Brazas(Tulse Hill)/by Brockwell Park/Brailsford Road
- Thread starter gaijingirl
- Start date
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
No you won't need to book. It's quite a big place - there's lots of candlelit tables out the back that you don't really see from the street.
pootle
little moran
Really? That sounds v nice GG!
I've only ever gone past on the bus really so have only seen the front and it's always looked a bit busy (which is good)
this now however is academic for this evening at least as tonight's date night involves hip hop and cocktails! Hurrah! two of my favourite things!
I've only ever gone past on the bus really so have only seen the front and it's always looked a bit busy (which is good)
this now however is academic for this evening at least as tonight's date night involves hip hop and cocktails! Hurrah! two of my favourite things!
Well I had my first meal in Brazas last night and it was most pleasant indeed. I'll echo GG's comments that the staff are very friendly, unobstrusive and professional - we thoroughly enjoyed a couple of courses in the relaxed atmosphere there, with a lovely bottle of Vinho Verdi (£13) washing things down nicely.
Prices are very good in there really. We shared a generous plate of king prawns in there (good), followed by half a piri piri chicken for me and gorgonzola gnocchi for LQ. Along with a generous salad, bread and the aforementioned wine, it came to a shade under 35 nicker.
Not a huge menu, either for takeaway or sit in, but a good 8-9 choices, including the Portuguese staples of piri piri, ribs, sardines and steak/picado. I was actually pretty impressed with the vegetarian selection - there were 3 choices on last night's sit-in menu alone, which was a chunky proportion of the whole selection and very unusual for a Portuguese restaurant. The only thing, perhaps unsurprisingly, was that the veggie selection seemed a little randomly themed compared to the Portu-centric meat and seafood dishes - cous cous, Aubergine De JeanCharles Menezes (sorry, Melanzane alla Parmigiana) and gnocchi.
If I'm entirely honest, the food wasn't at the same level as the nearby Gallery. Piri Piri chicken at Brazas was more succulent (I suspect they par-boiled prior to frying) but lacked that smoky crispiness and depth of flavour as The Gallery. Similarly the King Prawns, while lovely, lacked the sheer oomph of their counterparts down the road. Still caused us to mop up all the lovely sauce with our bread mind.
But that's a harsh comparison - the Gallery's been going for donkey's years and those are two of the finest dishes on their menu. The food at Brazas is perhaps a bit lighter, less oily and slightly more anglicised, for better or worse. Brazas is newer, fresher looking and arguably more pleasant to sit in. Which is some achievement considering it used to be the Woodcocks - we sat there reminiscing about playing darts where the grill section is now, pressing the old school jukebox where the till now resides, buying drinks from what now seems to be a boxed in section. The toilets were recognisable in their old positions, but they now glowed in purest white.
Huge thumbs up from me. We'll be back, with bells on. A very pleasant evening out indeed.
Prices are very good in there really. We shared a generous plate of king prawns in there (good), followed by half a piri piri chicken for me and gorgonzola gnocchi for LQ. Along with a generous salad, bread and the aforementioned wine, it came to a shade under 35 nicker.
Not a huge menu, either for takeaway or sit in, but a good 8-9 choices, including the Portuguese staples of piri piri, ribs, sardines and steak/picado. I was actually pretty impressed with the vegetarian selection - there were 3 choices on last night's sit-in menu alone, which was a chunky proportion of the whole selection and very unusual for a Portuguese restaurant. The only thing, perhaps unsurprisingly, was that the veggie selection seemed a little randomly themed compared to the Portu-centric meat and seafood dishes - cous cous, Aubergine De JeanCharles Menezes (sorry, Melanzane alla Parmigiana) and gnocchi.
If I'm entirely honest, the food wasn't at the same level as the nearby Gallery. Piri Piri chicken at Brazas was more succulent (I suspect they par-boiled prior to frying) but lacked that smoky crispiness and depth of flavour as The Gallery. Similarly the King Prawns, while lovely, lacked the sheer oomph of their counterparts down the road. Still caused us to mop up all the lovely sauce with our bread mind.
But that's a harsh comparison - the Gallery's been going for donkey's years and those are two of the finest dishes on their menu. The food at Brazas is perhaps a bit lighter, less oily and slightly more anglicised, for better or worse. Brazas is newer, fresher looking and arguably more pleasant to sit in. Which is some achievement considering it used to be the Woodcocks - we sat there reminiscing about playing darts where the grill section is now, pressing the old school jukebox where the till now resides, buying drinks from what now seems to be a boxed in section. The toilets were recognisable in their old positions, but they now glowed in purest white.
