Laboratorio Artigianale del Buon Gelato – Lab G

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Lab GAddress: 6 Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PR

I know you are not meant to eat ice cream for a whole meal but this place is really tempting so for a finale to any meal in Brixton go to Lab G. Here is a tiny temple to gelato, a tempting centre for high calory ice cream with plenty of cream like the salted caramel, or one of your five a day with mango sorbet or even something a little different. On one occasion we tried their liquorice and although in small quantities was delightful, in a hefty cone is a little hard to get through. The flavours are various – chocolate sorbet, real vanilla with flecks of vanilla pod, hazelnut, cherry and the usual flavours of Italian gelato like stracciatella. Flavours change all the time, so don’t depend on trying that odd flavour on your next visit.

It is not cheap at 1.50-2.50 a cone but with the large amount of ice cream it is well worth the cost.  We have seen mums hovering at the door and then, after seeing the prices, scurrying away with disappointed children so it would be useful for them to offer a small size just for kids which wouldn’t break the bank.

This place is not open mostly on Monday or Tuesday but that is by demand and I suspect that they will open later and later as the winter months encroach.

Ichiban Sushi

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Address: 58a Atlantic Rd, Brixton, London, SW9 8PY

Telephone: 020 7738 7006

This small Japanese restaurant serves the best sushi in Brixton and rivals Kulu Kulu as our favourite Japanese restaurant in London .  The decor of wooden benches and tables are simple but do not accommodate  large groups. There is a rather odd green colour on the walls with, also odd, pictures of something japanesey which were a bit offputting. When it is heaving you really didn’t notice the decor but tonight as it was relatively empty it seems a bit on the bleak side.

The sushi though are fantastic, with a  wide variety of different types. We ventured into unknown territory this evening with the addition of vegetable tempura and gingery dipping sauce which made a change from the maki. The Phad Thai was one of the best I have eaten. Lots of different flavours with an edge of heat and lime and not too many noodles. It is definitely cheaper and much, much better than your average Yo Sushi. Most of the occasions we have visited have been in the evening when it has been heaving and we have to literally squeeze in, but tonight (Thursday) it was relatively quiet so perhaps Brixton Village is pulling away its custom. It also used to be open during the day but now only in the evening.

Ichiban sushi has been a family favourite and now we have extended our menu choices I think for us it will still be able to hold its own against Brixton Village down the road. I just hope others don’t desert this gem of old Brixton.

Casa Sibilla

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Address 67 – 68 Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane (Brixton Village) London, SW9 8PS

Telephone number –

http://www.casa-sibilla.com/

Closed Monday, open Tuesday, Wed until 5.00pm, Thursday-Satruday until 10.00 and Sunday until 5.00pm

Casa Sibilla is an Italian restaurant in the buzzy new heart of Brixton in the Granville Arcade. We used to know this enclave of Brixton as a covered market that was full of sharks and fish of varying colours and vegetables that had to be boiled for days and then still seemed uncooked. However now it is a dazzling array of restaurants. The market is open on most nights (except Monday) to people browsing for food in the many different restaurants.

Casa Sibilla is determinedly Italian – short menu, speciality cocktail (ours was pink, raspberries and prosecco I think). It is in the heart of the Village and we highly recommend choosing an outside table in the wide  and lofty passageway lit by bizarre lights (do look as it seems they are different kinds of lampshades all put together to provide a souk-like atmosphere.  I expect they are “vintage” because they look like ones my grandmother had)

I admit I chose badly – everyone knows that gnocchi can never be that great – but my companions chose well with a plate of mixed meats, plenty of bread and the best mixed olives that I have for quite a while. The octopus and mussel stew looked pretty meaty and was demolished. Partly this was because we did wait rather a long time for the food so we were ravenous and a little drunk as seconds of cocktails were called for. But we were warned about the likely slowness – due they said to a lack of staff. This was very surprising as there didn’t seem to be enough room for any more staff in the main restaurant which has an open kitchen smaller than the one in my own house. There was a clear system of movement so that Paola Sibilla (the chef) could manage the large saucepans and sizzling gnocchi so they didn’t collide with soup bowls. On price it was fair but definitely more than the usual Brixton fare but you do get what you pay for and I would recommend this place as long as the short menu changes enough to hold our interest.

P.S there is a deli that sells good olive oil and I hope the olives and you can also buy their ravioli and other sweeter goodies.

