The Laundry
Opened in Brixton last year, neighbourhood bistro and wine shop The Laundry has gone straight into the WLC guide. On opening, founder Melanie Brown said: “The Laundry is an exciting coming together of my diverse experience in hospitality over the last 20 years. Creating an understated environment, quality food and a playful, accessible wine list is testament to the integrity of this beautifully-restored Brixton landmark.”
Below is an extract from Douglas Blyde’s review, written before lockdown:
Described as a “Model Wash House”, The Laundry is an all-day bistro and wine shop in an historic building brought to you by the sometimes cheeky founder of the New Zealand Cellar, Melanie Brown.
Underneath a stuck clock is a striking, Edwardian edifice home to a steam press laundry until 2014. Its clearly Parisian-inspired front terrace abuts cosmopolitan dining destination, Brixton market
Brown, who is also the founder of the New Zealand cellar online merchant, previously looked after the all New Zealand wine list at Marylebone’s pioneering fusion restaurant The Providores (RIP), saving both the tables from its Tapa room which now meet duck egg banquettes at The Laundry, as well as key team members some of whom appear spa fresh. The covetable, ornate cutlery was sourced at a Paris flea market meanwhile.
Brown advises, “anyone can come,” to enjoy morning croissants then bistro classics by chef German Alex Kokott, such as a notably crunchy Caesar salad with a similarly crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc from the NEW PRESS range which Brown created with Marlborough winemaker, Ben Glover. These feature labels printed on a novel Edwardian mangle transformed into a letterpress, with the brand name paying homage to both New Zealand and the Newland Family who previously operated the laundry. “Not coastal, so not brutally aggressive in character,” says Brown. Other dishes include rich roast cod cassoulet with smoked mussels, partnered with sultry, earthy Langhe Nebbiolo (Giovanni Rossi) which Brown likens to “a classy millennial”, and a large, springy cookie with ice cream for sharing with excellent coffee care of Caravan roasters.
