This February I had the pleasure of taking a trip down to 336 Coldharbour Lane to visit The Shrub & Shutter during the kitchen residency with Donnellys. The evening was a delight, with a fantastic service that felt attentive, yet not overbearing and a beautifully candlelit atmosphere that provided the perfect escape from the hustle of Brixton town. The Shrub & Shutter often welcome kitchen residency partnerships as the perfect opportunity for local businesses to help each other. With Donnellys, when they are not cooking up delicious dishes at The Shrub & Shutter, you can find them based in Bermondsey.
The atmosphere at The Shrub & Shutter was lively, yet cosy. The upbeat music that filled the restaurant was just loud enough to excite its customers, but not too loud to lose your voice to! The decor was warming with earthy tones, having plants dotted around the area and vines hanging from the ceiling, as well as quirky prints adorning the walls. All this put together gave the restaurant a unique character!
The Shrub & Shutter should be as importantly recognised as a bar as it is a restaurant, with an impressively extensive cocktail menu with a hip twist. Their cleverly-named #Shrubify cocktail menu features cocktails inspired by different pop songs, categorised into decades! This feature really showed off the creativity of their bartenders and their knowledge of what flavours go perfectly together to make an exciting creation. Fancy staying in your comfort zone? That’s okay too! The bartenders at Shrub & Shutter are more than happy to serve up classic cocktails that we know and love - they even encourage you to customize the classics: fancy a Espresso Martini with rum instead of vodka? The bartenders are up for the task!
The cocktail I was treated to was one of their specials ‘The Message’, served in a fun tiki cup, with a fiery finish. This drink contained Merser & Co Double Barrel Rum, Pimento Dram, Blueberry & Sarsaparilla Sherbert, Fresh Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice and Fresh Lime. It was sweet and sour in all the right places and the presentation certainly added a touch of luxury that was a welcome surprise. These special cocktails are at an affordable £9, being discounted to £7 during happy hour between 5 and 7pm. I can honestly say this was worth the money, as it can often be frustrating to pay a considerable amount for a cocktail and feel like you’re simply drinking juice. Without being overpowering and unpalatable, the strength of this cocktail was spot on and, being a tall drink, it was easy to nurse and savour.
I was welcomed into the restaurant with open arms, with the staff showing off their impressive knowledge of the food, considering each kitchen residency is temporary. If anything, this showed to me how closely the team at S&S and Donnellys worked together to curate a menu that the restaurant thought their customers would love and would perfectly complement their cocktail creations.
The menu Donnellys had created was the perfect balance of giving you plenty of choices without falling into the trap of spending forever flicking through pages and pages of menu! Many of the items sounded unique and likely something you wouldn’t find anywhere else, with Donnellys’ chefs keen to show off their talent during their residency. Since veganism is constantly on the rise - even now that January has passed - I decided to try the Miso Aubergine first.
The Miso Aubergine was a fantastic starter-style option, with an exciting mix of textures, between the roasted veg and the crunchy granola that gave it a soothing sweetness. It was a comfortable, cool temperature that made it a satisfying and nutritious meal to start off the night. The portion was just right too, filling you up with a little room to try more. Considering the size of these dishes, I would definitely recommend coming here with a group of friends and ordering a selection that you can all pick and taste from.
Next I had the pleasure of tasting the Green Lentil Dahl. Lentil Dahl is a dish I had eaten at restaurants plenty of times before and therefore one I knew well. Yet, the flavours in this particular dahl at Shrub & Shutter still managed to surprise me! The dish was a wonderful winter warmer, with comforting flavours that felt familiar, but by no means boring, having fulfilled its promise to put a twist on your average dahl. Similar to the Miso Aubergine, the portion size was generous and satisfying. It was even served with Donnellys’ homemade flatbread that was crisp and chewy: a perfect tool for mopping up those leftover juices! The flavours were of a classic curry, with a hint of sweetness that complemented the kick that warmed the back of my throat after every mouthful.
Just from tasting these two examples of the food, I can praise not only Donnellys’ skill in flavours, but the Shrub & Shutter team in doing their research to find a wonderful kitchen residency for February. The food had a rustic feel that was comforting, each with a modern twist, which could become a great way for slightly unadventurous eaters to start stepping out of their culinary comfort zone. The two dishes I tried simply proved successfully that even vegan food can be exciting and delicious; it just happens to be a bonus that it's healthy too!
To finish off the night I tucked into the Espresso Chocolate Tartini, which became a wonderful palate cleanser. The bitter coffee taste contrasted well with the rich and smooth chocolate, served with a refreshing dollop of cream. Personally, I thought it was a great portion, having just enough to leave a sweet taste in your mouth, without feeling like you have overeaten: something I look for in a dessert!
Throughout my entire experience at The Shrub & Shutter, I felt I was well looked after and attended to, the team making me feel incredibly welcome. Even from observing the atmosphere, it was easy to tell the relaxed vibe in the restaurant between the staff and how they genuinely enjoy working together. Overall, I would highly recommend visiting The Shrub & Shutter, as a classic neighbourhood bar and restaurant that has its own unique flare that shouldn't be missed. For your sake, I hope you are lucky enough to catch the restaurant during its Donnellys kitchen residency, where the chefs freely experiment with fresh and sustainable foods always grown in and around London! Don’t forget to bring along your South London Club card when you visit and you’ll be treated to 10% off purchases over £10!
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