Sea Garden and Grill

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14E and 14D Market Row (Entrance from Coldharbour Lane)

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This is a relatively new restaurant, whose website says it is in Brixton Village but it isn’t. It’s in Market Row. The map is also confusing as the links for the Tooting Market outlet lead you to Brixton and vice versa. They are not very wordy on their website but they describe themselves as a modern British seafood restaurant and add “innovative”, fish “delivered fresh daily from St Ives” and meat sourced locally. They are No. 8 in the Timeout top 20 sea food restaurants – but this is the Tooting outlet. The Brixton branch has a connected, but separate bar with cocktails that you enter through a different door. We will tell you more later. Decor is darkish with candles and small tables for two, but they were also setting up for a large party. We missed that as we went very early on a Friday.

The menu varies and they offer everything on their QR code menu but the internet was very slow so we opted for a paper one. Most dishes are expensive, so be prepared to share – they do expect that. Fish of course pervades the menu (oysters, battered fish, salmon, squid, prawns and crab) but they also have some vegetables and a surf and turf option. We ordered a crab bun (tempura soft shell crab, pickled carrot, kohlrabi, spiced mayo and oyster dressing), and creamed mussels (with bacon, cider, thyme and cream) and a portion of chips.

The crab bun arrived first, cut in half so it wasn’t just easy to eat but with an expectation of sharing. We wolfed it down. The chips were triple-cooked and seasoned with vinegar salt (who knew?), so we could eat them with the bun or later for dipping into the cream sauce of the mussels. A hearty bowl of mussels they were too and at the end of the meal we had no room for dessert.

Before eating we glanced at the cocktails and couldn’t resist the Seadog Martini (“dry Tarquins martini, stirred with Vermouth & complimented with an oyster and citrus”) – dirty with an extra canape. It came with lots of theatre, including dry ice. We also chose a Spiced Pineapple Margarita (A Classic margarita, based on El Tequiuleno Blanco plus a pineapple reduction and a piece of dried pineapple that was pretty but inedible) again lots of theatre, and an interesting way to start a meal.

The bill came to £68.06 but £26.00 was the cost of the cocktails. It is a bit steep but without alcohol that is a large reduction and if you work for the NHS you get 15% off. They also have specials every day that are cheaper. The food was really good and we will definitely be putting this on our return soon list.

Full Fat

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This cafe is on Tulse Hill at the Brixton End, opposite Sainsbury’s. There’s a small enclave of expensive and cheap restaurants that come and go, often without us actually being able to review them. Let’s hope this small, mostly takeaway service, place continues. It fills a gap in the market for fast food, great for breakfast and lunch on the way to Brixton Tube. You can also sit inside enjoying the wifi and the small tables for two or four in the clean atmosphere, away from the busy road.

We visited for lunch and the menu is not long on ingredients – it is chapatti central. They offer a variety of ingredients – bacon, egg, aubergine, Brazilian sausage, lettuce, tomato and vegan and vegetarian options. They come with offerings of sauce, a list that is very long, but we spotted beetroot as well as the usual ketchup.

We ordered a BELT (bacon, egg, lettuce and tomato with tomato ketchup) and a “Dog” which has Brazilian sausage and lettuce, and we chose to marry it with a sriracha sauce. To drink we had a black coffee (which was a bit short on the jolt factor) and a very cold can of San Pellegrino lemonade. The glass was warm (a bit of a bugbear), but it did come with some ice.

The chapattis come wrapped and presented on a silver tray. I can definitely say that I am not a lover of wraps of any kind – it’s like eating a felt sandwich, but these are little rolls of joy. The chapattis are warmish and soft – not at all like the tough options in most sandwich shops as they are freshly made. The warm bacon and egg also keep the whole thing moist right to the end, helped by the tomato ketchup.

The whole thing came to £13.95 for two, so we definitely recommend this as warm hearty fare that you will enjoy, especially as you will not break the bank.

En Root – at the Ritzy

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Website: https://www.enrootldn.co.uk/

Address: Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton Oval, SW2 1JG

En Root is open all week, 12.00—21.00

You don’t need a picture of the Ritzy cinema – you know what and where it is. But you might not know that our old friends En Root, see here and here, have taken over the foyer cafe. They’ve given up the cafe, although not the deli, in Clapham Park Road, although they haven’t yet updated the website.

