S38, Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, Brixton, SW9 8PQ
Batanga is a cocktail made from Tequila, lime juice and coke and also gave its name to a tequila/mescal bar on the top floor of Pop Brixton. It’s not far from the other bar we have frequented (see here for our review of ABV). You can sit inside the tight fitting bar, but on our visit we sat listening to the music and in the open air that had cooled a little by 6.30pm. There are several long picnic tables and benches and most people were sharing (as we were).
The two of us ordered a drink each from the extensive menu, so we can’t claim to have carried out a comprehensive investigation. One of us wasn’t drinking, but they happily provided a non-alcoholic version, i.e. a cocktail without the tequila.
One classic Margherita and an apple soda type thing. Most of the other customers had long drinks, which was probably a good choice on what was a hot evening. There was a bit of nostalgia as the Margherita came in an original Babycham glass, which might mean more to our older readers.
The bill came to £14.63 including service with the soda being £2.00 and the alcoholic drink £11.00.
We have been saving up our trips to cocktail bars around Brixton, so this list is not a hangover-inducing single night out. They were spread across several weeks, often on a bleak Friday night after a very long week. Brixton as a cocktail destination is becoming a bit of a thing, with proper restaurants finding life a bit of a struggle, most notably shown by the sad closure of Nanban.
First trip was to a bar in Pop Brixton, ABV, sister to Wood and Water in Coldharbour Lane. It is only open Wed to Saturday but they do have happy hour 5.00pm to 7.00pm. Slide into the dark shipping container and sit at a dinky table to escape from the loud crowds deciding whether to watch football, eat a hot dog or just mooch. It is a lovely haven with the hum of conversation to allow a slow unwind. Cocktails are named eclectically with no clue to the array of ingredients, but the waiters are really helpful so you don’t jump at one that would definitely challenge the palate.
Our two choices – a philosopher and an Alphonse – came in lovely little delicate glasses – a glass heavy or light makes all the difference to the taste. the drinks were around £11-£12 and we lingered over ours. The bill was £25.31 with service and we will definitely return again to try some of the other amazing cocktails that were on neighbouring tables.
Escape to Tulum is a bar you reach by some very steep steps. It is Mexican-themed bar (Agaveria) so expect a lot of tequila and mescal. It has a bar with tall stools with tall tables which are challenging at the best of times but definitely after one or two cocktails. But thankfully it also has comfy sofas. Rattan and metal are the main material with a sprinkling of plants and for some reason a full-length painting of the back of stark naked women. Not really to my taste – they should have gone for an adornment with a more vibrant Mexican theme. We booked (a necessity) and soon filled our little coffee table with drinks and food as the service is swift.
We ordered Mirror Margheritas – the house specialty has won awards including being voted 7th in the world by Timeout and the top cocktail in 2020 by CLASS Bar Awards. We chose a classic which has Patron Silver Tequila, Hacha sour mix, cane syrup and grapefruit zest and the Mescal Mirror Margherita which has the same ingredients except for The Lost Explorer Mezcal, kaffir lime, salt and eucalyptus. There is a reason why the classic won the awards and we will stick to that one in the future as it was our favourite.
We were a bit peckish, so we also ordered guacamole and elotitos (sweet corn served with cream and cheese). The sweetcorn was hot and went down well although requires a lot of finger licking. The guacamole was smooth and made a good lining for our next round of drinks – a Mole espresso Martini and Yucatan Sunset. Both were sweet and the martini was weird as of course it had a dose of bitter chocolate and enough sugar and caffeine to keep you going all night. The sunset was much more delicate although again very sweet. Take our advice before you order the second drink – the first should definitely be their Mirror Margherita and the second could be one of their other award-winning drinks like the Midas which has coconut infused Vivir Silver Tequila.
Drinks are around £10.00. Our bill with service was £63.00 so a dent at the beginning of a Friday night. We will go back with friends to introduce them to our favourite tipple, but perhaps only one.
