Brixton’s best drinking and dining options

Naughty Piglets is Brixton’s answer to the friendly neighbourhood natural wine and small plates bars that have been popping up all over the capital for some time now. Started up by industry couple (wine expert and chef respectively), Margaux Aubry and Joe Sharratt, they describe it as having ‘an English heart with a French accent’. The chalkboard menu changes frequently, but you can expect to see premium ingredients such as oysters, burrata and steak up there – all of which are intended to be shared with a bottle from the extensive wine list. This lively spot, which has been open for the best part of a decade, is pretty much always abuzz with chattering patrons and really feels like part of Brixton’s furniture now.

Now a trio of popular restaurants, Kricket actually first opened in a shipping container in the food market, Pop Brixton. It’s now found a more permanent home on Atlantic Road, and it’s here that you can dig into its Indian-inspired indulgences like the Keralan fried chicken, smoked bone marrow changezi and alternative roast dinners that feature spiced meats and fusion sides. This place can also knock up some damn good palate-cleansing cocktails too, including a spiced gin and cardamom creation, and a new take on the classic margarita that features pomegranate and jaggery.

Located in a former Edwardian laundry, this Kiwi-owned, all-day venue boasts arguably the best terrace for an al fresco rendezvous in summer, while winter evenings can be spent cosied up by candlelight along the dark wood counters. The Sunday roasts here are locally famous and feature New Zealand sweet potatoes as well as bottomless gravy – surely the best two words anyone can hear on Sunday?! Meanwhile, the brunch and all-day menus include Australasian influences, such as boiled eggs and vegemite soldiers, courgette and cheddar cornbread, and sweetcorn fritters. The Laundry also offers lots of lovely deals throughout the week, such as £7 cocktails during L’Apero hour and no corkage fees on Tuesdays!

Yes, it’s another natural wine focused joint, but it’s also another corker. Bottle + Rye can be found in Brixton Village, however it exudes the ambience of graceful all-day Parisian cafes, where wines are meant to be mulled over and appreciated with a side of scintillating conversation and people watching. There’s a seriously elegant wooden bar with a marble counter that will transport you to bohemian Paris and an ever-changing chalkboard menu, from which you can choose a selection of firmly French-inspired sharing plates – think anchovies on toast, meaty terrines and perfect patisserie-style desserts.

Happily, there are plenty of places where you can get your Caribbean food fix in Brixton, and Wood + Water is up there with the finest. Melding Jamaican and British influences with British produce, you can expect treats such as curry goat croquettes and sausage rolls (which have quickly become house favourites), as well as a tasty Jamaican breakfast of ackee and saltfish with bammy and plantain, and banana pancakes for those sweet-toothed souls. You’ll want to take a look at the cocktail list too, which ranges from a subtly sweet old fashioned with a rum and chocolate twist, to a downright dramatic concoction that comes served in a cloud of smoke. With low, sultry lighting and jewel-toned decor, the hours fly by in this central Coldharbour Lane spot.

At Black Bear, the ethos is simple: Simple, Done Well. These guys don’t mess around with gimmicks – everything’s in the burgers for a reason: flavour! Each day the bakery delivers bespoke buns fresh in the morning and the butcher makes the burgers to the required spec. Aside from that, everything else is made in-house daily. Try the Brisket Burger: Dry aged beef with cheese, 12 hour beer braised brisket, pink pickled onions and garlic mayo.

The food at Turtle Bay is inspired by laid back beach shacks and the street vendors of the Caribbean. From fragrant jerk marinades to slowly simmered curries, there’s something for everyone here. It’s not just about spice either, for the team it’s all about FLAVOUR! They spend months crafting each dish until it tastes just right. And just like a beach shack in the Caribbean, the food is just the beginning. Wash your meal down with a cocktail (or two), sit back and be transported to a world where conversations and reggae beats flow long into the night.