Huge thumbs up from me. We'll be back, with bells on. A very pleasant evening out indeed.
The Two Woodcocks was amazing 
Went in with a mate a few years ago to find an Irish wedding reception in full swing, got invited to join in the fun with a buffet and all. Very amusing.
It was a little grim but so what...
The new restaurant sounds good. Glad that it never turned into a Gastro.
Went in with a mate a few years ago to find an Irish wedding reception in full swing, got invited to join in the fun with a buffet and all. Very amusing.
It was a little grim but so what...
The new restaurant sounds good. Glad that it never turned into a Gastro.
I quite miss the Woodcocks too - where else could you play a game of arrows whilst listening to cheesy Wurlitzer-alike jukebox tunes (Lionel Ritchie through to Danny Boy and Now...13) and eating a fine selection of bar snacks in Brixton?
Not bothered about how flash it was, but sadly the Woodcocks was deathly quiet in its last days. Generally we were the only customers in there. It was always going to change - rather the nice folks at Braza than another faceless gastropub.
Not bothered about how flash it was, but sadly the Woodcocks was deathly quiet in its last days. Generally we were the only customers in there. It was always going to change - rather the nice folks at Braza than another faceless gastropub.
lights.out.london
Black Flag
kyser_soze said:
Come on over to the Old Kent Road. You'll love it. Edgy and real bordering on ultra-violence.
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
The two guys running it have now got their entire family, (mother, father and sister in and have moved just up the road to Norwood so they can open and do breakfasts too.
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
And now they're about to open a deli and start baking bread and stuff too!!! YAY!!!
I really like them in there and it's excellent value really, but they've got to sort it out a little for takeaways. The last two piri piri chicken portions I've ordered took ages to come, yet both have been undercooked when I've got home. Not horrendously bloody, but disconcerting pink in the middle and necessitating a bit of careful eating - I'll mention it next time I'm in there, but I hope they aren't losing less forgiving/more squeamish souls.
CharlieAddict
nekomimi rocks!!!
braza sounds good!
don't usually drink or eat that much around brixton but recently, we been pleasantly surprised.
don't usually drink or eat that much around brixton but recently, we been pleasantly surprised.
Maggot
The Cake of Liberty
Went there last night with MoMo27. I thought it was fine, but lacking in atmosphere. And only one other group of people in there.
The staff were great, for starters we ha a lovely lentil dish with Pesto (i think). I had butternut squash and sage Tortelli with a leek and cream sauce. This was lovely although there was too much sauce - it was almost a soup. Momo has quesilladas which I thought were fine but she didn't - and she was moaning that they're not portugese -
. Washed it down with some good rose.
The staff were great, for starters we ha a lovely lentil dish with Pesto (i think). I had butternut squash and sage Tortelli with a leek and cream sauce. This was lovely although there was too much sauce - it was almost a soup. Momo has quesilladas which I thought were fine but she didn't - and she was moaning that they're not portugese -
. Washed it down with some good rose.gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
Maggot said:Went there last night with MoMo27. I thought it was fine, but lacking in atmosphere. And only one other group of people in there.
The staff were great, for starters we ha a lovely lentil dish with Pesto (i think). I had butternut squash and sage Tortelli with a leek and cream sauce. This was lovely although there was too much sauce - it was almost a soup. Momo has quesilladas which I thought were fine but she didn't - and she was moaning that they're not portugese -
Some nights they're very busy... others less so.
We went in last week and they'd responded to my veggie dish request with these gorgeous spicy cous cous cakes with roasted veg. I'll have to try the lentil dish next time, it sounds nice.
Their chicken is obviously Portuguese but most of their menu is from all over the place.. which I guess reflects their own backgrounds.
Brazas
Thanks to everyone that has come to visit us, and to all those that haven't, but have read the blog.
Special thanks to Gainjigirl for your support, we appreciate all the feedback and are always working to improve.
As mentioned by GG, we are looking for the best products for the Deli.... yes it's coming.;
Also we are serving breakfast on Friday, Sat and Sun. Serving full breakfast, small english, venezuelan and veggie.