En Root kept us in fresh food boxes during COVID lockdowns (see review), but unfortunately, this service has stopped. Instead, they have returned to their own roots as a cafe, but based in the Ritzy. We haven’t been out for a while so, after an early showing of Fabelmans, our choice of restaurants was made easy as we walked through and saw an empty table. People do sit here but often for a short period. So it is worth hanging around but make it out of the screen smartish after the end of the film.

En Root is an evolution in cooking. First a little deli, then producing their own hot sauce and then on to restaurants in Brixton and Peckham. This is a vegan restaurant – plant-powered, Indian-inspired goodness. We ordered samosa chaat to share, then the En Root thali and a Don dada platter.

The samosa chat is a crunchy sensation and we would happily have had a larger one for a whole meal. The vegetable samosas are hot (by temperature and really crispy – so a run from the fryer to the table) and they were cut and served with chickpea, onion and pomegranate mixed in with the “spice crispies”, raita and chutney both hot (with spice) so do not think this will alleviate any chilli burn.

The main courses were huge and as you can see from the photos difficult to differentiate. Both had daily dhal, coconut curry, golden rice and rainbow salad but the Thali is the one with the raita and jerk mushroom mix, while the Don Dada had the sag aloo and plantain. They also differed in calories – those on a diet choose the Thali (457kcal) as the Don Dada was 53kcal more. We also added a paratha. The food was good and spicy, but nothing extreme.

We enjoyed everything but couldn’t finish it all – I am sure it is plant-powered goodness but next time we will share a main. There was enough good fibre for a whole day.

We washed it all down with a kombucha (raspberry and hibiscus) and a couple of beers. We estimate that it cost us £33.00 without the beers and a tip (we lost the bill). We will return but this time will be prepared for some serious eating and a tussle over what to share.

Note that there is a lunchtime special available for £6 from noon until 3pm, which looks good value.

Maremma

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address: 36 Brixton Water Lane, London SW2 1PE

https://www.maremmarestaurant.com/

Closed Monday and Tuesday and only open at lunchtime on Sunday – see website for details

Maremma is a place to go for a celebration as it is not cheap. We had a COVID-filled family Christmas, so when we emerged from quarantine we felt we deserved a celebration. Also, we knew it was the end of the Christmas period because we finished off the last pieces of the Terry’s Chocolate Orange. We have reviewed Maremma before (see here, here and HERE) but just as a reminder, it is all about Tuscan food. The short very Italian menu includes antipasti, primi, secondi and contourni (vegetables) and then cheese and desserts. The menu changes regularly and there are also specials – luckily we were with friends, so able to roam the menu. Spoiler alert – we enjoyed everything and ignored vegan January.

For starters we ordered spaghetti, venison carpaccio (a special), pigeon salad, and wild sea bass carpaccio. The spaghetti was no ordinary spaghetti but spaghetti alla chitarra, garlic, bottarga (literally guitar spaghetti with dried mullet). The egg pasta is square shaped and thicker than spaghetti that comes dried or in tins. The two carpaccios came with a little rocket for a small dose of pepper and the venison also had a dollop of very tasty sauce (unknown as it was a special). The pigeon salad came with radicchio, pomegranate, hazelnuts and looked substantial as did the spaghetti. But it was empty plates all round and our photos show that we were very keen to get stuck in.

For the main course we had a blowout with – Cacciucco maremmano (Tuscan fish stew with cuttlefish, prawns, mussels & grey mullet), a couple of portions of the rabbit (braised rabbit leg, taggiasche olives, and lardo) and finally pasta with a wild boar ragout. The rabbit looked a bit lonely so we ordered crispy potatoes and aioli. Everything was scrumptious and again there were empty plates. No one (and we are a picky bunch) had any complaints and the rabbit scored the most compliments.

We couldn’t decide whether to have dessert – we were pretty full so it was two espressos, an affogato and a portion of blood orange ice cream – sorry gelato – with a shortbread biscuit and plenty of spoons. The ice cream was smooth but the blood orange could have had a bit more flavour – it tends to be lost in cold food so it needs bumping up a bit. Coffee was of course jolting but we did order a bottle of reasonably-priced red wine (they have unreasonable ones!).

We enjoyed the company, the ambiance – we sat near the door but it wasn’t cold. It did get a bit loud towards the end of the evening but that depends on your neighbours, and one group was clearly having a great time. We enjoyed everything put in front of us and our companions are not easy to please. They are opening another branch in Clapham, so this one might be easier to book. The bill for four came to £236 (£59 per head) which included the “reasonably priced” red wine at £48. This was a treat and we were very full when we left. On Thursday and Friday they have lunch for £15 including wine, so perhaps that is the entry to this restaurant.

