You'd be hard pushed to find somewhere else in London offering as wide a selection of interesting and good value restaurants as Brixton Market. Located right in the centre of the South London district, the lively Market Row houses a number of vendors selling fresh local produce as well as several pop-up shops and restaurants, maintaining the authentic market feel.
After some hefty umming and ahhing my boyfriend and I decided to opt for Bukowski Charcoal Grill. As soon as we walked through the door we were met by a waiter who apologised profusely for not being able to give us our own table (we were sitting next to another couple) but there was more than enough space and the restaurant's cosy feel meant that squeezing next to fellow diners felt in no way awkward or intrusive. The atmosphere of the restaurant is really relaxed, with an unpretentious stripped-back layout and view of the small open kitchen as you eat. All this twinned with friendly and attentive waiters gives the place an intimate feel which had me smiling before we'd even been handed our menus.
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| Chicano Pulled Pork |
The burger menu offered interesting additions to the standard fare, with candied bacon and pickled onion with scotch bonnet accompanying the usual beef, cheese and lettuce combos. But the Speciality dishes are the real show-stoppers. I opted for the tantalising Chicano Pulled Pork, a dish marinated in Seville orange juice, achiote and mild ancho chili before being cooked for six hours and served with scotch bonnet and red onion pickle in a focaccia bun. All for £6.85? Yes please.
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| Hanger steak and chipotle salsa sandwich |
My boyfriend also hit the jackpot with his steak and chipotle salsa sandwich, filled with medium-rare steak marinated in beer and spices and served up in yummy toasted sourdough bread. Both our choices were deliciously tangy with a hint of spice which made the burgers stand out from your average GBK/Byron chain. The chefs have obviously made a real effort to add a little extra something to all the meals- the chips are not only triple cooked but also fried in beef dripping (mmm...) and their own organic tomato ketchup is probably the best I've ever tasted.
Bukowski has successfully nailed the art of being that little bit different without compromising taste or standards, sourcing ingredients from trusted suppliers who gather their produce organically. Although the prices are low, this is not the place to come for a greasy burger. With my boyfriend's meal costing £7.85 and the portions being so large that we simply shared a side of large fries between us (£2.75), our meal came in under £18. Drinks are very reasonably priced (I hardly ever find bottled beers for under £3.00) and although we had a dry lunch I'm definitely going to return for a 'Spiked Milkshake' of peanut butter, banana and Bourbon sometime soon.
Spashing out? Head down the market to Prima Donna for a post dinner stack of blueberry pancakes with yoghurt and maple syrup (£5.50).
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