The Brunel - South London
37 Battersea Bridge Road, Battersea, London, SW11 3BA
020 7223 3322
Review by Sally Cutchie

I arrived 20 minutes late and felt quite rude as I joined my friend at our booked table in the Brunel. Right off Battersea bridge, the location is a lively but comfortable one and I looked forward to some well cooked food to go with it.
 
We were led to booth-like seats where everyone was nicely tucked up together – my friend was chatting with a lovely lady at the next table when I arrived which I think demonstrates the comfortable atmosphere. I now had a chance to look around me and see what all the fuss is about – dark mahogany seating, framed, mismatched paintings and a gentrified style of décor, the Brunel draws a mix of people to it’s bar – that is stocked handsomely, I might add. Our table is lit by candlelight which is matched with a single white rose, which I think is a sweet touch. I am a big fan of flowers on tables, call me old fashioned.

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Upon arrival, the (very serious) head barman made us two exquisite, extremely full, Mai Tai cocktails each, that kept us very happy while we perused the menu. We ordered some mixed starters to pick at before our main dish, which consisted of chicken satay, spring rolls, prawn toasts, Tung thong jay and prawn crackers plus sauces. Great value for money (£6.50) and very tasty indeed.
 
I decided to opt for a classic green curry as my main dish. Having been to Thailand before, and tasting numerous varieties, I was keen to put this one to the test. Presented well, I found that it didn’t taste quite as good as it looked. The sauce was flavoursome with a good hint of coconut milk and a touch of mint but the consistency was slightly too runny for me. The chicken was tasty but a bit rubbery, like it had been boiled too much in the sauce and the courgette was spongy. However, overall it mixed well with the side of boiled rice and I wolfed it down in minutes.
 
My companion chose the pineapple fried rice - stir fried rice with pineapple, cashew nuts, curry powder, prawns and chicken. It sounded delicious, but the name promised something fruity and colourful and I could sense her disappointment when the dish came out. To be fair, there was a large amount on the plate so I’d give a big ‘thumbs up’ to the portion size. However, although well cooked, it was a bit bland, the vegetables were lacking and it needed something extra, like a sauce, to jazz it up and make it more of a main meal.  
 
I like that the Brunel has avoided the burger and chips route and opted for a menu that is different to most bars that you come across. If you are after drinks and some Thai on the side, The Brunel is worth a visit, and is clearly very popular - although the food should be seen as the support act rather than the main attraction.