What's the draw
If you like seeing great British ingredients thoughtfully combined, skilfully cooked and artfully arranged on a ruggedly pretty plate, you've come to the right city. Oxalis – currently in residence at much-loved Brixton bar Shrub & Shutter – is a worthy addition to the fold, with an eclectic menu packed with plenty of substance to back up the style.
What to drink
Basing yourselves in one of the best – arguably THE best – bars south of the river is a smart move, because straight off the bat you've got a spectacularly good drinks list and imaginative mixologists to work with. We started with one of the specials, a spicy and boozy bushwick (a sweeter twist on the brooklyn, itself a modified manhattan), but the regular menu's packed with inventive drinks that range from refreshing to punchy, and there's a short but interesting wine list, too. Look out for cocktail pairings designed to slot alongside the Oxalis tasting menu.
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What to eat
The a la carte menu's small enough that you'll tackle most of the sharing plates between two of you, though there's plenty of variation. We snacked on crisp and impossibly light chicharrón (puffed pork skin) and tiny, sticky, fiery chicken wings dressed with lip-quivering kimchi, then followed it with sweet, earthy cured wild sea trout – with just a hint of smoke and ribbons of refreshing cucumber and slivers of radish. Pork terrine – bright and flavoursome, with a gorgeous side-act of tarragon, fragrant little pickled girolles and a smear of fermented honey – took an unexpected starring role, ever-so-slightly overshadowing a dish of pak choi, its ends scorched, in a zingy miso dressing. Little short rib and bone marrow-stuffed pasta agnolotti were liberally scattered with discs of summer truffle and vegetal, just-yielding-to-the-teeth peas; the results every bit as delicious, but more subtle, than the ingredients suggest.
Four courses, £30; sharing plates (2-3 per person) from £7.50-£12.50. 336 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8QH; oxalislondon.com
