A Rainy Day Brunch in Brixton

I was supposed to be playing cricket, of all things, on Sunday but rain stopped play before it even started and so I decided to seek shelter in the colourful arcades of Brixton Market, where delicious aromas from around the globe compete for attention. If you're looking for brunch, there is, to say the least, a huge number options. Last time I was there, I sampled Okan's tasty Japanese okonomiyaki, and this time, the prospect of authentic Mexican brunch won me over. My recent trip to Mexico has meant that I'm constantly on the look out for great Mexican food in London, and Casa Morita looked pretty good.

Casa Morita has just launched a weekend brunch menu, which, as you might expect is pretty heavy on the huevos. Unfortunately, I'd had eggs on toast for breakfast and so couldn't really order the huevos a la Mexicana. Instead, I chose the molletes with chorizo (£5.10), half a toasted bun, served with refried beans, cheese, pico de gallo and avo. The food was very tasty — comparable to some of my breakfasts in Mexico — and just spicy enough. Next time, I would like to try the chilaquiles, which I discovered in Oaxaca, although the all-day menu, with tacos, other street-food dishes and cocktails galore, also looks great.

With a homemade limeade, the meal cost me all of £7.50: pricier than DF, but not bad for Brixton. The restaurant itself is colourful and funky, with a few tables inside and a couple more outside under the arcade. Qué bonito!

After brunch, I walked over to the other side of the market, across Atlantic Road, and went for coffee at Federation Coffee, which I've wanted to try for a long time. I saw on their website that they would soon be introducing a brew bar and had hoped to be able to have a pourover, but the brew bar hasn't arrived yet and the espresso machine was broken, so it was batch-brewed filter coffee or nothing.

I always feel like a terrible person when I ask about hand-brewed filter coffee, but it does usually taste much nicer; however, Federation's brew with Campbell & Syme coffee, was rich, fresh and very flavoursome. I also tried a tasty, fruity, almondy cake called a friand, which worked well with my cup o' joe. Plus, the window seats are excellent for people-watching. Federation is a great little place for a coffee stop in the Brixton area. Perhaps when I return, the brew bar will be installed or, at least, the espresso machine will be working again so that I can sample the macchiato.

Casa Morita. 9 Market Row,  Brixton Village Market, London, SW9 8LB (Tube: Brixton). Website. Twitter.
Federation Coffee. Unit 77-78, Brixton Village Market, London, SW9 8PS (Tube: Brixton). Website. Twitter. Instagram.