Purple Rain on Coulgate Street

Coulgate Pop

Browns of Brockley has a spiffy new Peter Max-style pop-art makeover, painted over tts black canvas.

Browns Doubles Down

Browns of Brockley has always been too popular for its tiny footprint, so the news that it is expanding in to the vacant Speedicars office is an early Christmas present for dedicated Brownies.

The team confirm that they inked the deal a week ago and will soon be expanding, giving them more space and flexibility in terms of the menu.

Parlez Christmas, December 9th

Coulgate Street newcomer Parlez is entering into the festive spirit on the day of the Brockley Christmas Market, with an evening of live music and a Santa's Grotto.

Mo Pho No Mo

I'm always reluctant to pronounce the death of a local business, in case it turns out that they are just resting.

However, Coulgate Street's Vietnamese micro restaurant Mo Pho has been closed for months, since it declared on Twitter in July that, due to unforeseen circumstances they were closing. Now, their neighbours at Nu Spice have said that they believe the closure is permanent. So I'm calling it: For all practical intents and purposes, Mo Pho has closed.

It would be more of a tragedy if it weren't for the recent arrival of Vietnamese cafe Bite Mi at Brockley Cross. However, Mo Pho has been a quality stalwart for many years and is a big loss to the area.

parlez review

I had my first opportunity to visit new Coulgate Street restaurant Parlez on Friday. Co-founder Louis invited me along to talk to me about the experience of opening in Brockley.

In the early evening sunshine, the place was full inside and out. The addition of pavement dining transforms the area around the station and completes the effect started by the Broca, Browns and the station garden: Coulgate Street now feels like a coherent centre and provides a tempting diversion for anyone spilling from the southbound platform.

The inside / outside seating also creates a sense of accessibility and permeability, in keeping with the parlez ethos. The founders, both South East London locals, have worked hard to keep prices low and hire locally. The clever design and personal touches have instantly imbued a relatively unprepossessing unit with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The layout combines informal seating at the front with more formal booths as you go deeper in to the belly of the beast.

The affordable menu places lots of emphasis on small sharing dishes, as well as more spectacular set pieces. Vegetarians are well-catered for, as are kids. As the sun set on Friday night, the young families gave way seamlessly to a grown up crowd.

Louis told me that they were caught by surprise by how soon after opening they started to fill up. It has been busy since day one, proving the Brockley Central axiom that things that are good in SE4 will also be popular.

Although a quality experience already, Louis insists that parlez is still a work in progress. He asked us for constructive criticism of the food and the wine list, but we drew a blank. It was all good - especially the cheesecake. I apologise to you and to him for not having a more sophisticated critique than that.

With their first couple of weeks under their belt, they are now recruiting for new chefs to join the team. Louis explains:

"Successful candidates will work alongside head chef Michal Zajac (formerly of The Groucho Club, Smiths Of Smithfield and The Wolseley) and join an enthusiastic, well-organised and ambitious outfit in the kitchen. We’re offering competitive rates of pay and an opportunity to grow. Breakfast Chef and Chef De Partie position available immediately."

Get in touch for more info at info@parlezlocal.com

Parlez, Coulgate Street

@parlezlocal is officially nearly open. Fab menu and prices and promises to be a massive asset in #Brockley pic.twitter.com/AMXo2jVOjB

— SwanAround Photos (@CaroSwannie) July 14, 2017

New Coulgate Street restaurant Parlez opened last night. If you've had a chance to try it, please post your reviews below.

Parlez betting on Scandi chic for Coulgate Street

You've seen the outside, behold the inside. This is how Parlez, the new restaurant coming to Coulgate Street this summer, will look when it opens. The team behind the project describe their influences as Scandi chic and French bistro.

The team they've put in place for opening day will be led by head chef Michal Zajac from the Groucho Club.

Where once, Brockley businesses complained that there were not enough daytime customers to sustain them, Parlez aims to be an all-day experience, with brunch, lunch and dinner menus.

The team are now hoping to be ready to open in late July, though the usual caveats about how long building work can take apply.

Are you ready to Parlez?

New restaurant Parlez plans to open at 16 Coulgate Street in May 2017. The team are now ready to share some early details. They write:

"Parlez came to life from a belief in the local. Home-cooked food enjoyed with good friends. A place where you don’t need deep pockets to treat yourself. Born from the idea that conversation is one of life’s greatest pastimes.

"You can expect seasonal ingredients and a well-sourced drinks menu. Our menu is seasonal, affordable, and inclusive. From vegans to meat lovers to Jay Reyner, everyone’s invited.

