The Birds Nest

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International House
6 Canterbury Crescent
Brixton
SW9 7QD

https://birdsnestbrixton.com

This restaurant is at the top of International House and is an adventure to find. First find the door, ring the bell and you are inside the building but not near the restaurant yet. Walk through a very unprepossessing yard full of rubbish and bikes to reach another door, ring the bell and enter the hallway. Find the list and make your way to the 8th Floor….and it is worth the meandering route – the views are spectacular. Sit inside with views or outside in the fresh air. It was a little breezy so we sat inside but still had the view, sitting on soft sofas around a large table – this is definitely the place for groups.

The menu is easy – they do pizzas and puddings with some minor snacks like crisps but also have vegan and gluten free options. There are nine pizza options but we went for just two between the three of us as we wanted to leave room for pudding. We chose truffle and mushroom (mixed mushroom, mushroom and truffle puree and fior di latte) and Napoli (anchovies, olives, fior di latte, tomatoes (San Marzano kind) oregano and topped with rocket). The mushroom tasted just how it smelt – delicious. The Napoli was also lovely and felt like we had enough of our five a day.

We did have room for dessert – a choice of ice cream sandwich or tiramisu. We chose two of the sandwiches – a Naughty one (miso, salt caramel parfait and Guinness chocolate cake) its the square one. The other was our preference – the Malty one (malted milk parfait, oat biscuit with chocolate) – the round one. The Naughty one was smaller but it needed to be as it was very rich and sweet. The Malty one was malty and delicious.

This evening was a present, so we celebrated with cocktails – the SW9, a long drink with white rum pineapple and sage reduction, orange juice and aquafaba – definitely contributing to my 5-a-day and we also chose a non-alcoholic Golden and a Frozen passionfruit Margarita. They served us cocktails on a Tuesday up to 8.00pm and then only had wine, beer and soft drinks available after that. It is closed Sunday and Monday.

The bill came to £83 and they let you choose the tip. If we hadn’t ordered the cocktails, it would only have been £50. Do book as the outside gets full. We were just a group of three and arrived, literally hot foot, from the Rooftop Spa that’s on the same floor and has the same views from your little private cabin. They are completely used to red faces in the restaurant.

La Nonna Pasta Fresca

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We have been here before and always need to book as there is rarely space for a walk-in. It has hardly changed internally but the menu has become a little more Italian and there are none of the experimental pasta dishes. When we arrived it was very noisy – large groups were in but it did quieten down.

We started with a couple of orders of polenta chips – very hot from the fryer so let them cool a little before you dip into the gorgonzola sauce. It was really delicious and as we were in a foursome two orders was quite enough if we were to finish our pasta.

We ordered three pasta – Nduja with Mascarpone (2), Carbonara and Cacio y Pepe (olive oil, garlic, pepper).

The nduja one was spicy but the menu said that so it shouldn’t have been a surprise so we drank a lot of water and wine to cool down and were very glad of the mascarpone. The plates were empty so clearly we enjoyed it.

Then there was the Cacio y Pepe – was classic and very good.

The Carbonara was a little too salty for all of us, our advice is that as guanciale is variable in terms of salt – so leave your foot on the brake as we can always add some later.

We did all order dessert – two lemon sorbets, tiramisu and a pistachio gelato. Again empty plates.

We did have two bottles of the most expensive red wine – Montepulciano and one Campari spritz for the early arrival – so the bill was large. After removing the alcohol the bill was £114.50 including £22.81 service charge. This was for four people and we had three courses so we thought it was good value. We like this restaurant. It is unpretentious and doesn’t try to put pepper on with a huge mill – we suffered this recently. The pasta is made from zero zero flour and is not as al dente as in Italy – natives might gasp -but it was OK for us. We will go again when we remember to book far enough in advance. They also do lunch (£27.95 per person for bottomless pasta – now there’s a challenge)

Brunswick House

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30 Wandsworth Road, London SW8 2LG

Home

Tel: +44 (0)20 7720 2926

Just a couple of minutes walk from Vauxhall tube and an interesting restaurant inside an architectural reclaim house that was once the domain of the Duke of Brunswick, although that’s going back a few centuries. The dining room is lit by a large number of low hanging chandeliers and has more swags that would not be out of place in a stately home. They all add to an intimate dining experience with the deep brown tables and chairs echoing this restaurant’s less than humble past. As the weather is improving you can also eat out on the terrace where the plants provide a barrier between you and the noise of traffic.

