If you're all for finding London's hidden gems, you need only head to Brixton.
There's charcoal tandoori ovens, there's beer pairings, there's the ingredients of Northern India and there's chefs that have honed their experience in the kitchen at some of the best restaurants in London. You're right, I would have been mad to miss the chance to review Booma Brixton.
Tucked away on Brixton Road, Booma doesn't benefit from a massive local footfall, at least not with being a 15 minute walk from the train station, but darned if that sees them suffer. Clearly loved in the area, this simple dining space wasn't lacking in guests, that's for sure, but was it lacking in flavour?
The answer is: no.
Being vegetarians, my boyfriend and I are suckers for Indian dining, and Booma Brixton know how to treat the meat-free well. Our starter of poppadoms with spiced mango and Bhindi Jaipuri (crispy okra with gram flour) was a light and welcomed teaser before we were launched head first into the Booma experience with a table of garlic naan, Dal Makhani, vegetable samosas, a vegetable curry, rice and a potato chaat. While eyes were bigger than bellies, flavour was strewn across the table. From the rich samosa coating and fluffed chaat to the moreish dal and the subtly spiced vegetable curry, Booma have curated a menu that India can be proud of.
But it's not just the plates that had us hooked. Booma's beer insight is impressive, and they've paired one with each dish. Noting that some of the best beers in the worlds are chocka with notes of coriander, cardamom, ginger and star anise, they spoiled us with a selection of drinks that not only highlighted each ingredient, they highlighted the fact that I've got a whole new world of beer to explore. A favourite of the night came in the shape of Delirium Tremens with its crisp tones, and not just because of its 7.5% alcoholic mark-up.
Booma Brixton can be found within walking distance of both Oval and Brixton tube stations. Address: 244 Brixton Rd, London SW9 6AH.
