Coldharbour Lane

Shhh Burger Club and Bar

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shhh01

address: 424 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW9 8LF

telephone: 02072748888

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shhh-Burger-Club-Bar/926667227365416#_=_

Up to now, whenever we wanted a burger, there has been only one place to go – Honest Burger (see here) – but as part of our quest to keep pace with all the recent openings in Brixton, we decided to see if this had changed. So we visited Shhh one weekday evening when there was little in the cupboard and we wanted some quality family time. This is a comfortable restaurant with mis-matched, but stylish, chairs in the former Duck Egg Café (see here) site. You can sit outside or inside and there is a bar with high stools at the window for peering at the passing scene. A word of WARNING … watch yourself as you go inside. There is a step where you least expect it and two people in our party tripped, as did the next lot.

The menu is short and has three burgers, two beef and one chicken. There are also a couple of snacks as well as a few side dishes. We over-ordered as usual, covering the complete range of burgers, which means the classic beef (Dry aged, pasture raised Yorkshire chuck, brisket and bone marrow with lettuce, pickled cucumber, chili jam and the rest); the chicken burger (chopped breast, watercress, creamy leek sauce, onions) and the Honey Burger (paprika smoked beef, honey mustard mayo, rocket and goat’s cheese). All the burgers are in a “homemade” bun and come with hand cut, triple cooked chips.
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The three side dishes were chosen mostly for the inclusion of some veg: coleslaw (apple, celeriac, cabbage, raisins) – we couldn’t taste the apple -, baby gem lettuce (with crispy bacon, Stilton, pickles and green goddess dressing) – absolutely delicious and we wished we had ordered more –  and something called “so Corny” which turned out to be two pieces of corn on the cob covered in chipotle cream and some chilli – watch out for the chilli as one member of our party didn’t and although she likes chilli this really put a stop to conversation.

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We liked all the burgers – perhaps the classic more than the others. The fries were ok but slightly sweet and not all were as crispy as we would have liked.

The meal cost £54.00, including two large glasses of wine and the free bottle of tap water. The service was attentive and friendly. We were the only customers for a while and that did give us the opportunity for conversation and a relaxed dining experience. Much as we love Honest Burgers (and their burgers are pretty spectacular) it is now so popular for most of the day that you feel very rushed, understandably as they have so few tables. This restaurant provides a more relaxed and spacious alternative. The food isn’t too fast, even with few competing customers. Maybe the food is not yet up to the standard of Honest Burger but if you do not want to queue and do want relaxation then this is a good place to go.

Lunch at the Satay Bar

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447 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW9 8LP

Telephone: 0844 474 6080

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

I’m the member of the eatinbrixton team that works and lives in Brixton. For nigh on 25 years I’ve broken up my working day, two or three times a week, by having lunch out in the town centre. Originally the decision was straightforward. The places I liked were the original pizza place pre-Franco Manca, Gyoza, or Ichiban Sushi and, in various guises, there was the Satay Bar.

Now, of course, we are almost overwhelmed with good choices. From the favourites, Gyoza has just closed; Ichiban opens rarely for lunch and, while Franco Manca goes from strength to strength, I now find the calorie count too high except for an occasional treat. But the Satay Bar is still there and, despite the competition, it has now definitely become my favourite lunch spot. The food is seriously good; it’s comfortable with reasonable Wi-Fi to keep up with work. It is also great value for money.

I’m just writing about lunch at the Satay Bar. Evenings when it becomes a serious nightspot are totally different. Not bad, just different – see our report on their cocktails here. There’s a special lunchtime menu with all the south-east Asian favourites – see it here. My top choice is the Laksa, a spicy coconut and noodle based soup, offering a large bowl of tangy broth containing the right amount of heat (two chilli symbol on the menu).sg06

I would happily have the laksa on each visit but I’m pleased to report that the Thai Beef Salad, (again two chillies) is also excellent. Another highly rated dish is the Chicken version of the Sambal Jawa, which is an Indonesian stir fry with coconut, coriander, lemon grass, vegetables, sambal ulek and other spices.sg07

My only disappointment is Big Belly Phad Thai that I found a bit claggy. Maybe I hit a bad day but there are other places in Brixton where Phad Thai addicts can  do better.sg10

So I can strongly recommend the Satay Bar as the top choice for a good value lunch. I tend to drink tap water so the bill comes in at less than £10 for a substantial meal. Another notable distinction is the clientele. At lunchtime, but even more at night, the majority of the other customers have been black. I have often seen comments pointing out how white the diners are in most of the eating places in Brixton Village but the opposite is the case here. There is nothing about the food that explains the sharp difference in clientele – except the fact that they are discerning about good quality food.