This was a lunchtime venue with a friend to talk (well mainly gossip) and we were able to do that without being overheard and unlike many places without having to shout. For lunch there are two options – one pretty cheap with two choices per course and two courses is only £15 although fries are extra. We didn’t stick to the set lunch but chose from both options. with starters, mains and a pudding.

As it was a little while ago I may be guessing and after staring at the picture below I can only think of gherkins but it looks like a fish pate of some kind but I am told by my partner in crime that it was …. pork rillette

Then another starter – described as Smoked Beetroot, Fior Di Latte, Marcona Almond

Further detective work on the set lunch menu says it is middle white sausage, Puy lentils and mustard.

I remember this one as it was a treat – Roasted Cauliflower, Baby Leeks, Coriander Chutney, Yeast Crisp – good textures and flavours.

Puddings don’t change as frequently but even so I can’t guess this one but it could be cheesecake with goat’s cheese – although that isn’t on the menu!.

Finally – I do know this is the Lincolnshire Poacher, Honey, Cornichon with some lovely salty crackers. We drank water and Alvarinho white wine that was delicious.

What you really wanted to know was whether we liked it – we did. We thought the quality of the food was really good especially given the overall cost. Lost the bill but you can guess from the price of the set menu. Well worth a visit and for me … a return one.

Clutch

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Address: 432 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8FN

Internet: Clutch Smoked Meats & Burgers

Clutch is new but has a similar menu to the previous incarnation of this restaurant but now has lots of meat on the menu. Its long and on their website but contains chicken, beef, lamb, fish and veggie options in burgers, on skewers, in wraps and layered in pasta. They also have smoked meats. Starters are the usual hummus, falafel, chicken wings, halloumi and spicy potatoes. We ordered one starter to share – chicken wings and then two mains – beef brisket and Korean chicken each with a side of chips or cheesy chips.

As you can see the brisket was a large amount of meat with coleslaw and a variety of sauces. It was definitely enough without any starter and I didn’t manage to finish.

The Korean chicken was really delicious but we might have overdone the cheesy chips – eyes bigger than stomach sort of thing. The chicken wings were coated in a crumb and were not very nice to eat. We had hoped for some crispy skin but it was wet underneath the crumb so our advice is to swerve that one.

This is a fast food restaurant and they want to move people on quickly. We got the main before the starter so sent it back and asked for the starter to come first. We waited ages and finally the chicken wings turned up. So if you really want a starter make it clear that it needs to come first. Next time we will just order amins to share as it was certainly enough to eat.

We ordered a Fanta and a “best of passion” a lime, passion fruit and pineapple mocktail. Very nice and only £6.99. The bill came to £50.53 including 12.5% service (not optional). We will return but maybe get a takeaway if we are not wanting to eat at breakneck speed.

Flava Pepper

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132 Brixton Hill, SW2 1RS

https://www.flavapepper.com/

Email: dine@flavapepper.com

Phone: 020 4568 7045

Sunday: 12 – 6 pm

Monday & Tuesday – Closed

Wednesday & Thursday: 5 – 9:30 pm

Friday: 5 – 10:00 pm

Saturday: 1 – 10:30 pm

This restaurant used to be Jamaican but now it has a twist to Barbados with Bajan food – all with a twist of Flava Pepper and Jason Howard. This is Caribbean food beyond just heat, although there is some scotch bonnet too. It is a cosy restaurant with wooden tables, white chairs, floral artwork, and a chalkboard menu – although we did also get our menu on paper too. On the night we went I had booked so we weren’t disappointed but we ended up as the only four people in the restaurant sharing with just a line of takeaway drivers – it was a Thursday.

There are many things on the menu – starters including soup and wings – we chose fish cakes to share. The mains include jerk and curry goat and sharing plates. On a Saturday there is also Cou-cou and Steamed fish or pudding and chicken or pickled pork. We ordered Curry goat, curry chicken and Bajan BBQ chicken. They all come with sides like rice and peas and plantain. We don’t have a picture of the plates at the end but take it from me we did our best but no-one can finish a whole plateful. They were right about the spice not heat so subtle flavours that we all enjoyed.

