Market Row

Temaki

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Address: 12 Market Row, SW9 8LB

Website: https://temaki.co.uk/

Booking: Open Table

This is not a new restaurant but we thought we would revisit as it is ages since we went. We also thought we were not very hungry after visiting the Ritzy – we discovered that we did have an appetite after all as this is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. The restaurant is small with few seats (for seats think of high stools that are arranged around the bar so you can see how all the dishes are made and served as well as being able to chat with the chefs. So you get the opportunity to ask what each thing is and of course think – well I would like to try that one too. The place was full except for one or two stools and the two tables in the cold in the alleyway. We bagged the last two seats so we advise booking.

There is a menu online and one on the board so we can’t produce them all here. There are small plates, snacks like tempura, pickles, and sashimi as well as the temaki. We chose the following some from the menu and some from the board. In order of photos: tuna temaki with shiso, Pork Gyoza, lobster temaki, miso aubergine temaki, 2 scallop ikura temaki, crispy rice temaki and pickles. We drank water and a Sakura Yuzu Negroni and a Temaki old fashioned.

All looked pretty of course and invited a bite. Starting with our favourites – the aubergine and the tuna tataki with shiso. We loved them both but particularly the tuna that was very complex even if some bits did start to make their way off the plate. The gyoza’s were also meaty and warming with the light soy sauce. We also loved the lobster with egg yolk, miso and citrus but we were split on the scallop (I thought it was too fishy). I am running out of hyperbole but the pickles were really useful to cut the richness between dishes. I was a bit disappointed by the crispy rice – they were an addition as we saw someone else order them. They looked incredibly pretty but were a bit oily and didn’t really hit the taste buds like the other dishes.

The drinks were small with lots of ice and were just right for the time we were there. You might be tempted with another as this is a leisurely meal. We did like our cocktails but couldn’t really detect what made them different to those we have had in a normal bar.

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Here we come to the bill. Do not come here hungry unless you have a large bank account. In total it was £129.95. The drinks were expensive at £22 for the two and there is a whopping £16.95 (16%) service charge. However, we will be going back as we loved the theatre and skill of the chefs. We know how much goes into each bite and so are willing to pay what it is worth but perhaps next time we will have a pizza first.

Sea Garden and Grill

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14E and 14D Market Row (Entrance from Coldharbour Lane)

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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.

La Nonna

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Address: 7 Market Row, Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LB 

Telephone: 02035896645

Email: ciao@lanonnaldn.com

Website: https://lanonnaldn.com/

Delivery with ubereats and deliveroo

We have tried to get a table by just dropping by and didn’t have any luck so this time we booked online for lunch. Saturday lunchtime is not so busy and there were tables (inside and out) and counter service while we were around. This is a minimalist restaurant – a few photos on the walls and a bar along the wall. It is in the space that used to be Seven. It started in a market elsewhere and moved to Brixton in the summer. The website says that the pasta is made daily with Italian zero zero flour and all the sauces are made in- house and that fresh pasta goes better with butter based sauces and fillings (they say).

They have antipasti, pasta (all fresh of course) dolci (desserts) and even a kids meal section. We chose some foccacia and polpettine di melanzane con bagnacauda di peperoni (aubergine balls with pepper sauce). The foccacia was crispy and salty on the outside and came with olive oil and we wished we had had more to dip into. The aubergine was very good but mainly because the sauce was delicious – I want to know the recipe.

Then we ordered mains – ravioli a la zucca mantanova (pumpkin, leek and ricotta ravioli, with sage butter and 24 month parmesan) see above, and below is Cozze e N’duja tagliolini al nero di seppia (nduja, mussels, anchovy pepper sauce, breadcrumbs). The ravioli were really good and the sauce incredibly rich and delicious, but, not advertised on the menu, was a crumb of biscuit so it was incredibly sweet. The Parmesan was very sparse so I asked for more.

The black pasta with mussels was fantastic – salt might be added as the only salt is the anchovy in the sauce – but that is a little niggle.

We drank the house red and a blood orange San Pellegrino – water came from the tap. The food came to £32.75 and because i was not at all keen on the biscuit addition to the pasta, they offered a free dessert, but by that stage we were too full. We can’t remember what the drinks cost. We will be going back, but will choose wisely and check for potential sweet additions to the pasta mains.