"We always try to think local and consider the availability of produce. Fresh ingredients are at the heart of the parlez kitchen. With daily stock coming from suppliers, everyone will have peace of mind knowing our food is fresh while being assured of quality.

"The team will be given a regular tasting session to ask questions about ingredients and a complimentary wine list. Parlez is Brockley’s new neighbourhood restaurant with a full pub license. Founders Matt and Louis have spent the last year looking at how to bring parlez to life in a way that celebrates food, music, and culture.

"Another focus is on the music, with curated playlists to complement the service. This will sit alongside handpicked art from people like Keith Haring to the established young British photographer Vicky Grout. Our hope is that this comes together to reflect the spirit of Brockley."

Their indicative dinner menu includes dishes like 'slow cooked pork belly & saffron potatoes' and 'poached fish of the day w/peas & broad beans', while for lunch they plan lighter options like 'open pastrami sourdough sandwich w/pickles & mustard' and 'heritage tomato,artichoke & red onion salad.'

Follow parlez on Twitter,Instagram and Facebook @parlezlocal

Parlez view

Parlez is the new restaurant opening on Coulgate Street. Located right next to the station, it's a big space, which gives them room to be ambitious, as you can see below. Co-founder Louis writes:

"Parlez has been in the making for over ten years with my partner Matt and me being close friends for a long time. We've both been south London residents for about 25 years combined. I'm in Peckham Rye and Matt lives in Brockley.

"I've worked in the music industry for over 10 years as a composer. I've always had a focus supporting musicians and working across a range of projects, like an album in recorded in Brazil to orchestral scores. I'm now working with the youth led radio station Reprezent (based in Brixton) doing artist development [the team have applied to stage live music at Parlez].  Matt's story is he managed the bar/cafe at the heart of the art house Riverside Studios before deciding to embark on the training program at Fullers. For the past 11 years, he has been running The White Horse in Brixton.

"We're positioning ourselves as a neighbourhood eatery that offers an affordable seasonal menu alongside a well sourced drinks menu. We're working with our chefs over the coming months to finalise everything. Without needing deep pockets, people can expect our food to be simple, clean and delicious.  We'll be running a full service from brunch through to dinner. 

"Keeping up with the times, we'll introduce digital loyalty cards, decent wifi and an active presence on social media. We want to engage with the neighbourhood and find ways to be inclusive and work together. Brockley has such a strong community spirit, we're keen to do everyone proud. Service wise, we'll be serving alcohol until 10pm Sunday to Thursday and midnight on the weekends. 

"The design company Blacksheep are working with us on the interior design. Their clients range from small independents to major chains such as Jamie's Italian and Wagamama. Parlez will be fully independent, so the styling and feel will reflect who we are."

Our new home in #Brockley. We'll be making sure to keep you updated as we bring parlez to life. 🏁 #NewNeighbours #se4 #parlezlocal pic.twitter.com/8dTiGMoX5J

— parlez™ (@parlezlocal) December 30, 2016

Selencky /// Parsons opens in Coulgate Street

Architects Selencky///Parsons are the latest business to move into Coulgate Street, taking up residence at a new studio, which opened recently. They say:

"Our practice was formed by Sam Selencky and David Parsons. We had our beginnings in Brockley, three years ago, when we worked from a room in one of our houses. After expanding and moving to a shared workspace in Peckham, we decided to come back to Brockley and fit-out our own studio space.

"The move was a natural choice for us. It is a place we know and love, having lived here for ten years, and a lot of our work is in South East London.

"The majority of our projects are residential, but we work across the architectural spectrum and at a range of scales. We are interested in working with any client that is looking to create interesting, thoughtful and well crafted designs. Some of our recent projects include a workspace fit out, an electricity substation and an extension to a 1960's ex-council terraced house. Feel free to pop in and say hello!"

For details, click here.

Coming soon: Parlez

A licencing application has been made to Lewisham Council for 16 Coulgate Street, the large new unit created right next to the south eastern entrance of Brockley Station.

The new owners are planning to open a restaurant called Parlez and have lodged an application to serve food and alcohol until midnight at weekends. They have also applied to stage live music.

The space is deceptively large, so has huge potential.

Thanks to BCer Sarah, who spotted it.

Coulgate Street restaurant is coming

An application to open the new Coulgate Street unit right next to Brockley Station as a bar and restaurant has been lodged.

The proposal is to extend trading hours to 11pm seven days a week and to allow it to operate as a restaurant and bar, rather than retail.

