Not our usual neck of the woods, the launch of Brother Marcus’s dinner menu got us traveling down to Balham to see what all the fuss is about!
With people queuing every weekend for brunch, this restaurant is already a firm favourite with locals. They opened in May and have certainly gained popularity since then.
The owners, friends Alex, Arthur and Tasos always had a passion for good quality food and finally decided to follow their dreams of having their own restaurant. Initially starting as a day spot for brunch and lunch that focuses on seasonal and organic products, Brother Marcus has now added loaded buns, delicious sides and beautiful cocktails to their menu to keep the customers coming back into the evening.
The space is small but feels light and breezy, and tables are just far enough apart so you don’t hear all of your neighbours chit chat. The guys apparently designed the entire place themselves, in a very ambitious three days before the launch! They have an outside area in the back garden which will also be open through the colder months, with heated lamps and blankets to keep everyone nice and toasty.
So these buns we speak of, are they worth it?! Yes, they absolutely are. They’re not just the usual suspects you’ll find in just about any burger joint in the Capital. They’re all served on lovely warm focaccia bread, which was a really nice alternative to the standard brioche bun.
You’ll then get to choose from some amazingly named sandwiched such as The Salty Wench, a braised salt beef option, topped with two fried eggs, shredded potato crisps and gherkins all drizzled with a smokey paprika sauce – they had us at salt beef! There’s also the Notorious P.I.G. loaded with spiced pulled pork, lime yoghurt, crispy corn (random but trust us – it worked!), crunchy apple slaw all topped with their homemade ‘’dirty Mexican sauce’’.
If you’re not a meat-lover, fret not as there’s the Shroom of Doom which was a solid choice! Not one to normally get too excited with veggie burger options, this bun was definitely a favourite: garlicky roasted Portobello mushrooms, yummy goats cheese, honey mustard dressed salad all topped with parmesan crisps, OMG – flavour explosion!
The fish option speaks for itself – The Pollocks – has a perfect light and crispy beer and dill batter, a pea and mint puree, fennel and celeriac remoulade and saffron aioli. Add to that sides like mac & cheese balls, sweet potato chips with aioli and rainbow slaw, this place knows what it’s doing and we’re sold!
Priced at around £8-£9 for the buns and sides at £3, we think that’s pretty reasonable for such good quality ingredients and originality! There’s also a short but sweet list of cocktails (who can say no to a £6 Negroni or espresso martini!), wine and beer on offer.
Well worth the trip south.