Latelier Patisserie – Xmas treat

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Address: Unit 29 Market Row, Brixton

Telephone: 07576589244

Order online from ubereats, deliveroo, goodsixty

We mentioned this cake shop in the 2020 Christmas post, but we like it so much we thought it needed a special place on EatinBrixton. We ordered a Red Velvet cake for a Dad’s birthday, which was gorgeous, but in this post we want to concentrate on the Canelé de Bordeaux. The styles and tastes are different almost every time and, for our readers of course, we decided to buy one of each – 13 on this visit – so we could try them all. These little cakes are cork-shaped fluted pastries and come from Bordeaux, where the nuns are said to have made them. Now you find them all over France. They have a caramelised crust and soft middle.

Momo – the chef from Atelier – lets his imagination run wild with different styles. We used to stick to the passion fruit ones, but have recently decided this is the chocolate season. As you can see in our photo the small indentation at the top allows you to fill it with small oreos, cream and a nut, or fruit, or chocolate creams and small crispy biscuits. Inside is a mixture of lemon curd, chocolate and hazel nuts or… or … we don’t want to spoil the surprise.

We thought that we would reach a conclusion about which ones we liked best – but we loved them all. Try some, or buy a large cake to share or just some of the lovely tarts on offer. The canneles are £2.95 each and a really tasty morsel. They make a change from mince pies, chocolate logs and stollen. They will keep a little while if you choose carefully.

They also sell bread!

Rudi’s Jerk Shack – the takeaway

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Phone: 020 3971 6424

Address: Unit 10, Market Row, Brixton, SW9 8LB

Internet: https://rudieslondon.com/
Email: brixtonvillage@rudieslondon.com

A new place in Brixton offering Jamaican goodies from Market Row. This is part of a small chain in Shoreditch, Fulham, Canary Wharf, Borough Market and now in Brixton. If you are fed up with traditional fare then this is a lovely Afro-Caribbean alternative. The menu has four main sections – Likkle, Real Jerk, Yard Classics and Wraps. For the sweet tooth they have one offering – Rum cake and cream.

We ordered Jerked Chicken Wings with a sweet sauce, Rice and peas, and Ackee and Saltfish all from the Likkle menu and from the Real Jerk menu, we ordered Jerk Chicken (medium) which comes with rude sauce (very spicy) and jerk gravy.

Despite being described as Likkle – it wasn’t and the ackee and saltfish came with the best festival (sweet corn fritter) I have ever eaten. We have eaten a lot of ackee and saltfish and this was good….really good. Well seasoned with an occasional piece of chili, not too mushy and no fish bones – delightful.

Rice and peas were also up there with the best tasting ones and we will certainly order it again. The jerked chicken wings were hot but not enough to make you blow your nose until you had finished and they were spicy, savoury and sweet not quite in equal measure.

The jerk chicken was excellent as well and the choice of medium was right for us. Others might want it hotter to get that Scotch bonnet high, but still enough to make it special. The cole slaw was fresh and crunchy, providing a good complement to the jerk flavours.

There was enough to save for lunch the next day – definitely microwaveable and a feast on these cold, rainy days. We drank beer (not ordered with the meal although you can) and the bill, including fees and a tip for the rider, came to a few pence short of £40. Given that this, in effect, provided two meals, it offers great value.

Salon – the Lockdown takeaway

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Address: 18 Market Row, Brixton, London SW9 8LDWebsite: http://salonbrixton.co.uk/

Phone: 020 7501 9152

Salon now offers a timed delivery service. We have reviewed this restaurant, which offers a tasting menu several times ( here and here and here) It is a past winner of our @eatinbrixton public vote for Brixton’s favourite, so we were really enthusiastic to try their takeaway service on the first Saturday in Lockdown 2.0.

There are a meat and vegetarian three course meals on offer, both for two to share. We chose the meat one. The starter and dessert need little preparation, but the main course needs cooking. But, very helpfully, everything was labelled and there was a handy set of instructions to guide you through the meal – it made sure that we could eat the starter without worrying about the oven.

First came a pork terrine, luxuriously covered in salty ham/bacon with an accompaniment of mustard mayonnaise and bitter leaves. The other starter was a beetroot salad, caraway crackers with goats curd. Both were great and we just shared. All come with warm bread, whipped butter and cheese custard. Yum…. and honestly this would have been enough food for the evening.salon22

Next course was hispi cabbage and braised venison pie with potato topping. There was plenty for two (in fact I had seconds the next day). The meat was soft and succulent and we served it with a hefty red wine to make it a real celebration.salon23

salon24Finally – and we did then move to a comfy sofa and the TV – we had the dessert and each one is enough for two. It was a coffee panna cotta (although actually more of a fluffy mouse) with a chocolate ganache top and some crumbs to sprinkle over it. This was also when the top trouser button was undone – fantastically delicious end to the meal.

