Kricket are a mighty hard act to follow, but Remi and Aaron of Smoke & Salt have hit the ground running with their confident take on modern British tapas in their cosy new Pop Brixton shipping container. Fresh from a successful residency in Islington, these two chefs who met in the kitchen of The Shed back in 2014 are producing outstanding seasonal food using local ingredients. We took a chance on a rainy Saturday and squeezed ourselves in to the counter dining seats, but you can book ahead – try and reserve one of the tables if you want to be more comfortable.
Their menu will change regularly, but I’ll still give a shout out to the superior dishes we devoured. First up was a pile of panelles – moreish Sicilian chickpea fritters inspired by the streets of Palermo that we dipped into a spicy homemade ketchup. Then there was a colourful plate of Chalkstream Falms trout with a lime and jalapeno salsa kick and dollops of sriracha mayo. The standout “let’s order that again for dessert” dish was the Wiltshire lamb tartare with harissa, yoghurt, flatbreads and oregano – I started mourning it from the first mouthful. These plates are made for sharing, but you’ll want a whole one of those to yourself. Trombetta courgettes were perfectly crunchy, grilled for just a minute on each side and served with a summery walnut pesto of sorts. And last but not least, a posh plate of meat, chips and cheese – crispy new potatoes, covered with chimichurri, gorgonzola and Wiltshire beef. Glorious stuff from start to finish, and that’s just half of the menu. Five plates between two was just about right, and came to £17 each without booze. Not bad for one of the best meals I’ve had this year. Get yourself over to Pop Brixton and see the Smoke & Salt team up close before they inevitably move on to bigger things!
Smoke & Salt – www.smokeandsalt.com
Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ
