This Spring, South London soul food joint Bando Belly is set to open a new spot in Brixton after suffering a tragedy that destroyed their original home in Peckham. Finally, Bando Belly returns with its iconic fusion menu and big plans to host its own events.
Opening on Saturday 8th April, Bando Belly has found a new home at Pop Brixton – a community and creative space housing local, independent businesses, enabling them to stick to the Founders’ South London roots. This comes following a successful fundraising campaign and astounding support from local communities after a devastating incident caused Bando Belly to close last summer.
Bando Belly was born during the Covid-19 pandemic in January 2021 and became popular very quickly for its soul food fusion, before a fuse box fault caused their kitchen to burn down in May 2022. Since then, the Founder Naz Ramadan has been raising money to protect her staff from financial hardship whilst the business recovered, and has worked at several pop-ups and kitchen residencies to earn enough to restart Bando Belly.
To any Bando Belly virgins out there, the soul food fusion spot brings a new age cuisine to London’s street food scene, inspired by the Founder’s Jerkish™ (Jamaican & Turkish) heritage, music, and popular culture. It is known for its playful and respectful remixes of American, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian staples through the lens of South East London.
Its unique menu marries multiple cuisines with dishes boasting complex flavours and techniques from around the globe. It features a range of burgers influenced by Southeast Asian flavours including the ‘Honey Butt’, ‘Seoul BBQ’, ‘Blazin Cajun’, and the ‘Big Wave’ with soft shell crab. The menu also lists Bando Bites & Dips which are delicious, indulgent snacks such as its ‘Lobster Mac N Cheese Balls’, Tater Tots and its signature Deep Fried Oreos.
Bando Belly is introducing some new and exciting plates to the menu, including its ‘Bando Baggys’ – their fresh spin on the seafood boil, with Tiger Prawns, corn, potatoes, garlic and any choice of sauce. They will also serve up ‘Ban Ban Noodles’ with a choice of beef, chicken or mushroom – an Asian classic with a spicy Bando twist.
Aside from serving striking and experimental dishes, Bando Belly’s vision remains the same as it was pre-pandemic; to create a community hub showcasing local bands, DJs, and talent with live music and good vibes at its venue.
Bando Belly is open from Saturday 8th April at Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Rd, London SW9 8PQ. Opening hours will be Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm – 9pm. You can also get Bando Belly delivered straight to your door via UberEats.