Shrub and Shutter

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address: 336 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8QH

telephone: 020 7326 0643

info@shrubandshutter.co.uk

http://theshrubandshutter.com/

We have visited Shrub and Shutter a few times now but on this occasion booked a table for 7.00pm on election night to sit and hope that the polls were wrong. They were but at least we were suitably lubricated to face the 10.00pm news. We sat at the back of the bar/restaurant on the last week of their current menu so all may have changed.

Drinks as usual were amazing and we thought they should have tags to ensure some unwitting vegetarian didn’t end up with chicken skin or prawns in their drink. We chose the Wonka bar – essentially a Baileys but nicer – which had gin, ice cream, almond milk, chocolate soil, truffle gold and truffle bitters. it was sweet and I saved some for dessert.

My partner in crime chose an amazing cocktail which came with a plastic tube of scotch bonnet pepper sauce to add to the drink. We were warned of how hot it was however we were far too sensationalist when it came to our pain threshold and squeezed in the lot. So be warned and try it slowly, except for those who like a Vindaloo.

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We ate from the two courses for £18.00 menu and had a glass of wine. They had a Primitivo from Italy and a Spanish white – Verdejo. We both chose duck with gingerbread and shared some asparagus. The duck was amazing, we just wished there was more of it! The asparagus was fantastic with a creamy sauce, which we had to stop ourselves from licking off the plate. Then we chose cod with barley and broccoli and the lamb with carrots.  The cod was a large meaty fillet and was cooked just right. I haven’t had barley before but it tasted bouncy and the sauce gave it a bit of a lift. The young green veg was just enough to make you feel it was contributing to your 5 of the day but only just. The lamb and the Primitivo complimented each other perfectly.

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This place is still pretty pricey, with it all coming to £67 (we got 10% knocked off for living in Brixton) but in terms of the standard of food and drinks this isn’t just another overpriced place in Brixton but one you feel deserves the price tag.

Mama’s Jerk at Market House

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mamasjerk05Address: 443 Coldharbour Lane SW9 8LN

Telephone: 020 7095 9443

Information food: http://www.mamasjerkstation.com/

Information venue: http://www.market-house.co.uk/index.php/foodie/

Market House has a record of getting good and interesting food (see here for an earlier example) and we can say from the beginning that this is a winner, although we recommend that everyone should concentrate on their signature dish – the chicken.

Getting a table at Market House, especially on a Saturday night, can be a problem, so think ahead and book. Then when you arrive you need to work out that you have to order the food at the bar, especially if you arrive a bit early.

The menu consists of meat and one veggie option – with Jerk chicken, Jerk pork sausage, Jerk saltfish cakes. Depending on your option you get it in a wrap with salad, with sweet potato mash or jerk spiced fries, rice and peas, battered plantain and coleslaw. Most come with tropical mayo, BBQ sauce and/or Jerk sauce (very hot).

We ordered a chicken meal and the sausages. The chicken was fantastic, lots of depth of flavour but not overdoing the heat, as long as you didn’t try dipping in the pepper sauce. The sausages were also interesting but overdone.

The slaw  was great and very colourful, and the mash was spicy and warming. The plantain …. well what can you ever say about plantain – heavy but with the addition of the mayo or hot sauce was a sweet addition to the whole meal. The disappointment (apart from the sausages) was the rice and peas which didn’t taste fresh or really of very much – Brixton clientele are the most discerning of this staple, which is sold in all the Jerk chicken shops (see our run down of takeaway shops ). But we thought Mama Jerks chicken was a definite contender for the best of Brixton.

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Most dishes are £8.00 to £10.00 and the total bill came to £36.40. This included, thanks to the Market House’s extended happy hour, two £5 cocktails while we waited (an excellent caipirinha and an interesting electric boogaloo)  and two beers (Sagres) to drink with the meal.