Sea Garden is in Market Row and we have visited twice and both times had something to eat. The first is reviewed here when we sat down to eat a hearty meal but got thirsty waiting. So we ordered two drinks that came with a slice of dried fruit and an oyster. On the left is a Spiced Pineapple Margherita which is based on El Tequiuleno Blanco and a secret pineapple reduction topped with dried pineapple. The one on the right is a Sea Dog Martini – described as a dry Tarquins martini, stirred with Vermouth & complimented with an oyster and citrus – and that was exactly what it was. Both came with dry ice and in darkness that provided added mystery and sparked our taste buds. See the previous review for the bill.
Sea Garden – Market Row: visit 2
Our second visit to Sea Garden was because we hadn’t booked anything and all the ones we tried on a Friday evening were full. Luckily Sea Garden have a bar as well as a restaurant so we sat in the other half and watched the chef at the grill …..and didn’t regret a second visit. We ordered two gin and tonics that came with straws which was very lucky as they were hefty critters and required hands-free drinking.
The difference you might ask – we honestly cannot remember that far back (or it might be one of those amnesia-producing infusions). We do remember the names “Gin Mare” and “Manly Sea and T”, but except that one was saltier than the other and had some samphire ……… Both were delicious, refreshing, long and icy – what more could you want from a G&T. We also got a bit peckish and despite not intending to eat so early (6.30 pm-ish) we ordered some anchovies and bread. The bill came to £35.44 and there was a 20% service charge. So again this was a place for a treat.
We hit 384 at about 7.00 and promised not to spend more than 30 minutes – who were we kidding! They did move us from our bar table as we waited for the rain to stop – it never did so we kept drinking. Another Margherita, a Roku Gin Martini (Japanese Gin which appears more and more frequently and whose virtues are extolled by bartenders). The options for cocktails are totally dependent on the bartender who asks about the type of spirit and your tastes – ours were for salt around and in everything. The dried lemon in the Margherita we thought was a waste of space, but we were told to let it stew for a bit and then twist and break it to release a sharp tang to the drink and your tongue. Otherwise, it is just like a piece of floating bark. Not satisfied with these drinks we moved tables and order two more – a Vesper just as James Bond would have made it (you do get a choice of Vermouth, but Lillet is the classic) and a Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned.
We did get peckish, very peckish when we saw the menu. We ordered Houmous (with homemade rose harissa, pimenton roasted chickpeas & pickled courgette), warm flatbread (with garlic & fenugreek oil, nigella seeds & parsley), and finally a bowl of really tasty aubergine fries with pomegranate molasses, soy yoghurt, mint & pomegranate. This was not a small amount despite being all on the starter menu. We demolished all this with our second drink and wound down for the weekend.
384 also sponsor good deeds and charities, and celebrate significant events with signature cocktails – I wonder what the Coronation will be like? In March and April, they are raising funds for Bloody Good Period and IMECE Women’s Centre with 50p from each cocktail going towards these charities. They are also celebrating women for International Women’s Day with three cocktails where they highlight a marketer, a whisky blender and a distillery owner and manager – all women. Cocktails are about £12.50 each (less before 8.00pm). So despite the bill coming to £77.06 (12.5% service and that was well worth it), we felt good about the evening having contributed to a good cause while sitting in the convivial company of the bartenders and in the warm and dry. Do book if you are thinking of joining them – we were just very lucky.
This is a relatively new restaurant, whose website says it is in Brixton Village but it isn’t. It’s in Market Row. The map is also confusing as the links for the Tooting Market outlet lead you to Brixton and vice versa. They are not very wordy on their website but they describe themselves as a modern British seafood restaurant and add “innovative”, fish “delivered fresh daily from St Ives” and meat sourced locally. They are No. 8 in the Timeout top 20 sea food restaurants – but this is the Tooting outlet. The Brixton branch has a connected, but separate bar with cocktails that you enter through a different door. We will tell you more later. Decor is darkish with candles and small tables for two, but they were also setting up for a large party. We missed that as we went very early on a Friday.
The menu varies and they offer everything on their QR code menu but the internet was very slow so we opted for a paper one. Most dishes are expensive, so be prepared to share – they do expect that. Fish of course pervades the menu (oysters, battered fish, salmon, squid, prawns and crab) but they also have some vegetables and a surf and turf option. We ordered a crab bun (tempura soft shell crab, pickled carrot, kohlrabi, spiced mayo and oyster dressing), and creamed mussels (with bacon, cider, thyme and cream) and a portion of chips.
