O Cantina de Portugal is a lively Portuguese tapas place offering a hearty selection of grilled pork and chicken dishes alongside a traditional assortment of seafood. With generous portions and dishes like fragrant octopus salads, garlicky grilled prawns doused in olive oil, and salted dried cod flaked over thick chips — and with and a friendly community atmosphere (it’s a particularly fun place to watch European football) — this is a great restaurant for groups who want an informal and relaxed meal. Keep an eye out for the weekend specials including the whole roasted suckling pig.

One of the longest-established coffee shops in the area, owner Ali’s business has come on leaps and bounds with the establishment of his own coffee roastery, Perception — which now provides the beans for his cafe alongside occasional guests from the likes of nearby Assembly. A neighbourhood fixture evolving at its own speed.

Iranian cuisine has surged in popularity in recent years and it’s the fragrances of the Persian kitchen that inspire this cafe in Brixton’s indoor market. The counter changes daily, but expect to find bright and zesty herb-heavy salads, hearty stews — infused with dried limes and saffron — and aromatic cakes scented with rosewater and cardamom. Seasonal vegetable kukus — akin to Persian frittatas — are served alongside technicolour plant-based sides, making this a great destination for the health-conscious and gluten-averse.

A cozy cafe offering delicious northern Chinese street food and excellent value. The house-made dumplings filled with king prawn and water chestnuts, pork and Chinese leaf, and spinach and mushrooms are the stars of the show, but diners could also choose noodle soups enveloped in rich and warming broths, refreshing cold noodle salads with fresh vegetables, and sides such as smashed cucumber and seaweed.

Award-winning chef Adejoké “Joké” Bakare says that her debut restaurant in Brixton wants to “preserve the heart” of West African food while making it more accessible to people unfamiliar with, specifically, the spices and ingredients of Nigeria. Snacky starters feature waina — fermented rice balls, served with squash, peanut, and tamarind sauce; and grated cassava fritters paired with a coconut and lime relish, while the grill section includes whole snapper, benne (sesame) chicken, mutton skewers, and beef suya. The star of the larger dishes is a goat ayamase: slow-cooked shoulder with spiced green sauce.

This casual Trinidadian restaurant excels at Caribbean classics and is the perfect spot to try some of Brixton’s best curried goat, hot-pepper prawns, and jerk chicken; no visit is complete without sampling the cod fritters and spicy chicken wings. Vegetarians are well-catered for with hearty pumpkin and chickpea rotis. Enjoy the Brixton community dining with house-made ginger beer or a glass of rum punch.

The original branch of this much-expanded chain is still serving up reliable sourdough pizzas at affordable prices. Neapolitan-style doughs are made with organic flours and left to slow rise for 20 hours before being flash-cooked in a wood-burning oven. Toppings are understated but all the better for it, including creamy buffalo mozzarella, cured chorizo, and wild mushrooms; the chile oil is a real treat too (it’s also for sale by the bottle).

Situated in a shabby-chic dining room above the bustling Brixton market, this cool space offers seasonal British fare using ingredients from the market below. Dishes are succinct and beautifully plated, with the owners focused on delivering a limited menu well. Moreish snacks include ’nduja croquettes and kale tempura before the limited set menu, which features the likes of cured mackerel with elderflower and braised shoulder of lamb with wild garlic. Regular supper clubs and events with guest chefs keep the restaurant feeling vibrant and diverse.

Chef-founder Ferdinand “Budgie” Montoya has long resisted the pernicious idea — not confined to Filipino cuisine — that it represents some sort of “trend,” through successful restaurant residencies across the city, first at the Duke’s Head in Highgate, then at Coffee Is My Cup of Tea in Dalston, and finally at the Sun and 13 Cantons in Soho. Now with a home base in Brixton, he cranks out shattering-skinned lechon; sprightly kinilaw — the Filipino iteration of the global tradition of “cooking” fish with citrus, chile, and herbs; and a rice bowl based on sinigang, a rich soup soured by tamarind.

This gem of a restaurant has been a Brixton stalwart for decades, serving classic Eritrean dishes. Asmara is a great place for groups thanks to the large mixed platters (meat or vegan) that never fail to impress: Small heaps of fragrant chicken, sour and spicy lentils, and shredded mustard greens are piled onto tangy injera bread. With welcoming staff and an entertaining coffee and popcorn ceremony to end the meal, this easygoing spot makes customers feel at home.

Masterchef winner Tim Anderson’s cooking veers between southern Japanese staples and his refractions of them — through the local neighbourhood and London at large. So alongside nasu dengaku, chicken karaage, and Kumamoto-style pork ramen, expect a curry goat ramen, “angry bird” wings laced with ponzu, Scotch bonnet, and seaweed, and an ackee-and-saltfish fried rice.

This old-school Caribbean restaurant has been going for over 20 years and there’s a reason for that: It serves up unfussy Jamaican home cooking and has a convivial atmosphere, great cocktails, and a fantastic reggae soundtrack. Go for the classics such as ackee and saltfish, jerk snapper, sauteed callaloo, and ground provisions (intensely dense fried dumplings), and pair your meal with a large glass of Guinness punch.

El Rancho del Lalo was one of the few Colombian restaurants in the arcade predating its regeneration, before a rise in rent forced it to move behind Brixton Town Hall. But its excellence is undimmed: this is a place where empanadas are dense as bricks, stuffed to bursting with strands of spiced pork and fried to order so the casing satisfyingly cracks and spills out its contents. An excellent rendition of the Colombian national dish bandeja paisa comes as an enormous platter of meat and protein, including standout crispy chicharron and kidney bean stew. The gentrification continues apace, but El Rancho still outflanks units in its former home selling food at twice the price.

This buzzy, intimate bistro is tucked away from the frenzy of central Brixton on a quiet residential street. It is perfect for those seeking atmosphere: Naughty Piglets is all about relaxed dining in a beautiful space. The menu is small but eclectic, featuring standout dishes like pork belly with Korean spices, devon crab with pickled cabbage, and tender asparagus with cured egg yolk. The wine list is exceptional, and someone is always on hand to suggest pairings.

Much violence has been done to ingredients in the name of Humble Tuscan Cookery in U.K. restaurants, but this paean to the region’s coastal hinterland and beaches carries off the tribute act with some aplomb. It’s unassuming, unmessed-with cookery — pairing mozzarella with asparagus and serving cured beef next to radish — but has the confidence needed to deliver.