Bringing a taste of the Orient to an upbeat Brixton crowd, the Satay Bar is terrific for cocktails and Thai.

The Venue
Set just behind the infamous Ritzy Cinema, underneath the cloisters on Coldharbour Lane is this popular Thai and Indonesian restaurant. Its proximity to the tube make it a popular meeting place for young Brixtonians and those not from the area. The large space, although one, seems to be run as a bar with separate restaurant and so sometimes one may be busy while the other is bereft of customers. It draws the biggest crowds at evenings and weekends.

The Atmosphere
During the day the Satay Bar is quiet and, although the kitchen is open, it’s normally frequented by those in search of a liquid lunch. The restaurant comes alive at night, sometimes warranting a wait for tables and the bar is always in full swing with a lively, young twenty to thirty-year-old bunch making it difficult to get a seat in the latter part of the week.

The Food
The food is a mix of Indonesian and Thai with a wide variety on offer but, on the down-side, beware of portion sizes being too small. This may be because of our British habits and greed rather than the restaurant’s deliberate attempts to induce starvation though. For starters, get your teeth into daging bawang puti – battered beef slices, fried in garlic, onion and green pepper or sop udang, a spicy hot and sour prawn soup flavoured with green papaya, lemongrass, lime and coconut milk that is reminiscent of true Thailand and gets the balance of hot and sour just right. And from the main choices a special mention should go to pepes ikan – the grilled red snapper marinated in lemongrass, galangal and coconut milk, served wrapped in a banana leaf is a beautiful white fleshy fish that simply slides off the bone. The snapper is served whole so it’s a good sharing dish but with the melee of flavours from the lemongrass and rich coconut milk you may not want to.

The Drink
There is a generous wine list featuring international wines and there are a number of beers available but what people visit the Satay Bar for are the cocktails. With names like Zombie Killer and Boston Bomber, they’re made well and can be added to if you don’t think they’re strong enough but if you part-take of the daily happy hour then you’ll probably have as much as you need and leave with a happy heart and a full stomach. Bar staff are happy to make your choice of cocktail if it’s not listed too, which can make a night out fun but dangerous.

The Last Word
A bar stroke restaurant with a cool, unpretentious vibe and a good range of tantalising cocktails on offer. The food is inexpensive and full of spice and flavour. Overall, a great place to spend any night of the week.

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