Good craic
Bar Brasso (Nine Elms)
RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: Chef Robin Gill took an early punt on Nine Elms, the neighbourhood between Vauxhall and Battersea that was sparked by the new US Embassy there. When Gill opened Darby’s beside the embassy in 2019, his neighbours were mostly building sites for Battersea Power Station and fancy apartment blocks. Six years on, Nine Elms feels much more ‘lived in,’ with Darby’s at its centre. In September, in an adjoining space, the team opened a casual spot inspired by the small plates cultures of Venice and San Sebastian: Bar Brasso.
The Vibe: Cosy, a little dark, very casual, and cooler than Darby’s. By day, it’s a bakery where the lucky folk who live or work nearby can pop in for coffee, bagels and salt beef sandwiches. By evening, it’s a sexy little joint for dates over charcuterie boards, small plates and cocktails. In summer, you could sit outside with olives and an Aperol Spritz.
The Food: It’s mostly cicchetti (Venetian-style tapas), but there’s heartier fare, too. We started with an enormous cheese and charcuterie board featuring taleggio, 40-month prosciutto and Tuscan fennel salami – extremely good value at £17, including sourdough and butter. At his debut London restaurant, The Dairy in Clapham, Gill used to make his own charcuterie; now he’s teamed up with Cibo.
The highlight among the small plates was ‘Tuscan bangers and mash,’ a cylinder of crumbly cotechino sausage in a moat of cheesy mashed potato with a slick of rich, meaty gravy. The Bourdain toastie was a soft, manageable-sized grilled sandwich of oozing Fontina cheese, Béchamel sauce and mortadella, inspired by the late American chef and TV personality. Delica pumpkin was sweet and soft and contrasted nicely with its bed of stracciatella and pumpkin seed pesto.
We’re stretching the meaning of ‘small plates’ now, but casarecce cacio e pepe was intensely peppery. Beef shin Bolognese arrived on a hunk of sourdough with lashings of 24-month Parmesan. There’s only one dessert, but it’s one you’ll want: a liberally served wodge of light, fluffy, creamy tiramisu.
The Drink: The Campari ads above the bar aggressively suggest a Negroni, and aperitivi are £5 between 5-7p. There’s also wine on tap and European labels by the bottle or glass.
The Verdict: A laidback local in a part of London that finally feels like a neighbourhood. –Laura Price
→ Bar Brasso (Nine Elms) • 3 Viaduct Gdns • Breakfast & Lunch Mon-Fri 8a-4p, Sat-Sun 9a-4p (walk-ins only), Dinner Tue-Sat 5-10p • Book (walk-ins welcome).