Seven - Brixton

España! 15 years ago people would have told you Spain don’t achieve anything in major football tournaments and you would struggle to find a restaurant in London serving decent Spanish cuisine. 15 years on things couldn’t be different, the football team are undisputed champions of the world and there are probably hundreds of Spanish restaurants in London, celebrating the varied dishes from all over the country.

Seven is one of the original restaurants on the Brixton ‘village scene’, which now boasts pushing 100 cafes/bars and restaurants (I’m guessing). It is pretty unassuming from the outside with PVC strip curtains a nod to its former life as part of the market and inside the décor is very simple with touches of the eccentric such as the table we were sat at that was made from an old suitcase. It could have easily believed I was in Lower East Side, Manhattan or Kreuzburg, Berlin.

The food then: Tapas is the order at lunchtime and early evening before it becomes a standing room only bar later in the day. But before that, breakfast and brunch is served. The full Spanish is Chorizo, Morcilla de Burgos, fried eggs, pimenton beans, tomato & toast. That’s £9.50, with a cup of coffee included.

The chorizo sausages were fantastic; one was spicy and oozed paprika oil, whilst the other was darker in colour and a more solid texture but equally delicious. Another star on the plate was the Morcilla de Burgos, which is Spain’s answer to black pudding, made with rice rather than oatmeal. Mildly spiced and soft texture complemented the chorizo brilliantly. The eggs were just right and the toast deserves a special mention too, as it was a massive hunk of fresh bread, perfect for mopping up the chorizo oils and egg yolk.

I was expecting a little bit more from the beans which were basically regular baked beans with paprika sprinkled on top art the last minute.

The verdict

Great produce, well cooked and put together to make a top fry-up!

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