"After a brief closure, the Brixton returns to the Marina with a new food and drink menu and a new look to boot, starting Thursday, August 29. It’s been a long time coming for the refresh, says owner Hugo Gamboa, and the idea behind the change was to recenter the business as a restaurant. At the onset of the pandemic, Gamboa says the team shifted the Brixton to become more bar-focused to survive. Now, they’ve pivoted back to focusing on food, with a “fun bar atmosphere on the weekend,” especially as new businesses open in the neighborhood. Chef Joey Altman consulted on the new food menu, which is designed to have something for everyone. Expect modern gastropub dishes such as a pan-roasted chicken in a lemon butter-caper sauce or a grilled, bone-in pork chop; a Mediterranean take on the Cobb salad and a kale Caesar salad; plus shareables like a spinach and artichoke dip or the Brixton’s queso and guacamole. The menu also veers into what Gamboa calls their “Osaka-style sushi snacks.” Beverage director Victor Pichardo gave the bar menu a refresh with a focus on gin drinks. For instance, the Oh She Sour, uses Roku gin that the team infused with honeydew and cucumber for a sour cocktail. While a bit of the rock and roll vibe from the previous iteration remains, the Brixton team worked with Parissa O’Connell Studio to give the space a brighter and lighter look. The designers added chandeliers into the space, inspired by London pubs, while incorporating elements that give the restaurant an “English countryside look to it that’s rustic, yet refined,” Gamboa says. Black tufted banquettes were installed, as well as mirrors and black and white rock band photography that line the walls. As an incentive to invite the neighborhood back in, Gamboa says the Brixton will offer a membership card at the reopening that’ll give access to tasting experiences, mixology classes, private events, a complimentary dessert on every reservation, and more. The idea is to create a community of regulars in the neighborhood, he says, who can create connections and network. “I just wanted to go back to where we started, back to our roots when we first opened up to Brixton,” Gamboa says. “In 2010 we wanted to be your neighborhood go-to restaurant, the place where you would have a full dinner with friends from out of town or you swing by to have a cocktail with one of your other friends. COVID changed that, and so I want to go back to being the go-to spot for the neighborhood again.”" - Dianne de Guzman