Paladar – a short bus ride away

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Sorry, don’t yet have an outside picture

Address: 4-5 London Rd, London, SE1 6JZ

Website: Paladar Latin American Restaurant in the heart of London SE1 (paladarlondon.com)

Phone: 020 7186 5555

Opening Times:

Monday: 5.00pm – 9.00pm
Tuesday – Friday: 12 noon – 2.45pm, 5.00pm – 9.45pm
Saturday: 12.30pm – 10.00pm
Sunday: 12.30pm – 8.00pm

We were alerted to this restaurant by a colleague who lives around the corner. It is very popular so we ended up going at 6.30 on a Friday evening. Remember to book in advance. It is a South American restaurant with dishes and influences from Central America too. They serve lots of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, innovative cocktails and wine and spirits all from Latin America. The head chef is from Colombia, the sommelier from Ecuador and the front of house is from Cuba so definitely the real deal.

Inside (and outside) there are several places to sit. Having a broken ankle means the high bar in front of the kitchen was out of scope so they moved us to the tables and chairs section. It is now a bit on the chilly side so we would have objected to the al fresco dining area. I am sure it is fine in summer but even with heaters we noticed people keeping their coats on. Decor is  (as is everything) inspired by Latin America – colourful walls, paintings – some for sale.

The menu is really interesting so be hungry – the menu has a few option with nibbles (quite substantial as you will see), then mains from land (palm heart ceviche, roast aubergine), sea (sea bass, seared prawns) and farm (pork belly, ox tongue,  lamb and pulled pork). They all sound relatively dull except for the palm heart ceviche but take it from us that it is far from it. 

We ordered the green plantain crisps and taquero guacamole for a shared first course. The plaintain crisps are cut lengthwise to provide what looks like a plant. The guacomole was slightly spicy so didn’t hide the flavour of the avocado and we headed into it quickly but the bowl was completely full when it arrived – hence the photo. We would order this vegan dish again.

For mains we ordered the roast aubergine which comes with fried beans with salsa negra and Maya hummus – also vegetarian – with a side of Chimichurri skin-on potato fries which we dipped in a sauce that came with one of our dishes. This does need a knife and fork but the nuts provided some texture and the salsa was spicy again not as spicy as we would have expected although it does creep up on you.

The second dish was pan-roasted fillet of seabass, mole poblano, grilled asparagus, and purple cauliflower – as you can see a colourful dish. The fish was fantastic – really crispy skin but the vegetables needed to be a bit softer especially the cauliflower. Again the sauce was lovely and very differently spiced to the one with the aubergine.

Finally we did have some room for a pudding and ordered Purple corn churros, that comes with two sauces chocolate & ancho chilli sauce and coffee dulce de leche. The ancho added flavour not heat and the coffee was strong enough to feel like a sweet and creamy espresso.

It was Friday so we ordered drinks but one of us was driving so we ordered a Virgin Piscini and a Nubes Torrontes which defintiely had alcohol in it. We liked both of them but didn’t head into the wine list.

The bill came to a hefty £92.35 – £16.00 was the drinks. But it was a really enjoyable meal and we will return and potentially sit on the high stools so we can peer into the kitchen – it may also be a quieter place to sit if you are with a party.

Danclair’s Kitchen

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Address: Brixton Village, SW9 8PR

Phone: 020 7737 4888

Web: Danclairs Kitchen

This is a very new addition to Brixton Village and a very welcome one. They serve a variety of tapas-style Caribbean food which means you can try a few to share. They also have a good drinks menu involving Jamaican-style concoctions like Pink Ting and White Duppy Share as well as wine and beer – not just Red Stripe but some from Trinidad along with the Brixton variety.

We chose barbecue wings with Guava glaze, Marinated King Prawns with tamarind sauce, Fish, Wings and Tings famous cod fish fritters with garlic and lime aioli and sides of potato fries (we decided against the cassava ones) and, for our health, a salad.

Nothing was too hot but the chili or the pepper added a lovely warmth. The wings were just right, meat falling off the bone and the guava adding a foil for the barbecue sauce. We were delighted to find that we didn’t have to pick our way over the prawns as someone had thoughtfully removed the middle part of the shell. The tamarind sauce was spicy so only a little was needed to prevent the prawn being overwhelming but it was good to dip the chips into.

