Kricket (Brixton)
Will Bowlby learned the technique under Rowley Leigh, then in Mumbai, then with Vivek Singh, and spends it on British seasonal produce under two railway arches on Atlantic Road.
Why go
Bowlby and Rik Campbell started Kricket in 2015 in a twenty-seat shipping container at Pop Brixton, two minutes from where the restaurant now sits. That pop-up ran until May 2017, the pair opened a permanent Soho room the same year and took a Michelin Bib Gourmand there within twelve months, and the Atlantic Road site followed in autumn 2018. It takes two arches: the first is a bar for a drink and a snack while you wait, the second is the dining room with the kitchen open to it. Small plates start around 5 pounds and the menu changes with the season. Campbell came to this from corporate finance at Deloitte, which is a strange route to a Keralan fried chicken recipe.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the Keralan fried chicken with curry leaf mayo, then the house bhel puri, which Time Out called
astounding,
and the samphire pakora,a rustling, greaseless pile.
1 - Avoid: loading up on the heavier curries. Time Out found the baby aubergine flat and the vindaloo over-seasoned.
What locals & experts say
- Time Out London (Tom Howells, 20 Dec 2018, 4/5):
a rustling, greaseless pile of samphire pakora, drizzled with sweet-sharp tamarind; and a couple of Goan sausage croquettes,
at about 100 pounds for two with drinks.1 - Foodism (Katie Bridges, 31 Oct 2018): the first permanent site drew acclaim
for its expert blending of authentic Indian influences with British ingredients,
with small plates from 5 pounds.3 - Michelin Bib Gourmand (2017, Kricket Soho): the group says the Soho restaurant won it
within its first year, an honour we've proudly retained ever since.
The Bib belongs to Soho, not to this branch.2
Good to know
- Timing: Monday to Thursday 5pm to 10.30pm, Friday and Saturday noon to 1am, closed Sunday. Lunch happens on weekends only.
- Booking: worth reserving. The front arch is the place to wait, and it works as a bar in its own right.
- Dietary: vegan dishes are marked on the group's own allergen menus, and those menus state that cross-contamination can occur and no dish can be guaranteed free of allergens. Celiac diners should treat it accordingly.
- Branch: this is Brixton. Soho, Shoreditch, Canary Wharf and Covent Garden are separate rooms, and the Soho row is separate on Jeff's list.
- Getting there: 41-45 Atlantic Road SW9 8JL, under the arches, a few minutes from Brixton underground and overground.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Original location." REAL. The 2015 original was a shipping container at Pop Brixton, around the corner; this arch opened in 2018.
Verdict
should-visit — Will Bowlby cooked under Rowley Leigh, then in Mumbai, then with Vivek Singh, and the food that came out of it is Indian technique run on British seasonal produce, small plates, in two railway arches on Atlantic Road. Time Out gave it 4 out of 5 and called the house bhel puri astounding. The Keralan fried chicken is the dish the group is known for, small plates start around 5 pounds, and dinner for two with drinks came to about 100. Worth the trip to Brixton, and a Friday or Saturday runs to 1am.