American

The Mac Factory

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Website: https://brixtonvillage.com/trader/the-mac-factory/

Address: 7 First Avenue, Brixton Village,  SW9 8PR

Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday: 8am – midnight

We are losing pace with the blogs. We try to compete them a little time after a visit so that no-one can put a name to a face and we are then anonymous. However, this means they sometimes disappear before we publish. This one has but it may be back so keep your fingers crossed.

This was a new addition to Brixton Village is the takeaway (or eat perched on a stool) New York styled pasta and pizza shop. Pasta is, of course, macaroni accompanied by set of “cool” titles and pizza slices or a large whole pizza (about £27). Pizza includes Margarita, Peperoni, Mushroom (with whipped ricotta), and Ground beef (with chili and red onion). Pasta stretches beyond the macaroni, to include fettucine, spaghetti, and rigatoni.

The six types of macaroni are cooked on site and in front of you. Called Nostalgic (a signature cheese blend), La Med Babe (basil pesto, semi dried tomato, baby mozzarella) ……. you see what I mean about the titles. We ordered the La Med Babe and a Hey Mac A Rena (beef chili con carne, jalapeno, sour cream and tortilla crisps).

They were both great although mine was too big for one person and maybe a little too much cheese.

Spicy and crispy – there was an empty box by the end.

We had a takeaway as it was a little chilly in Brixton Village. Food cost £20.00 with no drinks, although they do have beer. We were full and one box had about half left over for the following day, so definitely reasonable.

Hot Diggity Dog! at Market House

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mh01

Address 443 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LN

Telephone: 020 7095 9443

http://www.market-house.co.uk

Market House is a pub with attitude and a pop-up history. This is where in 2014 Tim Anderson, the Masterchef champion, started with a ‘pop-up’ before opening Nanban and in 2015 Mama’s Jerk, now of Pop Brixton, had a try-out. The current offering is hot dogs  from an outfit with the slightly cringe-worthy name. For previous reviews from Market House see here and here

We chose one of the really busy nights – Saturday – but even then we did get a table for the two of us around 7:30. The pub was packed with a mixed stag/hen group and when they left there was relative peace. But if you want to have a romantic conversation then try another night or another place. You order at the bar and in all the confusion we ended up with three meals instead of two – and two was enough. So make sure the barman reviews your order before you finally pay.

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Bukowski Grill

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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.

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Dirty burger

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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).

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Electric Dog

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address: 15-17 Market Row Brixton London SW9 8LB

telephone: 0743602895

http://www.electricdog.co.uk/

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening a remarkable transformation takes place in the Express Café, the long lived greasy spoon in Market Row. The tables are the same – yellow formica with attached red plastic seats but now there are new pictures on the walls, covers over the counter and large posters advertising the Electric Dog. We visited on a Saturday when the night market was in full swing so reducing the squash in the Brixton restaurants. At 8.30pm there were lots of spaces inside Electric Dog although the alleyway tables were full.

We enjoyed all the food and our decision not to go with two Combos was justified as there was easily enough for two with the dogs and one fries. The buns were not too sweet and held together even with all the sauces which is a blessing – they do provide knives and forks but this is definitely hand held food.  But the point of a hot dog is in the sausage and we were really impressed with the pork sausage and will return to try the beef. The sweet potato fries were excellent – very hot and crisp and they didn’t go soggy even until the last bite of the dog.

Although there is no alcohol there is a wine shop almost directly opposite this restaurant and there is a list of interesting soft drinks. I chose the cherry milkshake which was pink with cherry bits but not as strongly flavoured as I would have liked. It was also incredibly sweet but this is hardly a criticism just a description of my lack of a sweet tooth. They also have a list of Fentiman’s drinks including rose lemonade and my favourite Dandelion and Burdock and do provide tap water on request.

We have been criticised for not providing “reviews”. We set out to describe the meals we enjoyed and at first didn’t go to restaurants we didn’t like. But our critic clearly has not read all our posts particularly the one on Happy Dumpling. I mention this only to give context to the next sentence.  This is a pop-up restaurant which has a limited life – JUST TWO MONTHS so we strongly recommend that you visit soon or potentially miss it altogether.

The meal for two cost £16.50 – in our view a bargain.

Creams, the Italian Gelato and Dessert Company

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Creams01

392-394 Brixton Road, SW9 7AW

Sunday-Thursday 11am-11pm

Friday-Saturday 11am-midnight

Telephone 020 7738 4002

http://www.creamscafe.com/locations/brixton/

Creams is one of a growing chain, so strictly speaking, outside our terms of reference. But it’s an interesting new addition to places to eat in Brixton, so worth a mention. First, it’s a place to go and hangout, as much as place to eat. And secondly, it’s unlikely to appeal to your typical visitor to Brixton Village. While they say they source the ice cream from Italy the place itself is more North American in inspiration.

There’s an extensive menu (see here on their website) but it’s almost all variations on the theme of ice cream. My companion had the Oreo Sundae while I went for the Coffee Bean Sundae. The latter came without the chocolate shavings and chocolate syrup promised by the menu but the cappuccino, dolce latte and vanilla ice cream layered with chocolate coffee beans and caramel sauce was sufficient for all but the most dedicated sweet tooth. The ice cream, while nothing special, is authentic enough.

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Bukowski Grill

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Address: Unit 10, Market Row, Brixton Market, SW9 8JX, London
Telephone: (temp) 07973663105

email:info@bukowski-grill.co.uk

http://www.bukowski-grill.co.uk/

This is the latest of the pop-up restaurants in Brixton Market. Already with a location in Shoreditch, their experience in the restaurant business is clear, with the place running smoothly although only just opened. It is in the heart of Market Row, which nowadays seems to have restaurant after restaurant popping up each week, making it almost seem like a food court rather than the market it once was.Inside one wall is stripped down to the bricks and the other they seem to have stopped half way and the only decoration is the fluorescent tube of the name Bukowski along one wall. Tables are for two or four and on a Friday night spill out into Market Row. Lighting is simple and was turned down for more atmosphere as the evening progressed. It was quite noisy so the music being played in the background seemed a little pointless.

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