address: 30 Brixton Water Lane, Brixton, London SW2 1PE
telephone 020 7501 8606
email: brixtonspace@gmail.com
The menu describes this neighbourhood restaurant/bar as a late 60s post Mad Men designed interior with lots of red lights and wallpaper. The lighting is really interesting as they have 20 long tentacle-like flexes ending in lightbulbs across the ceiling. This is really a feature rather providing light as even with the candle on the table I realised that I should have brought the stronger reading glasses. Tables are small and for two with a bench on one side and a stool on the other but from the bench side were really comfortable but the stools perhaps not so much for longer lounging. It is a small restaurant and there is probably only room for about 20 people in a small but cosy atmosphere. There are lots of suggestions of how to book and I guess that is important over the weekend.
The menu says it is tapas fusion and that is certainly true. The small plates are a bit bigger than most tapas and some are definitely not the sort you would find in Spain. There are the usuals – patatas bravas, serano and manchego as well as bread, olives etc. but then it stretches into goats cheese and fig tart and finally to the more creative with polenta and mozzarella (Italy) followed by the ultimate in creativity quesadilla and humous (Mexican and Greek??).
It was a Thursday and we were feeling boring so we plumped for three tapas – patatas bravas, lentils, chorizo and roast vegetables and goats cheese with marinated olives to start and it was a good start. The various types of olives really complemented each other – some salty, some juicy and others just … well just lovely. A freezing glass of manzanilla would have been a good accompaniment but it was a bit on the rough side although very cheap (£4.00). The goats cheese and fig tart with salad was a great success and so was the lentils with spicy chorizo. We weren’t as happy with the patatas bravas as we were expecting something a little more firey but it had just a little salsa on top which was cold and so cooled the rest of the potatoes.
We noticed that others in the restaurant were picking up takeaways and others were just having coffee and a croissant so it is really a local place for meeting people and chilling out with the bar menu of cocktails including One Love made of Gin, Blackberry Jam & Lemon, topped with soda and Josephine Avenue which is a blend of Scotch Whiskey, Lemon, Framboise & Rose. Sounds like the sort of thing to drink early and retire for the evening.
We were full after sharing only three tapas and the bill came to just £22.00 which we thought was reasonable value.
EATINBRIXTON 