This is a delivery that requires a table, candles and good wine – as good as a dinner out. It cost £59.00 for two and we thought it was excellent value. We have got into the habit of watching the 7.00 pm news during the week with our meal (lunchtime it is Bargain Hunt), but this as enjoyable as dining out and broke the spell. Great offering and we would certainly do it again.

Chishuru

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Address: 9 Market Row, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London, SW9 8LB

email: info@chisuru.com

Website: https://www.chishuru.com/

This is a new restaurant in Market Row serving West African food from Adejoké ‘Joké’ Bakare and the restaurant was opened following her victory in the amateur category at last year’s Brixton Kitchen competition. Even across Nigeria there are many different styles and traditional cuisines – add to that the whole of West Africa and you get lots of different types of seasoning and cooking methods. You can eat in the market corridor or inside with the doors are thrown open so wear a coat wherever you sit. Inside you can watch the preparation, outside it is people watching in the busy thoroughfare.

There is a blessedly short list on the menu with starters, main courses, sides and desserts – just a few in each category. We shared Ekuru as a starter – it’s native to the Yoruba. It is (I think) made of peeled black eyed beans and wild water melon seeds and the paste is then fried. It comes with pumpkin seed pesto and scotch bonnet sauce. This was a soft and crisp start to the meal with delicious pesto, so I hope you haven’t thrown out those pumpkin seeds.

Then came the main courses where we chose one meat, goat ayamase, which came with spiced green sauce and condiments, and one veggie dish – chargrilled cauliflower with peanut sauce and puffed wild rice (although they forgot this little extra when it was served to us). We were advised to order a side of attasi rice, green salad and plantain.

The goat was really soft and didn’t have too many bones to discover. It had a spiciness that crept up on you so that a softee like me only had a runny nose three quarters of the way through.

The cauliflower was well cooked and the spiced green sauce is what it said on the menu – spicy – and the peanut sauce added to the thrill. We didn’t need the puffed rice.

We were delighted with the side dishes. The Atassi rice and beans was really good for soaking up the sauce on both dishes and the plantain with peanut sauce was a perfect foil for the spice in both dishes.

We finished the meal with a dessert to share – peanut butter ice cream with baobab crisps. We immediately dived in so no photo. The salty creaminess of the ice cream went really well with the surprisingly citrus flavoured honeycomb crisps.

We washed it all down with two bottles of Lucky Saint beer and water. The bill for two was £63.00, but this included a tip and money for a food support scheme. They only opened in August and will be hard hit by the current lockdown. Let’s hope they will run a click and collect or delivery service.

Sarap – Filipino Restaurant

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sarap01 - Copyaddress: 14D Market Row, London SW9 8LD

​phone number: 020 7459 4274

website: ttps://www.saraplondon.com/

Opening times:
Tuesday – Friday 18:00 – 23:00;
Saturday 12:00 – 16:00; 18:00 – 23:00
Sunday 12:00 – 16:00

This is a new addition to the market, where it replaces the much missed Yum-D. Budgie Montoya, the chef, was the winner of the Brixton Kitchen competition in the experienced category and will spend six months in Market Row. It is attracting attention so book, especially in the evening. The seats are niftily fitted under the tables but it will be a squeeze for the larger torso. It may also be noisy but we chose a Saturday lunchtime and it was virtually empty – not for long I am sure. Sarap means “delicious”. Continue reading →

Black Bear Burger

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BBB01

Address: 11-13A Market Row, SW9 8LB

Phone: 020 7737 3444

Website: http://blackbearburger.com/

Opening times:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Sunday: 12 noon to 10pm

You might well ask what is the point of another burger place in Brixton, other than somewhere to go when you definitely want a burger and Honest Burger is too busy?  Black Bear is not new to burgers, however, learning their trade at pop-ups and residences, but this their first sit-down location. For this they’ve chosen Brixton, replacing Wild Caper, one of nu-Brixton’s earliest eating places. The site has had a major refurbishment, with plenty of space inside for those cold winter nights. Continue reading →