If you ever stepped foot in London’s Brixton district, you’ll be hard-pressed to not sense its ubiquitous Carribean influence: Often dubbed the center of Black british culture, Brixton aka “Little Jamaica” evokes memories of the island by its sounds and feel ever since London’s original soundman Duke Vin introduced the U.K. to Jamaican soundsystem culture there in the 1950s.
To stimulate even more senses, this episode of the BSTN Chronicles ‘City Series’ aims to give you a rich taste of the ever-lasting mark that British Jamaicans have made on Brixton (and still do). For an educated opinion, we teamed up with Dales from the BSTN Fam:
The rapper/ fashion connaisseur not only has been born and raised in South London’s Streatham on the border to Brixton, but he also ran an art studio in Little Jamaica for almost a decade in which he curated an eclectic mix of vintage and rare streetwear pieces and recorded. And did we mention that you can find Dales at the BSTN store in Brixton these days? We guess you can call that Brixton-bound.
In Dales‘ own words, with authentic Jamaican cuisine surrounding him all his life already, here come five hand-picked recommendations for Jamaican food spots in Brixton:
First Choice Bakers
Location: 40 Atlantic Road, Brixton, London, SW9 8JW
“A legendary Jamaican cuisine company based in Brixton but which also has another location in West Croydon. A great place to buy traditional Jamaican bread, dumplings, festivals and fritters. They also have great patties, another candidate for ‘top 3 best patties’ in the area.
This is a place where you can buy street food that you can eat on the move, like the dumplings that are cut in half and filled with either jerk chicken, salt fish, ackee or salt fish. And for the vegetarians, there’s callaloo. Friendly warning: The ‘Good Friday’ queues for bread go around the block!”
The Rum Kitchen
Location: 437 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London, SW9 8LN
“A new kid on the block that has been very well received in the area since opening its doors to the public. A swanky, dimly lit bar/restaurant establishment that’s serving delicious exotic cocktails as well as authentic Jamaican cuisine. A classy spot with a nice vibe, great for dining in and hosting large groups.”
Refill Eaterie
Location: 500A Brixton Road, Brixton, London, SW9 8EQ
“The epitome of Jamaican fast food: A mixture of traditional meals like Oxtail with Rice and Peas and some deliciously creative lunch time options like Jerk Chicken Pasta.
This is a very popular spot for the local blue collar workers who like to grab a Cornmeal Porridge or a Fish Tea in the morning and a Brown Stewed Chicken meal for lunch.”
Black & White Café
Location: 75 Atlantic Road, Brixton, London, SW9 8PU
“A legendary, traditional Yard Food restaurant that has been in the area for many moons. Famous for its ‘Fish Friday’ square tin foil plates boasting the best steam fish and crackers in the local area and for some miles around!”
Healthy Eaters
Location: 17 Electric Avenue, Brixton, London, SW9 8JP
“Jamaican cuisine has a reputation of being deliciously seasoned, home cooked and tasty. Unfortunately, some of the traditional preparation methods and ingredients can culminate in a dish that is heavenly to the taste but unhealthy to consume on a regular basis.
Healthy Eaters offer a ‘healthier’ option and approach to Jamaican cuisine than the regular run of the mill Yard Food shop. The red pea soup is exceptional. Also top 3 best patties in Brixton.”
Dale’s honorary mentions:
Alkaline Juice Factory
Location: 100b Brixton Hill, Brixton, SW2 1AH
“These guys are redefining what is considered Jamaican Cuisine and I think it’s very important to acknowledge the efforts being made by the Alkaline Juice Factory to encourage people to eat and drink alkaline foods, waters and Juices.”
Eat To Live Not to Die
Location: Kiosk 5, 17 Atlantic Rd, London SW9 8HX
“They not only provide alkaline meals and beverages, they sell raw forms of the same foods so you can continue eating to live at home. They champion the grain Fonio as a healthy alternative to rice, couscous and all other grains. Don’t believe the hype, get it fresh off the tree, take it from me, A.R.T (appreciate real talk).”