The crab bun arrived first, cut in half so it wasn’t just easy to eat but with an expectation of sharing. We wolfed it down. The chips were triple-cooked and seasoned with vinegar salt (who knew?), so we could eat them with the bun or later for dipping into the cream sauce of the mussels. A hearty bowl of mussels they were too and at the end of the meal we had no room for dessert.
Before eating we glanced at the cocktails and couldn’t resist the Seadog Martini (“dry Tarquins martini, stirred with Vermouth & complimented with an oyster and citrus”) – dirty with an extra canape. It came with lots of theatre, including dry ice. We also chose a Spiced Pineapple Margarita (A Classic margarita, based on El Tequiuleno Blanco plus a pineapple reduction and a piece of dried pineapple that was pretty but inedible) again lots of theatre, and an interesting way to start a meal.
The bill came to £68.06 but £26.00 was the cost of the cocktails. It is a bit steep but without alcohol that is a large reduction and if you work for the NHS you get 15% off. They also have specials every day that are cheaper. The food was really good and we will definitely be putting this on our return soon list.
A new Indian – or not so Indian – restaurant opened in Brixton in the same building as Market Place. Tim Anderson (Masterchef winner) and Rivaaj Maharaj (both in Nanban – see here for a review) are behind this new venture which provides Indian inspired food with a twist. The inside has changed since it’s reincarnation. The music is the not-too-loud kind so you can have a conversation and you sit opposite each other in booths with high backs (potentially Covid-19 proofing). There is a large centre bar that mixes lovely sounding cocktails like – Apricot Rose and a Pino Co-Lassi – that have sweet ingredients that make them more like desserts and they do go down easily. Below see the Apricot Rose and their signature cocktail Karakana (vodka, amaretto, lassi, mango puree and crushed pistachio – at least three of your five-a-day).
The menu is as it says on the tin – eclectic with small plates, big plates and tandoori and a very small dessert list (ice cream), so just choose another cocktail. Vegetarian is marked on the menu and some vegan options can be made to order. Some dishes look nothing like an Indian – Fish and chips and Currywurst, but a closer look at the ingredients shows them to have an Indian twist.
We chose potato salad chaat (with celery, shallots, lime dressing, coriander, peanuts and tamarind sauce) and lotus blossom onion bhaji with spiced yoghurt dip. The salad was crunchy and pretty heavy so do share and the onion bhaji was a whole onion shaped like a lotus blossom and was, as it should be, crispy and great with the dip. There were three of us and the final person chose from the tandoor menu – the Methi Miso Salmon (eclectic!) that came in a fenugreek and miso glaze with tandoori broccoli (although we thought they switched it on the night). The salmon was soft and definitely cooked well with a slippery caramelised outside. What was described as tandoor broccoli split the table – it was very hot, spicy and crunchy so a good foil for the salmon, but it looked innocuous and it definitely was not. Some liked it and others just wanted a health warning on the heat.
We followed this with choices from the large plates – Mutton bourgignon curry, Madrasi Machli and Aubergine Karahi Parmigiano (!). We complemented these with a couple of bowls of steamed rice, and a naan and roti.
The mutton was in a really rich sauce – it was the leg slowly braised in red wine with carrots, potatoes and picked onion. It was spicy, but not so you couldn’t savour the taste of the lamb. The Madras Machli was actually salmon curry simmered in the “house blend of spices from Southern India” – so giving nothing away. The salmon can be easily overpowered by a curry – this wasn’t and I definitely admire the chef’s delicacy with whatever those South Indians use.
The Aubergine was exactly as you might imagine – breaded and fried in a tomato sauce and topped with parmigiano. But the menu description left off any reference to spices and they were there in abundance in the breading and in the tomato sauce. It was how I like this dish, crispy pieces of aubergine with soft insides, any blandness being banished by the tomato sauce.
