LDNGuide
The 13 Best Restaurants In Brixton
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Brixton gets plenty of richly deserved restaurant credit. But it’s also an area of London that needs its heritage and restaurants to be protected and preserved. From brilliant neighbourhood Caribbean and Colombian restaurants, to natural wine hangouts and Japanese hand rolls, Brixton is a mix of the old and new that represents every side of London. These are the best spots, spiralling out from the station, into Brixton Village market, and beyond.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Jake Missing
Ask anyone who knows about suya where to find the best in London, and their answer will be Alhaji. The little Brixton kiosk provides expertise in Hausa cuisine (from northern Nigeria) in a grab-and-go setup. Marinated beef, lamb, and chicken is given a blast of heat before a careful unwrapping process is followed by a healthy sprinkling of yaji. The tozo (from the hump of the cow) is our favourite, and though it’s not always as meltingly good as it once was, it’s still an excellent on-the-go lunch. There are jollof boxes and meat pies too.
photo credit: Rob Greig
This Brixton spot is set into an archway, but with bright orange, neon signage, there’s no way you’ll miss it. The menu is simple: chicken burgers, wings, or strips, plus sides and sauces. Everything is great but the stacked burgers are the reason you should come here. The juicy chicken, with craggy, crunchy edges, is the perfect shade of golden brown, and spills out of a soft, sturdy bun. Our favourite comes slathered in garlic butter mayo and showered with parmesan.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Reem’s is a tiny Brazilian spot in Brixton Village market that’s about 90% kitchen and two outdoor tables. There’s an extensive menu of classics and beloved Brazilian versions of burgers, pizzas, and the like. The £10 buffet is the biggest pull though. While dishes rotate, there’s always brilliant feijoada, which can be topped with farofa and enormous, crunchy pork scratchings. Stroganoff comes in a creamy white sauce with the correct amount (a hell of a lot) of garlic, crunchy matchstick potatoes, and white rice.
photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch
If you’re heading to Brixton specifically to find Caribbean food, Fish, Wings & Tings is a good place to start. The vibes are chill and the food is solid. Jerk chicken, curried goat, and salt fish fritters are all on the menu, all served with deliciously sweet mango sauce. On a warm sunny day, there is nothing better than finding a spot on the outside benches with a few of your mates, ordering some food and cocktails, and just hanging out.
photo credit: Jake Missing
Veg & Tings is exactly what it sounds like and there aren’t many better places to be in Brixton when the sun is shining. The sibling to Fish, Wings & Tings opposite, this little Caribbean vegetarian specialist makes a solid selection of dishes big and small, like vibrantly flavoured Trinidadian doubles with perfect chewy roti, or a hearty ital stew. While you can sit in, the pavement seating on this corner of Brixton Village is a glorious suntrap on the right day or evening.
Seaweed is the ultimate vehicle for rice. At Temaki it’s also the perfect vehicle for some BBQ eel that we would ghost a BBQ chicken wing for. The affordable temaki is so good that we no longer accept handshakes, just otoro handed over from the chef. A sleek, minimalist restaurant hidden in Brixton Village, this is the kind of low-key, counter-only spot that you desperately want to drag that person you’re seeing to, just so they know that you’re very, very cool.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
On the edge of Brixton Village, Bottle + Rye is a teeny, tiny wine bar where knees touch, hands are held beneath tables, and stories are shared over London’s most sensational anchovy toast. This petite slice of Parisian charm is perfect for sharing secrets between sips of a skin-contact moscato. The dark oak bar that snakes around the open kitchen serving French food is somewhere you’ll want to sit for hours, romancing or reminiscing, while picking at terrine and taking on the broody personality traits of a ‘20s Left Bank novelist.
photo credit: Sinéad Cranna
At some point, between eating comforting Antipodean dishes and admiring the mint green banquettes, you’ll realise you’ve been at The Laundry for three hours, have taken 47 photos, and mentally planned a big event here. Whether you’re dropping by for a blissful WFH morning, or settling in for a big weekend brunch, The Laundry is the kind of place where you could happily while away half a day. A perfect day here looks like excellent coffee and spicy meatballs on toast for brunch, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up of malty banana bread with honeycomb butter, and early evening sundowners on the spacious terrace out front.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
This unique sushi omakase experience mixes Japanese cooking with chef Chris Restrepo’s Thai-Colombian heritage, genuine brilliance, and inimitable made-in-Brixton charm. You’ll be amazed at what you’re tasting at Kurisu Omakase, but also what you’re sharing as an experience. There’s 18-times-scored scallop from Hokkaido topped with yuzu juice and there’s theatrically smoked trout finished with lime zest from Sainsbury’s around the corner. Just make sure you turn on reservation notifications—this experience books out quickly.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
At Enish, a dressed-up gathering never feels out of place next to a couple on a casual midweek date. In the evenings, loud afrobeats plays over the airwaves while plates of Nigerian staples like jollof rice and suya fill tables. It's worth getting specialties like isiewu, a spiced goat's head stew which is traditional to eastern Nigeria, as well as spicy pomo (cow skin). Like you would a sommelier for wine recommendations, ask the staff for their best swallow pairing—be it pounded yam, eba, amala, or a mix.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
El Rancho De Lalo is a buzzing restaurant making delicious home-cooked stews that’s all about wonderful Colombian hospitality. Chicharrón and steak and a lovely, varying selection of meat and carbs are going to arrive at your table, and you’re more than likely going to be very happy with all of them. Portions are bulging, the room is usually full of family and friends, and its empanadas are one of the best snacks around.
photo credit: Jake Missing
There are plenty of homely-feeling restaurants in London, but Maureen’s Brixton Kitchen is quite literally in her home. The Jamaican spot feels like a Caribbean takeaway first and foremost, and somewhere to watch EastEnders second. You’ll find smoking jerk pans in the front garden, giant pots of fluffy rice and peas and, in the heart of it all, Maureen herself. This home chef makes restaurant-quality food. Her jerk chicken is expertly smoked and tenderly collapses from the bone, and the fried chicken is some of the finest around.
Beb’s is a homely Indian restaurant that serves an excellent range of curries, including some Goan specialities, in a caff-like room with red gingham tablecloths. Friendliness and comfort are top priority. Rose tea will be offered as you wait, complimentary cassava cake will come out, and the distinct feeling that you would like to be adopted by this lovely couple will occur. The food will also make you feel all warm and fuzzy: lamb xacuti is rich and spiced, and samosas are expertly made too. Needless to say: the big BYOB sign is also very welcoming.
