entirely on the booking policy and the sound, which is exactly why the club has the reputation it does among people who take music programming seriously rather than those chasing a polished night out.

Drinks are not cheap for a venue with this stripped back an aesthetic, with a single beer or vodka mixer running towards £7 or £8 according to recent reviews, and the toilets and general facilities show their age by the end of a long night, particularly once queues build up later on.

Anyone coming for bottle service or a dressed up night should look elsewhere. Anyone coming for the music, the sound system and a genuinely committed crowd will understand immediately why the club has lasted this long against far flashier competition.

Being run as an independent arts organisation rather than a purely commercial promoter gives Corsica Studios more freedom over its booking policy than most clubs of a similar size, which is reflected in a programme that leans towards left field electronic music and live acts rather than chart friendly nights. The area immediately around the arches is quiet and industrial after dark, so anyone unfamiliar with Elephant and Castle should plan the journey home in advance rather than expecting to find a taxi easily on the street outside. Cash machines and late night food options nearby are also limited compared with more central club districts, so it is worth coming prepared rather than relying on finding amenities close by after midnight.