Upstairs Bar & Restaurant

Went there tonight on a late anniversary dinner on a recommendation from a friend. I loved the whole buzzer to get there but then I am a fan of the speak-easy concept! We had a bottle of champagne (they were willing to offer the Prosecco) in the bar as we waited and while initially daunted that there was no-one else it soon filled up with others that seemed to be regulars.

We went for the tasting menu (£39 a head) which was basically a bit of each course as I have to say nothing jumped out as a specific course that I would have gone for. The two dishes that stood out were the Blackleg Chicken and the Jelly starter, both extremely good as the flavors balanced in a way that others struggled to.

Service was okay, you served yourself your wine (kept cold with decent buckets) and water was carafe based (which meant that you were occasionally waiting for refills) but a really decent meal at a good price. We will be recommending this place and would advise others looking for a good meal in the area.

This restaurant is consistently a fantastic experience and one of South London's hidden gems. I eat in a lot of nice west-end restaurants and am lucky enough to be able to expense those so go to a fair view and have become a little cynical about what I think makes for a good culinary experience. I am delighted to announce that Upstairs is as good as anything the west-end has to offer if not better. First off, this is a complete word-of-mouth experience and this is further heightened from the fact it's above a sandwich shop and access is via an entrance of a side street. If you didn't know what you were looking for, you would never find it as there is no signage to pull in passers-by or casual diners, that's not how this place works. Ok, lets get straight on to the food and drink – in one word – amazing. The experience is high-end michelin star west-end quality with very reasonable prices. I ordered the potted shrimp with a guacomole accompaniement for a starter which was very unusual but worked really well . My dinner date ordered the blue cheese and hazelnut salad – both were delicious but I will save the superlatives for the main courses. Who could have thought an ever present meal such as steak and chips could be pulled off with such a different twist of complex, subtle and delicious flavours, every mouthful was an explosion of different textures and tastes which have left me dreaming of a return visit. The other main course ordered was the seabass which also was to die for and left us wanting more (in a good way not because the portions weren't too small , they are actually just right!). I could go one about why this is special but when you live in South London and there aren't too many places of this quality around, this one has to be experienced. Long may it continue as a secretive word of mouth special place! Drat, writing a review on here might spoil that…

I have been to Upstairs on a number of occasions and it never dissapoints. Fantastic food and excellent service every time. Make sure you book! This is a small venue and is very popular.

A Brixton gem that has the most beautiful food, delicate and typically French in quirky environs. Not sure how many 'well heeled' locals there are in Brixton, but most of them seem to pop up in here as well as I suspect a few 'well heeled' locals from further afield. My only comment would be that the tables are a little too close together but it is I suppose part of the intimate charm. The cocktails downstairs are highly recommended, a Mojito was served in a cosmo glass (strangely) but was refined with balanced flavour and the quality ingredients shone through. Even if you don't live in Brixton it is well worth the trip as the food is as good a quality as any of the restaurants in central London, even the famous ones which now seem a little overrated in comparison.