I must remember not to start on the plantain first! We had no space for dessert.

We drank beer – Bajan Banks – and a rum punch. The total bill for four of us was £159.75 as it includes 12.5% service charge so about £40 per person including the alcohol. We might be back on a Saturday to try the specials.

Sushi Revolution

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240 Ferndale Road, SW9 8FR

https://www.sushirevolution.co.uk/brixton

Open everyday, Noon to 10:00 pm

Previous review 1 July 2021 https://eatinbrixton.com/2021/07/01/sushi-revolution/

Ready for a quick review following our previous ones. You need to book if you want to sit on a low table – otherwise you take your chances on a high stool and if there are three people the person in the middle will be practicing for the stalls in Wimbledon and probably have a stiff neck by the end of the meal. The décor has changed a little but not so much as requires more description here.

The food was great as always – and we ordered the edamame. Luckily this came early so we played with that and our drinks (a beer and green tea). Then onto the main event the chicken karaage, Aubergine (delicious) Yellowtail sashimi, spicy tuna, and ceviche roll. These came in very quick succession rather haphazardly so we had loads of edamame left over as they got cold.

We followed this with mochi – green tea, tropical and mango – not homemade!

The bill came to £91.37 including the 13.6% service charge. So not cheap even for three people and we were left a bit hungry. The one criticism we had was the service and the order of the plates. We wanted to savour them and what we got was a mixture of hot and cold dishes all together so the hot ones went cold before we got to them. This was fast food – too fast food. Slow down the service or the diner should just order a couple of dishes and then order more when they are finished. We will return but use the last strategy to have a more relaxing meal.

Rapchar

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address: 30 Brixton Water Ln, London SW2 1PE

Telephone number: 020 3793 8928

https://rapchar.com

This Caribbean restaurant has been opened for a little time and fills a place between Khan’s, Naughty Piglets and Maremma on Brixton Water Lane that is becoming a global culinary paradise. We encourage everyone to try it out as a visit is a real treat but go hungry as portions are large. We coped by sharing.

You can choose a la carte but there is also a fixed menu with choices as you turn pages after the wine. There are vegetarian and vegan options as well as the usual jerk and curry goat and this is not a “small plates” venue – it’s starter, main and pudding – we managed to taste a bit of everything and take some home for lunch the next day.

For starters the three of us shared the jerk chicken wings but we could have had prawns, scallops, hummus or croquettes. The wings were, as expected, fiery, but not the blow the top of your head off kind and so we could taste the spice mix over the tingle.

For the mains there was meat, fish and veggie options – look online for all of them. We had split decision with two choosing curry goat which comes with a choice of extras. One chose rice and peas and the other had the coconut rice and of course there was the mandatory coleslaw and some salad. It is hard to make curry goat look pretty but it came in two bowls and a plate with with the salad that looked like a picture – very inviting. It was again not as hot as expected but was hot but again you can taste the spice mix and the goat itself was soft. The rice was also substantial and it did what it said on the time – tasty coconut in one and lots of peas in the other.

The third person chose the Caribbean Risotto Prawndini. It was described as having a touch of scotch bonnet pepper that was a little scary. It also had rum, crayfish and three jumbo garlic butter prawns. Pleasantly surprised as the risotto was just right – slight bite to the rice and definitely just a touch of scotch bonnet. There were loads of crayfish and the sauce was delicious.

Despite asking to take food away for the next days lunch we decided to try for a pudding and we ordered one and three spoons – the sticky plantain cake with coconut ice cream. The cake comes warm and although it sounded heavy it was in fact light as a feather and we polished it all off. We drank Red Stripe and an IPA (unfortunately not from Brixton Beers).

The bill came to £126 including the drink. Although steep this was great food and is £42 per person. We will be going back.

Mulan Noodle

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192 Acre Ln, London SW2 5UL

020 3518 5872

Reservations dojo.app

We visited a while ago but we thought it was really a restaurant for cooler weather as the menu comes from the north of China with dumplings and fresh noodles in hot soups. The restaurant is situated in the site of a previous Spanish restaurant and although the skin looks the same there are now bamboo seating and small tables with Chinese pictures and posters as well as small vases of flowers.

