Bar FoxThursday 23 Aug 2018 3:02 pm
Want to know the cool spots where you can eat, drink and be merry in London? Relax – weve got your back. Every week well bring our tried-and-tested hot list of bars, restaurants, food trucks and generally fun places hang out.
There will be a big fat, fresh Bar Fox every Thursday – but if we discover anything awesome at any other time, youll get the emergency update.
This week, its the launch of the Viet/French restaurant Banh Banhs second offering, plus a gin bar to round off summer.
Where to eat in London this week
Hot off the launch of their Peckham restaurant, Bánh Bánh Brixton brings a whole load of delicious, herb-laden, spicy goodness to Coldharbour Lane.
Run by the Nguyen siblings, inspired by their grandmothers recipes when she worked as a chef in Saigon in the 1940s, this is 100% classic Viet/French food at its finest.
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Just 2 minutes walk from Brixton Market, this is sure to bring in the local foodie Pop-Brixton loving crowd as well as Viet food lovers and the vegan tribes.
On our visit (Saturday brunch) we blew away our just the one drink post-Friday night fog with a Bloody Mai – gin, tomato, Sriracha, Worcester sauce, fish sauce, fresh lemon, white pepper, perilla leaves, pickled cucumber with a red wine float.
It worked wonders – just the right amount of kick and an Asian, aromatic twist.
Their brunch menu is sexy, loaded with paddy-herb summer rolls, papaya and Bún noodle salads for the virtuous, great for vegan and those with gluten intolerances.
Our hunger was real so we opted for the Eggs Bò Né – a sizzling Vietnamese version of steak and eggs with beef steak, pate, grilled tomato and fried egg served with a warm baguette… carb and protein heaven.
Another stand out dish was the Bánh Xèo uber crispy crepe (try saying that after a ĐẮNG Negroni or two) a giant crispy pancake loaded with spring onions, coconut cream, beansprouts, onions and mung beans. Served either vegan with tofu and mushroom or surf/turf it with pork and prawn.
Vietnamese food is synonymous with the famous Pho and Bánh Bánhs is up there with the best in town – flat rice noodles in a hot soup cooked for up to eight hours, served with a herb tray Smörgåsbord and choice of beef, chicken or tofu… its like diving into a paddy field of bead-inducing goodness.
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For something sweet to finish, try the lychee, passionfruit sorbets or miso ice cream (yes this is a thing).
Theres also the ultimate rocket-fuel-caffeine-booster, aka Vietnamese-style drip coffee with condensed milk. This is a stunning monochrome cuppa that will have you bouncing round Electric Avenue till dawn.
Barman Nick Stride is talented, giving a clever Viet-twist on classic cocktails, the đ10,000 Man comes with a Vietnamese Dong note attached to it and is a blend of pisco, apricot liqueur, aphrodite bitters pistachio, fresh lime juice, and egg white, with a pandan and rose mist…oh hello.
For the No or Low abv crowd theres a delicious selection of freshly made Jackfruit Fizzes, Salted Pineappleades and Salted Lemonades, no fomo here.
Lagers are local from Brixton Brewery.
Bánh Bánh Brixton is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 6pm to 11pm with Fri/Sat/Sun brunches from 11am to 3.30pm.
Prices are very reasonable at around £60 for two for brunch with cocktails and coffee.
BÁNH BÁNH BRIXTON, 326 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8QH. Make a reservation at banhbanh.com or by telephone at 020 7737 5888.
Where to drink in London this weekend
An underground gin garden
Worship Street Whistling Shop have partnered with The Botanist gin to launch The Botanical Garden, a verdant underground oasis where Londoners can learn about the foraged botanicals that go into small-batch gin and taste experimental cocktails made with it.
The Botanist invited Jay Sebode, gin teacher and cocktail slinger at Worship Street Whistling Shop, to create the menu, inspired by local and seasonal plants following a visit to Islay in the Outer Hebrides, the home of The Botanist gin and native home to 22 of the 31 botanicals found in the gin.
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Each cocktail focuses on one botanical, including nettle, sorrel and chamomile – and luckily you do not need to go all the way to the Outer Hebrides to find them: they can all be foraged in many London parks.
The Botanist takeover at Whistling Street Whistling Shop runs from now until mid October.
GOT YOUR OWN INSIDER TIPS?
Go to A Wong, on Wilton Street in Victoria. Honestly the best dim sum I have had in years, and I eat a LOT of dim sum. OW
Margaritas at Santo Remedio in London Bridge. The hibiscus margarita is amazing. Julie Foy
Why not give us your own suggestions and reviews, or just say hi. Hit us up at [email protected]. Include pics, details and your twitter/facebook/insta post of your discovery – or just your name – and well give you a link up or just a namecheck.
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