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Butcher Shops in Brixton

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Jones the Butcher,
Address: 1 Dulwich Rd, London SE24 0NT
020 7274 4629

About Jones


Opening Hours: Mon: 05:00 – 12:30; Tue: 05:00 – 12:30 Wed: 05:00 – 12:30 Thu: 05:00 – 13:00; Fri: 05:00 – 13:00; Sat: 09:00 – 13:00

Dombey & Son,
19 Market Row, Brixton, London, SW9 8LB
020 7274 1035
Opening Hours:: Tue: 07:30 – 17:30; Wed: 07:30 – 15:30; Thu: 07:30 – 17:30; Fri: 07:30 – 17:45; Sat: 06:30 – 17:45

Michael’s Meat Market
49 Atlantic Rd London SW9 8JL
020 7737 1069

There’s no shortage of places to buy meat in Brixton and we cannot claim to have tried them all. We are also not great meat eaters, at least when eating at home. Nevertheless, it’s time we had a look at butchers in our series of reports on Brixton food shops. The trouble is that while there are lots of shops selling meat, there are not that many I consider proper butchers. Also when you see a secondhand supermarket trolley full of carcasses being wheeled down Atlantic Road it does make you think of being a vegetarian. But there are places I have found that can be relied upon to provide value for money. Continue reading →

Brixton Flavours Festival

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So.Much.Food. From sushi and brownies to chicken and tortillas and crepes I have actually only recently regained my appetite after our gluttonous evening in preparation for the brand new festival Brixton Flavours. With the actual day not until Sunday 26th October we were invited to see what the whole thing was all about this week and also apparently to eat our whole body weight in food.

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Brixton Flavours states that it is a festival to introduce people to the wide variety of cuisines and restaurants that our beloved hometown has to offer. It was clear from the way the organisers spoke that that they were committed to making sure that they didn’t just go to the well-known haunts in town, but to showcase all that Brixton has on offer. This is something that we at Eat in Brixton are always striving to achieve so it’s brilliant to see others with such passion as well. The day ticket holders are invited to sample secret dishes not usually available on the menu from over 22 restaurants around Brixton (full list of those participating can be found here). You will also be given 15 Brixton pounds to spend in any of the participating restaurants, so incorporating the idea of boosting the local economy.

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Shrub and Shutter

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address: 336 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8QH

telephone: 020 7326 0643

info@shrubandshutter.co.uk

http://theshrubandshutter.com/

This is a new venture – so new that it doesn’t have a large sign but just a discreet one fitted earlier on the day we visited. So when you get to Brixton Village, just keep walking down Coldharbour Lane but keep a look out, as it’s easy to miss. It lies in an unlikely position on a stretch that has plenty of restaurants (see our post about Majestic), but none of these are for the higher end of the food market. It’s opposite the Barrier Block, between a Morley’s Fried Chicken and a Fish and Chip shop. This is a new bar/restaurant with a narrow frontage but stretching back a long way so don’t be put off if it looks full from outside. The front part is really a bar with two tables for four and some bar stools around the edges. The back room has many more tables and is set for the evening dinner trade. It was opened by two entrepreneurs Chris Edwards and Dave Tregenza who have 25 years of experience in the industry. I don’t know whether that is by drinking or preparing the cocktails but they do describe themselves as drinks impresarios and we have to agree that they are very creative – more of that later. There’s been some discussion on the Urban 75 Brixton forum here. Continue reading →

Nanban at Market House

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Nanban (1)

address: Market House, 443 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London, SW9 8LN

Telephone: 020 7095 9443

email: info@market-house.co.uk

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

This month the 2011 the Masterchef winner Tim Anderson is visiting Brixton and so your intrepid reviewers sneaked in (incognito as usual) to provide a review to urge … yes we say urge (which is about as strong as it gets) to make a booking. And try, if you can, to go with a party of at least four, for reasons that will become clear. The restaurant for the month is now called Nanban – southern Japanese cooking. But first about Market House. This is just a canvas with a large room, various wooden tables, space outside and noise just on the edge of providing a sore throat the next day. You are greeted by the most divine waiter (his description not ours) who shows you to your table and keeps you entertained throughout the meal. Continue reading →

Etta’s Seafood Kitchen

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Etta's Seafood KitchenAddress: Unit 46 Brixton, Village, Coldharbour Lane, London SW9

Contact:  sheryldon1@yahoo.co.uk

We have visited Etta’s several time now. We first visited when it had just opened and things were a bit chaotic, the second time was more orderly but the service was slow. Has time made a difference? The tables and chairs are the same (beware of some chairs as they are a bit rickety). But it is brighter and but the flowers on the tables have seen better days – in fact ours were completely dead. But the staff were as happy, helpful and as laid back as before but now they seem to know what they are doing.

Continue reading →