We are also working with a designer to improve our grill so that we keep the chicken warm, so that waiting time is shorter. Also we are serving Brazilian food on weekends, and are planning Roast lunch, lamb, beef, chicken and a veggie alternative.
To finish off we would like to APOLOGISE to TARANNAU. We are very sorry to hear that you have had a bad experience with us twice. Please allow us to make your third meal a delicious one. Please, make yourself known to us, next time you come in.
Once again we would like to thank you all for the support.
GrandeT
Thanks to everyone that has come to visit us, and to all those that haven't, but have read the blog.
Special thanks to Gainjigirl for your support, we appreciate all the feedback and are always working to improve.
As mentioned by GG, we are looking for the best products for the Deli.... yes it's coming.;
Also we are serving breakfast on Friday, Sat and Sun. Serving full breakfast, small english, venezuelan and veggie.
We are also working with a designer to improve our grill so that we keep the chicken warm, so that waiting time is shorter. Also we are serving Brazilian food on weekends, and are planning Roast lunch, lamb, beef, chicken and a veggie alternative.
To finish off we would like to APOLOGISE to TARANNAU. We are very sorry to hear that you have had a bad experience with us twice. Please allow us to make your third meal a delicious one. Please, make yourself known to us, next time you come in.
Once again we would like to thank you all for the support.
GrandeT
Cheers Grande T. Was actually in there last night, so obviously not traumatized by the experience - genuinely like what you're doing with the place. Nice little deli section in there now, with some tasty looking olives and a small, useful selection of stuff, including convenient pesto pouches at less than a squid.
Pleased to say that the piri piri chicken has definitely improved imo - still very moist, but the skin was much crisper. Seemed to have far more taste and more of a kick too - really enjoyable. Others on the table were looking envious.
The companions were slightly less impressed with their swordfish if I'm honest. Decent enough, but the flat spread of mash and fish steak looked a little meagre compared to my chicken. Feedback was that a few vegetables wouldn't have gone amiss, if only to boost presentation - admittedly these were Northerners with their London prices fixation - but they may have had a point that the veggie side-order selection was a little limited. Salad didn't really seem appropriate, and spinach was the only other option iirc. All of them finished with clean plates mind, and the bit I tasted off someone's plate tasted nice enough.
Good atmosphere though, and I'll happily be back. Glad it seems to be working well and growing for you.
Pleased to say that the piri piri chicken has definitely improved imo - still very moist, but the skin was much crisper. Seemed to have far more taste and more of a kick too - really enjoyable. Others on the table were looking envious.
The companions were slightly less impressed with their swordfish if I'm honest. Decent enough, but the flat spread of mash and fish steak looked a little meagre compared to my chicken. Feedback was that a few vegetables wouldn't have gone amiss, if only to boost presentation - admittedly these were Northerners with their London prices fixation - but they may have had a point that the veggie side-order selection was a little limited. Salad didn't really seem appropriate, and spinach was the only other option iirc. All of them finished with clean plates mind, and the bit I tasted off someone's plate tasted nice enough.
Good atmosphere though, and I'll happily be back. Glad it seems to be working well and growing for you.
Donna Ferentes
jubliado
I think practically every establishment on that parade is now a food outlet of some sort.
Or convenience stores. Not sure what else you'd expect in a residential area tbh - it's a fairly good spread really. Newsagents, dry cleaners, barber, launderette (presently shut), bakery (rarely open), delis, takeaways, restaurants.
What's been really lost from there in recently years? The Woodcocks, that 'suit you' superannuated tailor and a computer/web cafe/lettings place iirc, or were there more useful shops that you remember?
What's been really lost from there in recently years? The Woodcocks, that 'suit you' superannuated tailor and a computer/web cafe/lettings place iirc, or were there more useful shops that you remember?
Donna Ferentes
jubliado
Probably not: the Two Woodlice is no loss, certainly. If there was anything before 2002 I wouldn't know it anyway.tarannau said:
Gixxer1000
cant wheelie a shaftie :(
Apart from the barbers, the pharmacy, the dry cleaners, the copy shop, the garage.....Donna Ferentes said:
edit; been said already.
Gixxer1000
cant wheelie a shaftie :(
tarannau said:
The Post office
PleasurePete
New Member
Finally found the Brazas page.....
Been looking for this page for ages and I thought that I ought to write something about Brazas.
I have visited the place about four times now, and things get better everytime. ( considering the first menu was really Portuguese and there was some odd plates.... Portuguese Feijoada. YUCK.)
