Smoke & Salt is a small plates restaurant in Pop Brixton that uniquely fuses seasonal British ingredients with ancient cooking methods for a creative dining experience. I’ll say this from the start, I’m a friend of Remi Williams, on of the chefs and owners of Smoke & Salt alongside Aaron Webster, and although I believe that didn’t affect my experience, it could’ve.
I’d been attempting to visit Smoke & Salt for a VERY long while since they moved to Brixton, but I was trying to get all our mutual friends to come along. That kept being delayed for one reason or another, but after missing Smoke & Salt at Meatopia I couldn’t wait any longer… not even for Shiima, so I went alone! 😁
Smoke & Salt is a very cosy restaurant that makes the best use of its shipping container space, which is unique to box park, with some terraced seating just outside. It’s relaxed vibe is in keeping with Pop Brixton and the service is incredibly friendly and attentive. I sat at the counter closest to the kitchen and it was a pleasure to watch Remi and his team work.
What I ordered
I’d looked at the menu several times prior and I had my eyes on so many dishes! Luckily, the seasonal tasting menu had most of the dishes I was intrigued by, so I chose that. It had Sourdough Bread with whipped butter, Barbecue Jerusalem Artichoke, Chalkstream Farm Trout, New Potatoes and Beef Heart, Salt Baked Carrots, Game Bird, and Fermented Honey Cake.
But I also added Confit Cod and Corn Dog, because, you know, I love food!
The Food
Seasonal Menu
I really enjoyed everything, but the standout was the new potatoes & beef heart.
Wow. Just wow. The beef hearts were tender and delicious, but they were elevated by the chimichurri and Gorgonzola. Excellent 👌🏾
My next favourite was the Game Bird, which was partridge. It was perfectly grilled and the flavour combination with the pickled blackcurrants was special.
The fermented honey cake was a revelation too. Rich, sweet, and crunchy. I wanted more! So much more! 😂
A La Carte
The Corn Dog was first to arrive and it was tremendous… although I had a large bite at the start only to realise there was corn cob inside 🤣. Forgive me, it’s my first ever corn dog. I acted accordingly and carefully ate around the cob, but I couldn’t stop myself having more bites at that cob. The dish was really good. Especially the cornmeal batter. And it wasn’t oily at all. The kale purée (if that’s what it is lol) was so delicious as well and had the flavour profile of rich pesto.
The Confit Cod is right in my wheelhouse because I really like cod, I’m a fan of miso and satay, and I absolutely love peanuts! So as you can imagine I loved this. The cod was flaky and all the flavours were perfectly balanced.
Verdict
I loved my dinner experience at a Smoke & Salt, and I’ll be dragging the rest of my friends soon as is feasible. The vibe is very relaxed, the service is very friendly and attentive, and the food is excellent! I recommend for casual dates, relaxed fun meal with friends and family, and foodies because there are quite a few unique dishes on the menu that you have to try. Smoke and Salt is also very fairly priced, as the seasonal menu is just £25pp.
Cuisine: British/Modern European
Dress Code: Casual
Star Dish: New Potatoes & Beef Hearts
Price: £20-£30pp
Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Smoke & Salt
Pop Brixton
49 Brixton Station Road,
London SW9 8PQ
Reserve a table at OpenTable,
Or Call 07421327556
