Cornercopia, Brixton

As part of the new wave of places inside the Brixton Village markets, Cornercopia has been around for just over a year. I’ve had a crush on it since I first went there and ate chilli chocolate sea salt brownies. I’ve looked for these brownies again but they’ve never been back (and they definitely should be). Another reason I like this place is because they sell chutneys and other products made locally, and make almost everything they serve in the tiny kitchen inside the shop, based almost entirely on produce they can obtain within the local area.

They have been open for dinner for a while, but, for a range of reasons, I haven’t managed to get to try it until last month.  Dinner is open on Thursday to Saturday nights and is served at tables that bump against each other in two corridors of the market, as well as in the recently expanded ‘dining room’ – a small shop across the way, with a winter wood fire and shelves of preserving equipment for sale.

There are two 2 options for each course (always one vegetarian) and these change every day. The first time I went, we both wanted the same main (an ox-cheek and mushroom suet crust pie with butter braised carrots and red wine gravy) and dessert (a sticky date pudding, with ginger date compote and toffee sauce). They were both great but it meant we missed the other options…so we went in a group of four next time, which let me try eat least a mouthful of everything. My favourites were the starter of confit duck terrine with fig mustard and my main of hazelnut polenta with ceps and girolles. This polenta dish had an amazingly good crunchy edge, was buttery throughout and reminded me why I should eat try and track down more interesting mushrooms more often. I struggled to let the others eating the roast chicken have any at all.

They are serving really nice, hearty winter food, and at around £5 for entrees, $8-9 for mains and $4-5 for desserts, it’s good value, with friendly staff. It used to be BYO but they now have licence and serve carafes of red for £7 (which I  haven’t tried it yet but will next time).

It helps that it’s only 15 minutes walk from my place (well probably 20 with my move) but I’d happily travel much further.

Cornercopia, Shop 65, Brixton Village Market, Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PS

Phone: 07919542233 or 07404566663.

(bookings are recommended as there is only limited space and limited serves of each dish made every night).

PS. If you are wondering why I have no photos, its partly I’m still a bit shy of taking them in restaurants and partly because I’m just a bit useless – I always forget my camera and also don’t take the best photos  anyway.