Fujiyama

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FujiyamaAddress: 5-7 Vining Street, Brixton, SW9 8QA

Telephone: 020 7737 2369 (booking)   020 7737 6583 (take away orders)

http://www.newfujiyama.com

This is an old Brixton favourite and always full in the evening.  It is tucked away in a road – well little more than an alleyway – off Atlantic Road in the heart of Brixton. It describes itself as a Japanese noodle and sushi bar but so far we have not tasted the sushi as there is such a good sushi bar just round the corner in Atlantic Road (Ichiban, see above for a review).

The restaurant consists of two rooms filled with benches and rough wood tables and sharing is a must. It also give you the opportunity to decide what you might like from the menu as you ogle the other dinner companion’s choices. The menu is extensive, so a bit of help in making choices is essential. There is a series of all in one meals – Bento boxes, Don Buri (rice with toppings, miso soup on the side), rice dishes including curry and vegetarian options, Ramen (noodles in the miso soup with toppings – beware the temperature!), fried noodles including Yaki soba (thin ones) and Yaki Udon (thick ones) and various curry noodles – and that’s just the top-level categories so you probably see the choice problem. There are ten Bento boxes so a pin might be a good accompaniment to a meal here.

As well as an extensive food menu it also has an extensive choice of drinks. As well as the usual Asahi and Kirin there is also wine (including Japanese wine) and a list of soft drinks which they make up on the spot. We saw carrot and apple, mango and other healthy looking five of the day type things being concocted while we were there. We stuck to beer which is an ideal accompaniment to the Ramen with roast salmon and Oyako Don  (chicken on top of the rice).

All that we tried was lovely with the proviso of being aware that any noodles in soup will be very, very hot. The ambience is buzzy and it is open every day for lunch and dinner although all our trips have been for dinner.  The service is friendly and swift. They want to get you moving so it is not a place of rest but fast food Japanese style served efficiently. We would definitely recommend this for before or after the Ritzy when you are working to a timetable.

Rosie’s Cafe

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Address:

14e Market Row,

Brixton Market, SW9

Telephone: 07807 505397

http://rosielovell.co.uk/

booking: rosie@delicafe.com

Rosie’s is one of the older venue’s in Market Row. It is a very small cafe during the day and will do dinner in the evening in the latter part of the week but only if you book. During the day Rosie’s offer’s sandwiches, wraps and limited hot food.  The excellent sandwiches are not cheap but worth it. The addition of a small amount of salad though doesn’t justify the hike in cost particularly when the salad promised so much but in the end they had run out of stuff.

This is a small perfectly formed cafe/deli – about eight tables closely packed with a mixture of old school tables and chairs. You insert yourself into a space and almost everyone needs to move when you need to get out again. It is styled in the 50s with things you might want to buy but unless you have been sitting there for a while you don’t notice they have them as its part of the background.

So you go to Rosie’s for some good food (probably organic) or more likely to hang out with a coffee and a cake. The menu changes regularly and the website hadn’t been updated for many months but based on my last visit I recommend their hot salt beef sandwiches mainly because it is difficult nowadays to get one so cheap yet so tasty!

You can go to the “supper club” starting at 7.00pm on Thursday and costing £30 per head. AN UPDATE – Rosie’s is now opening late on Thursday and Friday and you don’t need to book although it is advisable.

This is BYO so make sure that you bring some along as there isn’t much wine nearby on Coldharbour Lane but plenty of beer. On our night it was lamb ragou and couscous with pickled lemon followed by earl grey rice pudding -both delicious. We also had scented chocolate truffles that came with tea (our choice instead of masala coffee) at the end of the meal. The tea (and the rice pudding) was served in lovely delicate cups. Of the truffles there were some that were very, very good and some were more of an experiment you might not repeat.

Rosie has already produced one cookery book and she is now writing her second.

Upstairs

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UpstairsAddress: 89B Acre Lane, entrance on Branksome Road, SW2 5TN

Telephone: 020 7733 8855

http://www.upstairslondon.com/web/index.html

Finding and getting in to Upstairs is a feat in itself. Although the restaurant overlooks Acre Lane the door is in Branksome Road and even with these instructions it can be missed. There is a doorbell just round the corner of Acre Lane and a discreet notice. After ringing, the door mysteriously opens and you enter a two up two down house – although in fact it is three floors. The first floor is a bar area where you might stop for an aperitif next to the fire or continue “upstairs” to the main dining  room –  minute but not seemingly crowded.

Who would believe that such a secretive restaurant would be so good. Although the secret is out and we definitely can’t now appear without a booking. This is an Anglo-French restaurant with a good but blessedly short menu of fish, meat and vegetarian courses. All are wonderful and last time I couldn’t make up my mind so we had the tasting menu.  Never a bum note in the list. Lots of interest and changes not too drastic between courses. Wine is good and not expensive.

