The simultaneously brilliant and terrible thing in Brixton is the vast number of restaurant incubators. So we get all this diverse, amazing quality food... but sometimes just as we get to love a restaurant it moves on to a permanent space. When Donostia Social Club left for Tooting, we wailed “What are we going to do?” And the DSC owner replied: “Smoke and Salt.”
He was absolutely right. One of the elevated restaurants in Pop Brixton, the look of Smoke and Salt is sleek and elegant yet casual and welcoming in its little shipping container. And there are three great things: 1. The food. It’s smoked, it’s salted, it's cured, and it’s one of the only places I go where I think ‘there is no way I could have made a version of this at home.’ The flavours and textures are subtle and exciting. The dishes are always called something dull like ‘carrots’, then you order and find it’s something spectacular that you’re still thinking about days later. 2. The drink. They are masters of flavour and it comes out in their cocktails. We had them make a special cocktail for my wife’s birthday and everyone was swooning ‘What IS this?’ They have good wine too. And our favourite non-alcoholic beer of all time, Lucky Saint. 3. The people. They are friendly and cheery and talented and create a really convivial ambience. We just did a private party there and the food was amazing. It almost felt like we were somewhere like Noma. But at Brixton prices. Best meal I’ve had in years. Possibly one of the best contemporary British restaurants out there. Don't tell the rest of London though. I like being able to stroll in for a sneaky sourdough bread and whipped butter... And, icing on the cake, we're even allowed to bring our dog! (not on Thu- Sat evenings though - see Pop Brixton dog rules)
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AuthorI moved to Brixton in 2015 with my wife and dog, from faraway Camberwell, via Washington, Tokyo and Hong Kong... Archives
September 2019
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