What are the localish places you keep going back to or at least plan to, and why? great food, ambience, quirky, unique or anything else?
Matoom for me. Super people, lovely food, BYOB. Everything to like.
La Piazza della Cucina is our go to for pizza. Great outdoor space for warm evening. Cosy indoors in winter.
2 Likes
Nonna Maria for pizza, near Honor Oak pub. Great pizzas, lovely people, cosy. Amrutha in Honor Oak parade - wonderful vegan spicy food. Great atmosphere (though can be noisy - it’s very echo-ey!) and you can get seconds (or thirds!) at no extra cost. BYO, no corkage. Babur always good of course, but pricey and can also be noisy.
3 Likes
Echo that about Amrutha..No corkage, no service charges, pay what you feel, free somedays for kids and OAP’s, free top ups of any dishes you particularly like even to take home..! And all with fantastic spicy vegan food and great cheerful service..
3 Likes
Amrutha, Matoom, Sushi garden, Bona for Pizza and I really enjoyed Simorgh (at the site where Old Barcelona was) run by same owners as Persepolis.
Not a restaurant but for coffee juice or sandwhiches I really rate Galao on London road, lovely people and lovely food I have’nt tried their cakes but they look delicious
Further Afield :
Ganepati, Peckham Bazzar, Monkatsu and for a reasonably priced lunch or brunch Blue Brick
2 Likes
We love Nonna Maria, Piazza Della Cucina (particularly good on a sunny day in the garden) and Bona for pizza and share our custom around the three.
Ama Sushi and Sushi Garden are both excellent, though the latter has better ambience and the former seems a bit better value.
Sparsh is a really good Indian, and their momos (Nepali dumplings) are very tasty.
For a burger the Dartmouth Arms was great, but the one at the Foresters Arms is also pretty tasty. I was somewhat sad they gave up on the Mexican menu though, which offered something quite unique.
We also really like Tofu for Chinese, though 148 Chinese on Lordship Lane is probably the best available nearby.
Big Cheeks Thai has taken over the kitchen at the Signal and we tried that last week; the food is just as good, though it comes served in takeaway boxes which may not be to everyone’s taste! For some reason we’ve not really frequented Matoom, though perhaps that’s worth thinking about again given the love for it here!
The Lazy Chef is a great spot for brunch, and my daughter absolutely LOVES Gao’s Vietnamese food, though a new sign went up a couple of days ago with a new name - same owners though, I think!
4 Likes
Saigon Pho on Kirkdale is an underrated gem.
2 Likes
We tried Saka Maka cafe, not far from the station in Sydenham High St on the way home the other evening (formerly was site of On the Hoof). Nice, informal cafe style like quite a few of the local recommendations on here. Lovely flavours, BYOB option as well, definitely will go again. https://www.sakamakasydenham.co.uk/
2 Likes
Having been to Georgia a number of times I’m a big fan of Georgian food. A wonderful mix of eastern and western cuisine - and lots of wallnuts! I used to like Kartuli in Lordship Lane but it seems expensive now - Amkari at the top end of Rye Lane towards Peckham Rye is a very good alternative, though shorter menu and more like a bistro. The welcome there is lovely - Georgians pride themselves on hospitality. Georgian wine is also fabulous.
6 Likes
Agree with everything that everyone’s said about Amrutha; definitely my go to for large group meals these days.
I’m also a fan of Babur; their set menu is great for an evening out, and they do some fantastic seasonal/promotional menus. Bona and Nonna Maria are both great options for Pizza. Tofu for Chinese - and it travels very well too.
For a quick lunch and a coffee, you can’t go wrong with No. 41 on Brockley Rise - their pulled chicken and avocado sandwiches are especially good.
3 Likes
Jumping back in to say that I today met a friend for lunch at the Sylvan Post, where we both took advantage of a lunch offer costing £8.50. Mine was a burger and chips which was really tasty, and a deal almost as good as needed to rival the one the Dartmouth Arms used to offer. My friend had a really delicious-looking avocado and rocket-topped focaccia.
4 Likes