We polled the public (who follow this blog) to see what their favourite restaurant in Brixton was. Last year’s winner Upstairs has sadly closed (not due to a lack of custom). This was a surprise result as it was not in the vibrant Brixton Village but a few yards from Lidl on Acre Lane. This year the list of restaurants had grown so we had to cut it down to a reasonable list but incorporated some of our favourites and a range of cost and culinary offering.

Although we have tweeted the results we thought we would also mark it with a blog post too. As our readers know we try to ensure our anonymity when we visit a restaurant and therefore could not tell the winner in person. We decided to stop waiting for a selfie from the staff at the winning restaurant and have gone ahead with the post. If we do receive one we will insert it here.

We left the poll up for a couple of weeks and we would like to announce  that the winner was ……….dah, dah …. SALON………. Again the winner was not in Brixton Village but is in the heart of the market –  Market Row. Salon offers a choice of small plates to accompany a drink or a full set meal. It focusses on good local and well sourced produce which you can also buy in the ground floor deli (see our posts).  Like last year’s winner this is not cheap food but is clearly a favourite for those special occasions and the food is really good so worth the outlay. We have often noticed the birthday and anniversary celebrations and with the bigger tables and improved kitchen this is the place to choose.

Although Salon was the winner it was closely followed by a Brixton staple – Franco Manca. The place where there is always a queue but it doesn’t take long to get a seat and the pizza is definitely one of the best in London. Almost every restaurant on the list did get a vote so clearly they are someone’s favourite although the vote this year was more limited thank the last one as we put better security on it so restaurants couldn’t keep voting for themselves.

Even though Salon was the winner the coming Brixton Flavours – http://www.brixtonflavours.com/ – will provide a chance for all to showcase their wares.

So we’ve hit three years of the blog and to celebrate we thought we would allow our readers again to choose their favourite place to eat in Brixton. We did the same thing last year to celebrate two years, check out the post here.

So, what’s happened in the past year? Well for the blog we’ve hit 97,000 views, 120 posts and accumulated a fair few Twitter followers. In terms of food in Brixton, places have changed hands and names, plenty of new faces have appeared in the market and the surrounding area. It seems there is no stopping the restaurant and foodie reputation that Brixton has accrued in the past few years.

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Windrush Square, Brixton (outside The Ritzy)

http://www.brixtonnightmarket.co.uk/

Important – It happens on the last weekend in the month – Friday and Saturday, 5.00pm to 11.00pm. 

We always meant to eat at the monthly Night Market since it started last year but we either forget it was on until after we have eaten, or the rain and cold has kept us away. But this time we remembered on the Friday … the rain looked likely but it only came in short bursts and sheer hunger made us more courageous. We went again on the Saturday, when the weather was better, and across the weekend we managed to eat or drink at five establishments.

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Address: currently at Vozar’s Brixton Village

Stalk them on: http://www.asparagasm.com

email: tips@asparagasm.com

A brief saunter round Brixton Village met with this pop-up – described as fine dining for vegans. vegetarians and those who prefer gluten free. For ten days only this outfit has taken over Vozars, who usually provide gluten free dining. So it looks a lot like Vozars but with the addition of more outside tables, more table decoration and a bar serving cocktails. We are rushing this post as it was so good we want our readers to get a chance to try it soon before it moves to other locations. Check the website for more details. Continue reading →

Easter weekend begins at 6pm tonight (or perhaps even 5pm for those who have already headed to the pub). For you lot out there that are planning on staying local this long weekend we’ve cobbled together the perfect suggestions for places to both eat and drink this Easter weekend.

Personally having the weekend begin on the Thursday is still something of a novelty for me, so it’s a must to celebrate by hitting the bars and pubs of Brixton. First up there is the Duke of Edinburgh with its gigantic beer garden, reasonably priced wine, beer and spirits and amazing fries to line your stomach. Annoyingly the garden closes at 10.30 so it gets a little cramped inside, so it’s best to start your night there and then head to either Sean’s Bar or Seven for bit more sophistication and cocktails. Let’s hope Sean’s Bar are still selling their dirty martinis.

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Address: Market Row, Brixton

We found it hard to decide what we should do with our 100th blog. In the end we have chosen to celebrate the milestone by highlighting a welcome Brixton attraction that provides both creativity, food and a really good playlist.

Every Thursday Friday and Saturday Rosie’s café turns into a Brixton nightspot until – Sean’s bar. This is not your usual bar – beer is served but it is often in the  cocktails. It can all be accompanied by quails eggs and anchovy toast … how Brixton is that! This is a place to unwind in. It can be loud and bouncing on a Friday but on a Thursday…well that’s when you can really listen to the music and muse about all those things you plan to do with your life and the next weekend. Choose from a variety of cocktails – half a dozen regulars and always two specials. Spritz the night away with wine, Aperol and soda – ubiquitous in Italy at this time of the year and it turns out this was also Sean’s favourite hang out for finding cocktail recipes. The special is a New York sour (float of red wine) or a Limoncello Fizz (homemade Limoncello and Prosecco). I find Limoncello a tough one. The first drink is definitely the worst – all sherbet and sugary – but by the third drink everything seems absolutely fine. But if you want something a little more conservative try a Twinkle (Vodka, Elderflower and Prosecco) or a Vodka Expresso with — of course — Vodka, Caravan Espresso and sugar. A few week’s ago they made my day by serving my favourite – a dirty martini. I’m pretty specific about my brine to gin ratio and this one surprised me by actually getting it right!

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Romance and Brixton have never been two words that have particularly had any relation prior to the restaurant boom in Brixton. There is now however plenty of romantic bars and restaurants and with Valentine’s Day right around the corner it’s about time to start planning, so here’s our run down of the best places to visit (and book beforehand!) this Valentines.

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