Cod balls straight from the fryer are a delight with the garlicky sauce. I am not sure what the difference is between aoli and may is so i looked it up. The difference is that aioli is made from garlic and olive oil while mayo is made with egg yolks and oil. The chips were good and not soggy to the last one and we could use all the sauces as well as the ketchup I ordered. The salad was ok but we only ordered it so that we had some vegetables on the table.

We didn’t go thirsty and as it wasn’t a school night we ordered a Pink Tingaling (pink ting which has grapefruit in it and duppy Share rum) and a Mojito – both were refreshing and not too sweet.

The bill came to £60.50 without the tip but including £20.50 of drink so not cheap but a good evening as the service was at just the right pace. Reducing the bill means switching to water. We will definitely go again as we saw the tempura prawns and the fried pepper calamari on another table and they looked really appetizing.

UH K-DOGS N JUICY

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Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Rd, London SW9 8PQ

Open: Wednesday to Sunday: 12:00 noon to 10:00 pm

Website: https://uhk-dogsnjuicy.com/

This new stall is an added new choice to the culinary variety and vibrance of Pop Brixton. This is a challenge not only for the appetite but is also a trial for thinking speed. Most people have heard of Korean fried chicken – delicious but this is far away from that. Think lollipop. First you need to know that a K-dog is a Korean specialty popular in the night markets of Seoul. But that explanation doesn’t prepare you for the “sausage” wrapped in dough and covered in whatever you like. Options are numerous and one is sugar – yes sugar.

They do try to make your choice as easy as possible by dividing it into three. 1. Choose your “dog” – turkey, corn, vegetarian or vegan. 2. choose the wrapping – the dough is impregnated with a wide variety of things you didn’t associate with a hot dog like Ramen. 3. choose your sauces – up to three some of which we had heard of like tomato ketchup and garlic mayonaise.

We chose the French Fries K-dog with a vegetarian sausage and tomato ketchup and sriracha (couldn’t be asked to choose three) and a classic (right) with a chicken/turkey sausage and garlic mayo and parmesan. We also had one carton of fries and ate the feast in front of a football match with a bottle of water.

So what did we think – well it was quite exciting. It is relatively fast food as it takes 8 minutes in the fryer and they do warn you. It is a messy meal but fun too. Although we finished the classic and the fries we only had two thirds of the French Fries K-Dog. It isn’t a meal to share and most of the sauce didn’t go down the front of us but that required concentrated effort – two sauces is definitely enough. It was £19.00 for the two K-dogs and something for the water and fires on top. So not a cheap fast meal though very filling. We will return when we are completely unconcerned about calories or need our stomach lined for a long night.

Kartuli

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65 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, London SE22 8EP

Monday 18:00 – 22:00
Tuesday – Saturday 12:00 – 22:00
Sunday 12:00 – 21:00

Phone: 020 8299 4989

Webpage: Kartuliinfo@kartuli.co.uk

This is a Georgian (that is Georgia as in the Caucasus) restaurant in East Dulwich and we liked the decor which was comfortable, light (no switching on your torch to read the menu although the font is relatively small) and the interior is a little more formal than our usual haunts. Linen napkins are such a luxury. The place is buzzing on a Friday night and we were lucky to get a space – other walk-ins were not so lucky so do book. The staff were welcoming and we were well looked after.

The menu is divided into starters, bakery, mains, sides and desserts. Go hungry.

We first chose from the starters and the bakery – Badrijani (Aubergine Walnut Rolls) which were soft and enticing with some delicious spicing and a sweet treat of pomegranate (feel like I am eating it all over again). Then there was Chakhokhbili, a traditional Tbilisian dish made from chicken simmered in a tomato sauce. Then we also chose Imeruli Khachapuri (Western Georgian dish of soft dough with a mixed cheese filling). The menu did say it was for sharing, but it needs more than a couple of people, so we took some home. It was as delicious when reheated as it was on the day. So take it from us one and a half starters would have been enough or just the bread.

For mains there are lots of different meat options – pork, chicken, poussin, beef, lamb but don’t fret there are also interesting vegetarian and vegan options which are a variant of the Georgian specialties. Our choices are illustrated in the pictures below, going clockwise from the top.

First, there is Rachuli Lobio, which translates as slow-cooked pinto beans with gammon pieces cooked with onions, garlic, fresh herbs and Georgian spices. It’s served with fermented vegetables. Then there’s Kaurma, a mushroom dish, seasoned with Georgian spices, that originates from the southeastern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti where it is made with liver. However, Kartuli created a vegan version made with four different types of mushroom. Lastly, there’s Ajapsandali, with aubergines, green beans, red and yellow peppers, fresh herbs, tomatoes, onions and garlic, seasoned with Georgian spices.