The staff are really friendly and yes sometimes they are quiet, but hey.... it's a new place and is not as if Brixton is trendy.
Last week I went with four of my friends from back home and they really enjoyed it. We had two bottles of wine and lots of food. I had the fish cakes with the chilli sauce and they were GOURGEOUS..... my best friend had the chorizo with the nice sweet sauce and the others had soup....
My main was the Tangine, ( not sure if I spell it right) it is a morocan dish for vegans, and it was really tasty, my friends had swordfish, ribs,a nd half a chick. these were really nice too, and you can tell how fresh it is. The homemade soy sauce for the ribs was super, and the Tapenade for the swordfish was great too. I do think that all was nicely presented and really efficient.
The guys there have been working really hard and "Hats off" to them, for trying to make the area nice, I think that reidents in Brixton should look at them as a beacon as they are trying to improve the area.
Anyone that hasn't tried them, should give them a go. For one I will continue going there.
Been looking for this page for ages and I thought that I ought to write something about Brazas.
I have visited the place about four times now, and things get better everytime. ( considering the first menu was really Portuguese and there was some odd plates.... Portuguese Feijoada. YUCK.)
The staff are really friendly and yes sometimes they are quiet, but hey.... it's a new place and is not as if Brixton is trendy.
Last week I went with four of my friends from back home and they really enjoyed it. We had two bottles of wine and lots of food. I had the fish cakes with the chilli sauce and they were GOURGEOUS..... my best friend had the chorizo with the nice sweet sauce and the others had soup....
My main was the Tangine, ( not sure if I spell it right) it is a morocan dish for vegans, and it was really tasty, my friends had swordfish, ribs,a nd half a chick. these were really nice too, and you can tell how fresh it is. The homemade soy sauce for the ribs was super, and the Tapenade for the swordfish was great too. I do think that all was nicely presented and really efficient.
The guys there have been working really hard and "Hats off" to them, for trying to make the area nice, I think that reidents in Brixton should look at them as a beacon as they are trying to improve the area.
Anyone that hasn't tried them, should give them a go. For one I will continue going there.
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
I went last night and had that tagine - it was lush... and their tiramisu...OMG!! Also their deli is coming along lovely. They've got a yummy and cheap Christmas menu.
Last night it was pretty busy and apparently last weekend they had to turn people away!
Last night it was pretty busy and apparently last weekend they had to turn people away!
I know all this places have closed..... but shouldn't residents complain somewhere. Maybe with the new restaurant open, things will start changing, I haven't been yet, but will try to go next week. Actually does anyone know what I could do to start complaining, in order to change the place.
Ms T
Honey-coloured ramparts
We finally made it to Brazas last night, and will definitely be going again. The olives and bread were both fantastic, and my chorizo was tasty (although a bit overcooked). Hendo's fishcakes were lovely.
For mains, I had soy-glazed ribs (yummy but messy!) and hendo had piri-piri chicken, which he pronounced excellent. We were too stuffed to have dessert, but hendo was cheered to see they do Irish coffee for only 3 quid! We had a nice bottle of red and it came to 50 quid, including tip. Not bad at all, considering the amount we ate.
And the people there are lovely. Do go and support them.
For mains, I had soy-glazed ribs (yummy but messy!) and hendo had piri-piri chicken, which he pronounced excellent. We were too stuffed to have dessert, but hendo was cheered to see they do Irish coffee for only 3 quid! We had a nice bottle of red and it came to 50 quid, including tip. Not bad at all, considering the amount we ate.
And the people there are lovely. Do go and support them.
brucenbart
Well-Known Member
Really like this place. After watching Hugh Fearnley-Whatever's programme about battery chickens i thought i'd stop eating them (not that i eat much meat anyway). Happily Brazas only do free range (as do Negril on Brixton Hill).
theboyjonno
New Member
Been here three or four times now, my mate knows them well as he lives on Brailsford. Delicious food, great service, good value.
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
They're doing a lovely Valentine's special - involving large amounts of chocolate - much of it melted...
We've taken to getting takeaway cake from them since they've started doing all these gorgeous homemade cheesecakes and caramelised pineapple cake - nice prices too!
We've taken to getting takeaway cake from them since they've started doing all these gorgeous homemade cheesecakes and caramelised pineapple cake - nice prices too!
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
covered in chocolate... and not in a romantic way either....
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