The starters are small plates of interesting vegetables like a shredded potato salad with chilli oil and vinegar. Then larger dishes are fried or street food including a cumin beef burger and then there are soups and more classic dishes including rice. The list is very long so maybe look before you visit or you will be overwhelmed. The desserts I will come to later.

We ordered Fried Butterfly Shrimp with a dipping sauce and sweet potato fries with plum powder. They were as suggested although the plum flavour was very subtle although we could see it.

For a main we ordered Stewed Brisket with hand-pulled noodles that comes in a savoury I soy broth and Cumin Beef Noodles with onion and pepper. Both were substantial and we never got through them all. We were asked if we wanted to take them and we would have but timing wasn’t great.

Now we come to the desserts which look incredibly exciting. There’s Sichuan ice jelly, Mango pomelo sago, brown sugar rice cake and our chosen dish to share – Deep Fried Milk. It is crispy fried somethings to dip into condensed milk. Very sweet but very delicious.

We ordered a bottle of Tuscan red wine and took most away although it went well with the beef and noodles. That was a large part of the cost of the meal (£35) but want was left including service was £60.29 so definitely a bargain. We hope they do well but takeaway is also an option as this food travels well.

Noko

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48-49 Brixton Village, SW9 8PR

Tel: 020 3793 0874

This is a newish restaurant at the Coldharbour Lane end of Brixton Village. It has only been open for a week, so it is on its soft launch. It is part of a small south London chain and serves Asian food and is definitely a place to try with cash in your pocket, as they don’t yet have any credit card services. But this is a blessing as you get a discount on the food you buy. Sit on small tables or at a counter watching passers by.

On Saturday the menu contained – snacks, noodles, dumplings, robato (skewers), “plates” including sake seabass and fried chicken any style. There are enough vegetarian options to produce an interesting meal. We chose Dan Dan noodles (as recommended) that includes a lot of garlic, peanuts, sesame and soy sauce, skewers of pork belly, skewers of broccoli and tahini as well as grilled aubergine. We were very hungry so we tucked in before taking pictures. There could have been prettier shots – blame our appetite.

The grilled aubergine was soft and delicious and relatively easy to eat with chopsticks. The pork belly was spicy and simple to eat with the fat giving a lovely flavour. The tahini and roasted broccoli florets was a revelation – just the right crispness and sweetness and a relief from all the chilli. Noodles were spicy too but also soft and our waitress cut them up and tossed them in the delicious sauce. We stopped there – we were full and thought we will visit again very soon especially with the 20% discount as an incentive.

We washed it down with water and a glass of a passionfruit drink. The bill came to £27.00 with the 20% discount and including service.

Bistro Union

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40 Abbeville Road

London SW4 9NG

020 70426400

home

We have visited Bistro Union a couple of times before our Sunday visit and always decided that the cost was above a general trip out on a weekday so haven’t reviewed it here. But now they do a Sunday Supper menu at £28.00 per person – an absolute bargain for the food you get. Visit soon – booking is definitely required.

This is a sister restaurant to Trinity in Clapham Old Town which is seriously good and seriously expensive – but you are in for a treat whenever you visit. Back to Bistro Union. During the week they serve a choice of snacks, small and large plates as well as some to share. On Sunday for lunch it is similar but with a roast. Sunday supper is a fixed menu – blessed relief not to have to choose – and when we visited there were three courses and an optional one. Snacks were cheese goujons – light an fluffy. An optional course – a tomato salad with fragrant dressing that we chose and shared. The main course was a deconstructed Caesar salad – the salad plus four pieces of chicken and the desert a berry pavlova that was more like an Eton mess when it arrived but no problem – we wolfed it down.

We were a party of three with a mother who is hard to please. So we took no photos, just in case. But we hit the jackpot with her thumbs up. The chicken skin was seasoned really well and the salad just crispy enough. We had a piece of chicken left over which was immediately wrapped for us to take away for a further supper the next day.

Wine comes in carafes as well as bottles and is a bit more expensive than your local – but that’s because it is really good. Not drinking too much before the hurly burly of Monday was also a blessing – as we were not tempted to dive into more than a glass and a half.

We will definitely go back for another go as the menus change.