London Herne Hill Restaurant Guide

2022 Review: Opened in February 2020, a plant-based café with cute outside terrace in Herne Hill from brothers Oliver and Luca, who used to run the Bean & Bowl stall in Herne Hill Market. During the day, there’s a menu of brunch plates and plant-based burgers – by night, pasta and one or two more substantial dishes complete the offering. “We actually didn’t realise it was a vegan restaurant until we sat down but all our food was so delicious we’ll definitely be back!”

“Consistently excellent fish ’n’ chips” have made their mark for more than 35 years at Harry Niazi’s rustic spot by Brockwell Park, named after Oliver Twist (1837), in which Charles Dickens mentions a ‘fried fish warehouse’ – one of the earliest references to what became the national dish.

This “dependable, family-friendly pizzeria” by Brockwell Park is “still good value and the same quality after many years”, with “nice chewy crusts to the pizza and plenty of flavour”. It has an offshoot in Herne Hill.

A “local favourite” opposite Herne Hill station for its “hearty and tasty European bistro food”, “this restaurant goes from strength to strength. The cooking is inventive without being gimmicky and skilled without being over the top”. It’s “a lovely place”, but “the room is strangely laid out”, with a “cramped interior and hard surfaces, so it gets noisy” (“or you could say buzzy”).

“Always fresh sourdough pizza” has helped build a strong local following for this hip southeast London group, with outlets in Crystal Palace, Nunhead, West Norwood, Herne Hill and Elephant & Castle. A new natural wine selection from specialist importer Les Caves de Pyrène is now available alongside the craft beers on tap. Top Tip – “make sure you leave room for the ice cream”.

With its inviting décor, this fast-expanding group has been a big “winner” since the pandemic, mushrooming to 18 sites, all of which have generally proved useful additions to their respective areas. But while “it certainly looks the part, and the staff look after you well enough”, the brunch-friendly fare can be hit ’n’ miss, with reports ranging from “surprisingly good” to “formulaic and really abysmal”. Top Tip – “always a top option for feeding the family”.