The Weekend Ahead in Brixton

Friday 18: It’s time to transport yourselves back to the 1970s with a little bit of funk from The Soul Immigrants, playing at Upstairs in the Ritzy for their ‘Around the Decades‘ night. 8.30pm, free, The Ritzy

Saturday 19: Another new market for Station Rd  – the monthly Retro and Vintage market starts today from 10am-5pm. Once you’ve got your glad rags sorted, head to Plan B for the Reggae Roast Jamdown session. Reggae Roast, Plan b, from 9pm, £8 Advance and £10 on the door. 

Sunday 20: A perfect autumnal Sunday in Brixton = brunch at The Lido Cafe, a walk to the top of the hill in Brockwell Park for views of the City, and – after a big Sunday lunch – catching the highly recommended film, ‘Weekend’, at The Ritzy at 9.15pm.

REVIEW: The Duck Egg, Coldharbour Lane

Another year, another occupant of 424 Coldharbour Lane. Guest blogger, Carmen Allen, reviews The Duck Egg for Brixton Blog

The Duck Egg Cafe will satisfy breakfast and brunch nerds. Forget oily omelettes and overcooked scrambled eggs – The Duck Egg cafe sources all its produce from the Brixton Market and its duck eggs come free range from a farm in Norfolk.

We went there on a miserable Saturday morning, but the bright tablecloths and art work on the walls immediately cheered us up. I ordered the smoked salmon with the hash brown, hollandaise sauce and tomatoes and my partner ordered the same with bacon and sausage instead of smoked salmon.

There’s a choice between hen or duck eggs, but really the duck eggs are a must – not eating them is like going to a winery and drinking a pint. The yolks explode on the plate when your knife cuts into them and they’re much bigger than a hen egg. The salmon was fresh and the sausage full of tasty herbs.

The servings are large and they always manage to keep me full until dinner. The breakfast comes with two English muffins, which to me always taste better than toast because they don’t turn soggy.

But if breakfast isn’t your thing, the cafe satisfies other cravings too, with a lunch menu featuring traditional fare such as beef burgers, bangers and mash and spaghetti. There are also sandwiches and soup for those who aren’t famished. Or if you want to try something a little different, there’s a Mediterranean breakfast with grilled halloumi, olives, tomatoes, cucumber and pitta bread or the traditional brushetta with a not-so-traditional take – it has eggs on top.  London is not known for its good coffee, but The Duck Egg is a welcome addition to the Brixton coffee scene too.

The crowd who eat at The Duck Egg are generally in their 20s and 30s, so the cafe has a rather trendy vibe. It can get quite busy on the weekends and you sometimes might have to wait for a table, but don’t worry – you never have to stand for long and you can always have a cuppa at the counter in anticipation of someone vacating a spot.

Follow Carmen @carmentheaussie and read her blog at http://carmentheaussie.wordpress.com/

The Brixton Weekend Ahead

The winter is stretching before us with no apparent end, but it’s the first weekend of the 2011 (or rather, the first non-hangover weekend), so here are some tips to spend it wisely, healthy swim included.

Saturday: It’s the mid-winter swim at the Brockwell Lido. Vaseline, wetsuits, warm towels and a brave heart all essential. Or just go down and watch from the side. The Lido Cafe will be open and serving warming goodies afterwards. 12noon and free entry to all with charity collection. And in the evening, the Duke of Edinburgh on Ferndale Rd is hosting the Cassetique, a night of electronic DJs.

Sunday: Brunch at the newly opened ‘Duck Egg‘ on Coldharbour Lane, in the seemingly cursed premises that once hosted ‘Honest Foods‘ and then ‘Burning Bread’ in 2010. I haven’t been yet but eggs are the mainstay of the menu so it must be good. Right? Then across the road for The King’s Speech, which opened this weekend and is showing at The Ritzy at 12noon, 2.40pm, 5.15pm and 7.50pm.