The menu notes only one dessert, but when we decided to order and discovered that it was in short supply so we had a couple of Hokey Pokey ice creams and a Masala Chai. They come as two large scoops, so plan to ask for a scoop of each and share – it was a labour we endured so that we covered the whole menu, but we were really too full to finish.
We have noticed blogs and comments suggesting this is an expensive meal, but actually we thought it was reasonable. You can cut down on the many courses and the cocktails (£9.50 or so each). We had two cocktails and 2.5 pints of tiger or Coldharbour beer. The total came to a whopping £95.50 with tip, but after removing everything but the food it was £18.25 per head. We will go back as the menu definitely peaked our interest, but this time knowing that unless very hungry we will try to share some dishes.
We’ve eaten there (see here) and had a delivery (see here) and given them favourable reviews. So when they sent us an email, advertising “apertivos and spuntini” (snacks), the suggestion seemed too good to pass up. I guess the idea is to get some early customers before the evening bookings and you don’t need to book. When four of us arrived on a Friday evening around 5:00 pm, we were the only ones there. We were pleased to see that masks were worn and they checked our temperatures on arrival.
We don’t often start drinking that early, even on a Friday, but we got into the swing of it. So we sampled a range of what was on offer, starting with an Aperol Spritzs, an Campari Spritz and a glass of wine (Feronia). The Campari got a repeat order; one of us opted for a Ginger Beer; and another couldn’t resist a Toffee Caramel Espresso Martini. Sweet, sweet, sweet.
It wasn’t just drinking – we also tried out the sputini, or snacks. The olives were olives, the pecorino biscuits were good and the summer truffle arancini (fried balls of flavoursome rice) were fantastic. We ordered two more portions.
It was a sunny evening and we needed cheeering up. We certainly felt better afterwards, although the cost that came in just under £80, including a tip, didn’t make it cheap. I’m sure we will be back, although it does feel more like a summer thing.
Although we are still working on reducing the number of open bottles in our home tavern, we thought it would be good to support a new Brixton bar – so here we are. Saturday night, early and we dropped by for a quick cocktail. But this is a whiskey and bagel bar – the spelling of whiskey tells you it is an Irish bar – we also noticed the Irish potato crisps.
We looked at the list which you need to read carefully for the description or the history. But this is meant for the connoisseur, as they give you little information on the ingredients. If in any doubt, just ask the bartender when you order – they will also give you a choice of gin or whisk(e)y (bourbon, rye etc.).
We chose a classic Perfect Manhattan (has dry as well as sweet martini) and a Corpse Reviver. I can’t remember whether the latter was a no.1 or no.2. They arrived in a neat little Mad Men glass. Both delicious, although we missed checking that it would be a cherry in the Manhattan.
In terms of C19 compliance – they have spaced seating and we had a clear plastic screen by our seats but none of the waiters had masks on. I would definitely advise they think carefully about that so that they protect us and them. Waiters are one of those front-line services where you meet lots of different people so increasing the chance of catching coronavirus.
We will visit – early in the evening to avoid the rush and taste their delicious cocktails again.
We have reviewed the Shrub and Shutter cocktails before; see here, here and here. But we had heard that a new residency providing the food, so in order to keep our readers up to date we visited on a freezing Friday night. It is an easy menu to work through with five sections containing just two plates. Choose a couple for each guest and then take stock for the puddings. Continue reading →
Monday: Closed
Tues-Thurs: 12 noon to 12 midnight
Fri-Sat: 12 noon to 2am
Sun: 12 noon to 11pm
We usually give a new restaurant a few visits before reviewing, but this place caught our eye on a cold Friday night. They were in their “soft launch” phase – the whole kit and caboodle will be open tomorrow (Tuesday 16th October), when it will have a longer menu including desserts. It is part of the same chain as Canova Hall (link, link and link), which is just across the road. This is a restaurant and bar also but takes a slightly different approach to decor. Gone are the cosy banquettes and the French Bistro feel, but what is left is the same industrial style, with lots of room for standing and drinking. Downstairs (and yet to be explored) is a cocktail bar with its own Gin distillery.
But we visited for the food, although by way of a cocktail and glass of wine. Food on the menu was hearty, and with large proportions it will certainly line your stomach for the Friday night revelries and probably divert any potential hangover. Menus online seem to be more extensive, with some sharing plates.