Everything on the menu changes by the season so there is always something of interest. This is not cheap eating establishment but is a place for celebration or a quiet dinner for two or four. Conversation is easy to make and the service good and not at all intrusive.

You definitely need to book as it is only open for dinner and not then on every night. You can book direct or through toptable.

Satay Gallery

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Satay GalleryAddress 447 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW9 8LP

Telephone: 0844 474 6080

http://www.sataybar.co.uk/

You do not go to the Satay Gallery for a quite dinner for two. The pounding music deters conversation and if you do try then you end up with a sore throat by the next day. What you do go to the Satay Gallery for is the cocktails with something to keep you from being too drunk. The food isn’t expensive but it isn’t that good either.

The menu is eclectic… the web site say Brixton meets Bali but it also has chinese noodles, japanese gyoza and thai fishcakes. This is not expensive although the portions are not that generous but who cares after a couple of cosmopolitans and a mai tai.

The interior is dark in the evening with the clientele either just drinking in the bar area or drinking and eating frugally in the restaurant area. They have built some further spill-out for the summer on ColdharbourLane which looks fun for hanging out.  But if you are hungry cross the road to Gyoza.

Gyoza

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GyozaAddress: 426 Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8LF

Telephone: 020 7274 1492

This place has been a restaurant since we can remember. It used to be an Eel and Pie shop which had an advert which said “Why stand outside and be miserable when you can come inside and be fed up” and we  feel that it  is still true now. This Japanese (hence the name – fried or steamed dumping) and Chinese restaurant is not a gourmet delight but it is a homely place for a cheap, fast, good meal. The staff are warm and friendly and the food comes in record time so even if you thought there was no time to spare before your film begins at the Ritzy you still get the chance to see the adverts if you eat here.

We usually have the hot and salty squid, prawn gyoza,  fried seaweed and a quarter of duck to start and then a free for all for the main courses. Thick noodles, thin noodles, hot soups and your choice of meat fish or tofu – however, be warned that the main dishes all extremely generous. This is a Japanese style restaurant so chopsticks are assumed but you can ask for a fork if the seaweed gets a bit risky for your neighbours.

The alcohol is good beer – Asahi is our usual choice. They have others but why roam…

Brazas

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Closed

Address: 45 Tulse Hill, Brixton, London,  SW2 2TJ
Telephone: 020 8678 0697

http://www.brazas.co.uk/

This is a SouthAmerican restaurant with a very unprepossessing exterior and the interior at first glance looks like a local cafe. But venture further inside and there is a restaurant at the back which is such a surprise. similar to the Tardis it is much bigger than at first glance as the restaurant area runs across two buildings. Argentina is about meat, chargrilled. We chose piri piri chicken and a speciality of Argentina – a stew that had ingredients that no-one now remembers but they did sound exotic.

Booking is necessary unless you are there early as it gets very full. We had a main course and then took advantage of the fantasic range of cakes as a takeaway for later. There is a really good selection of cheesecake with imaginative toppings and no-one should pass without taking something home for later.

Wine list looked ok – we were on a no alcohol until the weekend so didn’t try it. The menu isn’t cheap but it isn’t outrageous either.

Negril

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Address: 132 Brixton Hill, Brixton, London,  SW2 1RS

Telephone: 0871 971 4491

Negril is a Jamaican restaurant with seats inside and outside if its warm. Just up Brixton Hill with the same food you would expect from an authentic Jamaican restaurant – jerk chicken, ackee and saltfish. We had chicken (not as hot as we thought it would be but the chilli sauce certainly made up for it.) pumpkin curry (also not hot) and a chicken wrap. All homely and delicious. But there are other less traditional dishes on the menu and they cater for Vegans. As usual – one main course is enough. The last time visited we ventured into the rum and raisin bread and butter pudding – one portion and three spoons. It was certainly enough to prevent us eating for next couple of days. They have breakfast specials and a Negril platter for those who can’t make up their mind about what to choose and want to dabble.

They have no alcohol license but are happy for you to bring your work and they charge a corkage – the same price, however many drinks you bring. The choice of places to buy alcohol if you forget is pretty limited but beer is what goes best.

The interior is bare tables and old school chairs but the outside looks lovely with benches and tables. Unfortunatley the rain kept us inside but we have been past in the evening when the lights and the weather made it look very inviting. The place for a reasonable meal but it does get booked up so ring to ensure space especially at the weekend.