Finally, although being full plus a bag of takeaways, we decided to share a dessert. We chose the Honey cake which was a large slab (no other word for it) of a many layered honey cake filled with caramel cream and drizzled with dark chocolate. It definitely needed not two but four people to eat their way through this immense pudding and perhaps because of its triple sweetness it should be eaten with tea or coffee.

We also ordered an aperitif – Coffee Vodka and Lime Soda – and had glasses of Georgian red wine and sparkling water with the main course.

Our overall view was a good night out with a menu of very interesting dishes – so many that we will need to return especially to try the enormous dumplings – probably for five people! We also want to try one of their cocktails like the Tarragon Vodka. We ordered a lot of food and did take some back home but visit as a crowd or take a teenager or three to hoover up the remains. The bill came to a large sum (£103 including £20.30 for drinks) as each item was expensive. That should have been a clue to the size and calorific value of each dish, but on the other hand we got two meals out of it.

Casa Mofongo

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Address – 152 Loughborough Road, London SW9 7LL

Telephone – 020 3742 7040

Open most days from 12.00 noon

This is a colourful Dominican restaurant near Loughborough Junction. Sit inside or outside for the more hardy among you or just order from Ubereats or Deliveroo. We sat inside on a Saturday lunchtime and while waiting admired the eclectic decor of flags from the Dominican Republic and parts of the UK, the wall art and the sets of pink plastic wisteria. Everywhere you look there is something that doesn’t fit but is a feast for the eyes.

The menu is long and we learnt that you definitely need to share. In fact my advice is to take along a teenage boy to hoover up the food otherwise you will be taking home boxes of leftovers. There are starters, mains and sides, too many to describe here. You will also need to ask what many of them are as there isn’t a lot of explanation. But this will also require some knowledge of Spanish as our waiter didn’t know too many English words – but that added to the surprise. To our choices:

We ordered a Mofongo as the classic dish. It comes with a variety of meat or fish and salad. I chose the crispy pork (only for those who do not fear a dentist). A “Mofongo” is mashed plantain that has been previously cooked and then it is made into a tennis ball and fried (I think). The texture is tight. It comes with a hat of grated cheese and is served with a garlic sauce (definitely needed as it is quite dry). Only one third was eaten even with the addition of the sauce as it is very filling. The pork is indeed crispy and the salad fresh and chunky. Overall I think this is something you may try once but I suggest you try with some soup rather than meat as that will certainly change the texture. It was an adventure!

We also orders fried Tilapia and – a whole one arrived on the plate with a delicious coconut sauce and some more plantain, but this time fried on a skewer. This was accompanied by a small salad and boiled rice. This was lovely. The fish just cooked and relatively easy to take off the bone. Again a very large portion but the plate was empty at the end of the meal.

We drank home made lemonade (not too sweet and very refreshing) and one made with tamarind – also not too sweet. They do have alcohol on the menu.

We often passed this restaurant and were lucky to be hungry so popped in. We were there for quite a while and really enjoyed the trip. It was an adventure and the bill was quite large for a Saturday lunchtime but we have learnt our lesson and next time will order to share. A family arrived after us and just ordered the meat menu to share among the five of them and they demolished the lot. So this is a great place for friends and family to enjoy breaking bread – or at least a few chicken wings. The menu at the restaurant is much wider than the one online so we do suggest that the whole experience requires attending in person. Our bill came to £47.00 and it would have been half of that had we realized the portion sizes. We didn’t eat for the rest of the day.

Franzina Trattoria

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Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LQ

Telephone: 07802 473444

Website: https://franzinatrattoria.com/

Open everyday from 12.30 pm to 11 pm: except Tuesday 6-11 pm

This is not the first time we have visited Franzina Trattoria; you can find our other reviews here when we ate in and here for when we had a home delivery. On this occasion, we went with two friends, so we could try more dishes. We went on a Tuesday after the bank holiday for the Queen’s funeral and it was relatively empty, as were all the restaurants down Coldharbour Lane. The decor has not changed, stripped back and with most tables not too rocky – a perennial problem across Brixton. There is a reasonable menu on one side of the table mat and on the other side is the drinks, making it possible to re-check what you were eating. There is also an extra menu of specials which is also on the blackboard. This Sicilian-style trattoria serves small plates (some not so small) and homemade pasta with various sauces.

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