The foreshortened menu consisted of spaghetti and meatballs (beef, spicy pork and ricotta), a vegan dish and some fried items including potatoes, squash, peas, parmesan fries and focaccia. We settled for spicy pork and ricotta meatballs, and although we thought about ordering a side dish, we were glad we hadn’t when we saw the size of the plates of pasta.
The spicy pork was spicy but not overpowering with some chili in the tomato sauce too. We missed the promised gremolata but liked the taste of the sicilian sausage.
The ricotta meatballs were much softer than the beef but equally tasty. We missed the gremolata again and wondered what the ricotta salata was (advertised on the menu). We did have cheese and they didn’t offer any extra Parmesan. But I don’t think either of us minded.
We washed all this down with water and a glass of Primitivo and a Professore cocktail (Del Professore Madame gin, Kamm & Sons aperitif, Campari) – so a sort of Negroni with a large ice cube and we were glad to see the absence of a straw. A clever engineering touch was the shaved orange peel jammed into the side of the ice cube thus successfully preventing it from freezing your top lip during drinking. We would like to congratulate the barman (or woman) who invented this – patent it now.
We paid £42 including the drinks which were almost half the bill. We have another booking for Friday to try some of the other specialties on offer.
Our normal approach is to keep you in the dark about what we think about a restaurant but we are breaking with this practice to tell you that Oxalis (the current pop-up caterers at Shrub and Shutter) are brilliant and we are not usually so enthusiastic. It’s not complicated food but it is imaginative with a focus on flavour.
We have reviewed the cocktails before; see here, here and here. But on this hot and steamy night we went for wine and beer. There are lots of things to choose from but we cut out that difficulty by choosing one of the tasting menus. There are two – one veggie and one with meat. We had the meat option. On top of this we were given an “amuse bouche” (aren’t we posh) of a warm squid ink cracker with dark crab meat topped with a lardon. Now you get the way this is moving. It was delicious – so delicious that it was eaten before we could take a photo.
Then we moved on to the main menu – a delicious tomato salad with elderflower and mustard. I am soon going to run out of superlatives as it was the best thing to start us off – fresh with little bursts of mustard flavour. All four of us were delighted.
Fennel tortellini, poppy seeds and crayfish – even though these are tasting menu portions there was definitely enough crayfish. So just sublime with a crunch.
Pork, kohlrabi and sea buckthorn came next- sounds interesting and it was but also excellent.
The empty half of the plate left room for some vegetables; new potatoes and grilled gem lettuce as shown in the photographs, plus some mange-tout.
The simple dessert was cherries, cream and a garnish of the eponymous oxalis (Google just said it was an edible weed, which doesn’t sound very appealing, but most of you have probably heard of wood sorrel). All this flavour and innovation for £30.00 a head. The bill of was larger, of course, as it included our wine and beer. As we were celebrating in company we didn’t stint ourselves, although I paid for it with a hangover. Oxalis popped up in Shrub and Shutter just a month ago. It will be around for another 4 or 5 months but don’t waste any time – go and eat as soon as you can.
We have visited Shrub and Shutter [see here, here and HERE] but it has been a year so again, we visited to inspect the cocktail menu and we were impressed. The service is great, no hassle about choosing a drink – it takes a while to read through all the lists and the waiters and bartenders are very knowledgeable. if you don’t like the look of the list then they will make you something bespoke. It is easy to overlook as it doesn’t have a big sign. It lies between Camberwell and Brixton on Coldharbour Lane. Keep going after Brixton Village and it is on the left hand side near a Fish and Chip shop and Okan Ramen. Continue reading →
We washed all this down with water and a glass of Primitivo and a Professore cocktail (Del Professore Madame gin, Kamm & Sons aperitif, Campari) – so a sort of Negroni with a large ice cube and we were glad to see the absence of a straw. A clever engineering touch was the shaved orange peel jammed into the side of the ice cube thus successfully preventing it from freezing your top lip during drinking. We would like to congratulate the barman (or woman) who invented this – patent it now.
EATINBRIXTON 