Britain’s Favourite Restaurant 2016 – Top 5 Shortlist
So after around a week and a half of voting we have our shortlist. Click on the below to see what we thought of them.
Again we will be giving around seven days for you to pick your next favourite before the big unveiling next Wednesday. Share and get voting!
It’s our sixth birthday! Here is to all your support, the many restaurants that have opened, and the sheer amount of tasty food and drink we have had the pleasure of having over the years.
To celebrate we welcome back our annual favourite restaurant in Brixton vote. We’ve included everywhere we have ever reviewed – aside from pop ups, market stalls and places we don’t paticular consider a restaurant. If your fave isn’t on there then apologies, maybe just go for your second favourite. Also we haven’t included any places that have only be open for the past few months, just didn’t seem fair!
443-445 Coldharbour Ln, London SW9 8LN
Mon – Fri: 4pm – Late
Sat & Sun: 11am – Late
In the flurry of openings in Brixton this summer lands the next location for The Rum Kitchen, this time on Coldharbour lane. With sites already in Notting Hill and Carnaby Street, it describes itself as a “Caribbean eatery that bends the rules”. Now when it comes to Caribbean restaurants coming to Brixton there has been some controversy. Turtle Bay was marred with condemnation of its cultural appropriation when it opened last year, with its “RASTAFYME” photo booth and criticism over the restaurant chains unfair tipping service, so there would always be caution in another chain opening. However, it seems there was no need.
Address: Unit 10, Market Row, Brixton Market, SW9 8JX, London
Telephone: 020 7733 4646
email:info@bukowski-grill.co.uk
http://www.bukowski-grill.co.uk/
We are hoping that this will be the last burger bar we review for a while, after about six. Although we do know there are others coming to join the list. This is a return visit, due to pressure from one of group and our previous review is here. Despite the elapse of four years it hasn’t changed its décor, so we won’t spend any time on that. Seats though are for parties of four, unless you book when they put them together for larger numbers. This is the last (or maybe just the latest) of a small chain with other locations being in Shoreditch and Soho. It is in the heart of Market Row, which now has almost 50% restaurants. Lighting is dim and music loudish, even at 7.00pm on a Thursday.
338 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8QH
Email: Okanbrixtonvillage@gmail.com
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday: 6PM-11PM, Sat-Sun: 12Noon-11PM
There is now plenty of choice for Brixton fans of ramen – basically Japanese style noodles in soup. Oken Ramen, situated in Coldharbour Lane right next to Shrub & Shutter, is a new initiative from the more longstanding Okan Okonomiyaki, which serves Japanese style savoury pancakes in Brixton Village – see our review here. Continue reading
address: 395 Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8LQ
Tel no: 0203 859 1121
Website: http://www.eatdirtyburger.com/brixton
Mon – Thurs: 12pm – 11pm Friday: 12pm – 12am Saturday: 10am – 12am Sunday: 10am – 10.30pm
The recent burger bar boom in Brixton has not gone unnoticed. Starting off with the staple burger venue Honest Burgers plus Shh!! Burger and Bukowski, we now have the ‘chain’ Dirty Burger joining in on the fun. With locations already all over London, including Whitechapel, Kentish Town and Wimbledon, Brixton seemed to be next on their hit list. Located on Coldharbour Lane in what was the interim Phoenix café, next to Dogstar, this joins a whole host of other new eateries opening on that stretch of road (including the Rum Kitchen, Three Little Birds, and another yet unknown below the newly opened Premiere Inn).
Brixton Station Road
website: www.friuliamo.com
phone 079 4911 0691
Brixton Station road is slowly becoming another food court. There’s a stall or two most days but there’s the widest choice during the day on Fridays and Saturdays. You can never tell what will be there as they move around. So when we were out shopping and fancied something different we came upon this pitch towards the Brixton Road end with an Italian offering.
The website describes what is served as “Friulian Street Food” with the strapline is “For the love of polenta and frico”. The chef is Italian from Friuli, which is in the north east where polenta is the staple. Italian food is usually heavy with cheese or with meat with lots of soft pasta or all on a pizza, so it is a revelation that you can have vegetarian, vegan and gluten free – sometimes in the same dish. The polenta comes in slices which is then grilled with toppings of mushrooms and individual fried aubergines in a batter. Polenta can sometimes seem boring but this was soft and moreish, even when heated up. We were offered some mint sauce and that did make it all the more interesting.
address: 25-27 Market Row, Brixton
Tel: 020 7095 0953
This is becoming a regular thing – out for breakfast or early lunch and we have noticed many people not just wanting toast and coffee but needing something more substantial. So wandering into the Market is not recommended. If you definitely want to eat soon and there are more than two of you, b
ook in advance (or as we did on the walk down to Brixton.).
Carioca is a Brazilian restaurant and we have previously reviewed it here. You can still order your traditional British but explore a little and have the corn muffin or the carnival breakfast with spicy pineapple, plantain and fried bell peppers as a feast for the eyes. We still haven’t tried all the options and next time when I am not watching the waistline or my 5 a day, I’ll definitely have the “Favela Da Rossa” with ripe plantain sandwiched with mozzarella, then dipped in batter and fried. If that wasn’t enough you also get fresh tomato, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. So vegetarian and meat eaters can blow-out here.
Address: Pop Brixton, 49 Station Road.
website: http://www.madeofdough.co.uk/
On a wet and windy Friday, nothing in the cupboard and no inclination to face the rain, so we ordered Deliveroo to do it for us and went for Pizza from Made of Dough. This is a kiosk in Pop Brixton with a very limited menu, which makes it easy to make a choice. The pizza style is described as proper Neapolitan pizza with a nod to Southern Spain and is produced by a an Italian from Campania (where the best mozzarella comes from) and a Spaniard from Andalusia. Both of which are great for us.
There are only five pizzas on the menu from the usual Margherita, to the more exotic “Truffle” (portobello mushroom, fior di latte, white alba truffle oil & burrata).. We chose the Artichoke, which is pale and has fresh grilled artichoke hearts, fior di latte, rosemary & garlic oil (no tomato). Fior di latte is a very soft cheese made from cow’s milk in the style of mozzarella and melts well on pizza. The other was a Chorizo (Brindisa chorizo & piquillo peppers on a margherita), so a bit more like an American Hot.
We liked them both but they weren’t great. The Artichoke was a bit boring but the base was lovely. The Chorizo was burnt on the bottom and if we had bought it in person we would have sent it back – but the topping was lovely. So guys you just need a bit of quality control. A bit more garlic on the Artichoke and care taken not to overcook the dough.
We will try them again because I definitely want to try the Truffle one but will probably visit them rather than await Deliveroo. The bill was around £16 for the two pizzas.
Address: 58a Atlantic Rd, Brixton, London, SW9 8PY
Telephone: 020 7738 7006
Having visited Ichiban for over 10 years now it is still very clear why it is our favourite for sushi in Brixton. It has had a recent facelift in the kitchen, perhaps a sign of the involvement from the younger members of the family owners.
We visited on a Monday evening after sampling some of the wine from next door at Chix and Bux (which by the way are opening another outlet in Herne Hill later this year!). Monday in Brixton is always tricky and this is one of the few restaurants which is open, so it was a little busier than usual.
EATINBRIXTON 