Like me, the glass-fronted unit has surprising depth. It would suit a decent-sized restaurant, offering something which the Coulgate Street mix is currently missing. With Browns, The Broca and this place spilling out on to the part-pedestrianised street, it is the closest thing we're ever going to get to a piazza.

Thank you to Paul for the tip off.

Salthouse Bottles, 12 Coulgate Street

In the future, there is only beer

Salthouse Bottles, the second of Brockley's new bottleshops, will reopen on Tuesday having enjoyed a good first weekend of trading.

Not for Salthouse Bottles the "cafe / gallery / deli / whatever" model that so many other local enterprises have employed - these guys are unapologetically focused on selling booze, boasting more than 200 types of beer, cider, spirits and wine.

The shop is open Tue-Fri 2-9 | Sat 12-9 | Sun 12-6.

For details, click here.

Salthouse growlers

Salthouse Bottles, the new beer shop replacing Degustation on Coulgate Street, is opening next month and has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to provide a growler service. Richard Salthouse writes:

We want to purchase a device known as a Pegas CrafTap, which is able to select and dispense a chosen beer into a glass bottle. At any given time, we plan to offer up to four choices of quality beer for growler-fill.

The growlers will have a 1 litre capacity, are made of amber glass and have an airtight swing-top seal. They are also printed with Salthouse Bottles branding. This is yours to keep, to fill, to use, to refill and to re-use. Once filled and sealed, your beer will stay fresh for weeks.

Rewards for supporters include growlers and T-shirts. To back the Kickstarter, click here.

Brockley's Town Centre

The development of 180 Brockley Road has created the closest thing we are ever going to get to a coherent town centre around Brockley Station, so it's worth reflecting on the finished product. 

The building links Coulgate Street and Brockley Road, while the improvements to Coulgate Street have opened up the East Side entrance to Brockley Station.

The new block is, in my view, a mini triumph. The building creates a handsome new stretch of high street that combines symmetry and variation while the materials complement the surrounding buildings without trying too hard to fit in. The angles created by the roofline at either end of Coulgate Street are spectacular, but they don't distract from the charm of the original cottages. Only the value-engineered brown balconies let it down.

Although the ground floor units of 180 Brockley Road offer an underwhelming mix new businesses, another empty unit has been created by the station, which is begging to be filled by a foodie business. Next month, Degustation will re-open as a bottle shop. The Coulgate Street cluster will then be nicely balanced with restaurants (The Gantry, Mo Pho, Nu Spice), a pub (The Barge), cafes (Browns, the Broca), shops (Salthouse Bottles, Sainsbury's), and services (taxis, architects and estate agents).

Perhaps best of all though is what has been done to Coulgate Street itself. Once upon a time, this was Coulgate Street. Now, the bounteous green borders of Brockley Station have been joined by nice wide pavements, while the provision of fewer spaces for cars and more places for bikes has created a much calmer, prettier and more versatile gateway to the neighbourhood. Cafe culture has bloomed.

Hanger Lane

Artmongers are back to their old tricks with another piece of anamorphic mischief on Coulgate Street.

This hanger was created as part of the Brockley Street Art Festival and the photo comes courtesy of Lionel Stanhope.

Commercial unit for let by the station

Commercial unit to let (so Speedies not moving here after all?) @BrockleyCentral pic.twitter.com/rGVMJR2d1o

— James (@se3james) May 21, 2016

The new commercial occupants at 180 Brockley Road are a little disappointing - another supermarket, estate agent and architect - but there is a possibility that we may get something more fun next to the station thanks to Speedicars' decision to stay put rather than relocate to larger premises.

Just Thai Thai closes

Brockley Road restaurant Just Thai Thai has closed. BCer Jennifer reports:

"I noticed that the restaurant was listed as closed, so I phoned the owner, who confirmed the news. She closed on May 3, she said her landlord would not renew her lease."

The depressing decor, sour atmosphere and rank food offered by Just Thai Thai won't be missed. When not closed, the place was empty. It hogged a Midtown restaurant space that should be put to good use - and when budding restaurateurs approached the owner to buy her out of her lease, they were asked for silly money.

I suspect the landlord has been waiting for the lease to expire so that they can lease it out to someone who can afford more than the peppercorn rent Just Thai Thai must have been paying.

It would be wonderful if someone opened a decent Thai restaurant on the same spot. It's an obvious gap in the local culinary landscape and it would right a terrible wrong that has been inflicted on the reputation of Thai food.

It's not who you are underneath, but what you brew that defines you

Behold the new gateway to Brockley.

Brockley Brewery have cut a deal with Speedicars and created a new sign on Coulgate Street to welcome visitors as they disembark at Brockley Station.

We have arrived.