I’ve snooped round container village Pop Brixton a few times now since it opened back in the spring. I like the vibe. I love the food there too – especially what’s being cooked up at street food trader Donastia Social Club’s first permanent pintxos bar loftily situated on the top level and near the entrance.
Scaled back to clapboard basics with fierce focus on the menu, DSC’s bar is a Spanish food lover’s dream come true (well, as long as such dreams are bound within the M25) … and a more than decent spot for a quick drink, light bite or full on Basque feast. Rather than a stone’s thrown from Brixton Station, if the bar were situated on the polar opposite end of the Victoria Line near my Walthamstow home, I’d be in there bending my elbows and wearing down the utensils all the time. Indeed, I tried to coax Chef Paul Belcher to come up my way for a reccie. I’m not holding my breath until he brings his bar north though; so, I guess I’ll just have to make do with commuting south now and again to get my pintxos fix.
But, with regular menu features such as seared scallops with pisto, green chilli sauce and almonds (£3.50 each); braised Iberico pork cheek with butter bean purée and herb oil (£6); and membrillo glazed duck breast and carrot purée (£6.50); alongside daily specials along the lines of octopus with pepper stew, lemon oil and paprika salt (£7.50) – it’ll be worth the time on the Tube. I was really impressed with all the dishes I sampled – not to mention an ace assortment of quality charcuterie and cheeses (mostly sourced from Flavours of Spain) and an equally excelente range of emphatically Spanish drink. I very much enjoyed my bottle of dry Isastegi Still Cider (£5.50).
If you’re down Brixton way, you could do a lot worse. And if you love Northern Spanish cuisine I doubt you’ll find much better.
Donostia Social Club is at Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ. For more details go to donostiasocialclub.co.uk.
