Bethan Davies Wykes from Eat in Brixton blog reviews Ferndales pizzeria
Ferndales, 118 Ferndale Rd, SW4 7SE, 0207 733 9264, www.118ferndalespizza.com
Hidden away between Clapham North and Brixton is Ferndales, a small pizzeria with plenty of charm.
The restaurant has been around for years, as the flyer advertising 1995 Mardi Gras celebrations makes clear, but we haven’t visited in nearly eight years. Many may be unaware of its existence – with an inconspicuous frontage and location, it has had little publicity and is of course now overshadowed by the popularity of Brixton market. With a couple of tables outside, perfect for basking in the evening warmth, the place only has seven or eight tables in the extremely narrow space.
This is a pizzeria quite unlike Franco Manca – there is a French twist to the menu. The St Tropez is salami, mixed peppers and cheese; the St Marcellin is topped with Brie, stilton and cheddar.
The starters didn’t really stand out. In the end, we went for olives and bread. For £2.50 a pop you don’t get much for your money so, unless you are ravenous, stick with the pizza.
For main we chose the Azur (anchovies, black olives, capers and cheese with extra mushrooms), the Bretagne (ham, mushrooms, egg, artichokes and cheese) and the St Tropez as previously mentioned. We ordered two large French house lagers (£3.90) and a glass of red wine (£2.90), both great quality for the price.
The pizzas arrived hot, the cheese perfectly melted and the crust perfectly crisp. I ordered the Azur as I have a big thing for anchovies and capers, all chopped up in sauce – delicious, salty and fishy. My fellow diners were just as impressed, although it was clear that the ingredients were not as high quality as those found in other Brixton eateries.
While we were eating several people wandered in to order take-away pizza and pasta, so it seems to this place serves as a great local take-away.
The meal came to about £12 each with pizzas at around £7 each. Ferndales is no great shakes, but it’s a good local eatery and take-away.
