London Southwark Restaurant Guide

Opened post-lockdown in the funky site that used to house Forza Win (RIP, but looking for a new home), a new pizza restaurant in Peckham. There’s a new 80-seater outdoor space initially, with the indoor 40-covers available as soon as indoor restrictions are lifted. Michael ‘Mike’ Davies is the chef director of the Camberwell Arms and Frank’s Café and the same team are behind the launch. On the menu: Roman-style pizza (and other small plates).

Gordon Ramsay's pizza chain; this branch opened in May 2021.

A new outdoor dining and entertainment space for Borough, tucked into railway arches; food comes from street food stalls Texas Joe's Adobe and The Good Slice.

“There’s no finer tapas outside Spain” than at José Pizarro’s “outstanding, if authentically tiny” Bermondsey bar: “very buzzy and busy, as a tapas bar should be” providing “absolute classic dishes, prepared with attention to detail and with perfect produce”. “It looks chaotic when you turn up and you have to queue outside with your wine. However the system they have works because you’re soon seated and ready to enjoy some of London’s best tapas”; “highly recommended”.

“Fantastic food + great wine list + super-friendly people + brilliant music = cool vibes!” – this new restaurant and wine bar near Peckham Rye station (baby bro’ to Salon in Brixton) has cracked the formula for winning fans from SE15 and beyond: a “casual-yet-special” operation, it can become “extremely busy” and “crowded”. Its “incredible” small plates are a foil to the “very good wine list” and arguably a form of “wildly indulgent nursery food”, but are so “creative and fun” and with “flavours that sing!”

A “unique menu” of “delicious Portuguese tapas” that “really pack flavour” makes this authentically tiled bar near Borough Market “just a delight”; especially in summer when its “lovely outdoor seating area” makes it “an ideal place to spend an afternoon”. “The knowledgeable staff have great wine recommendations” from the “interesting” all-Portuguese list.

“They put the price up from £10 to £11, but it still can’t be faulted!” – for a “a great steak, without any frills” this “always busy, lively and buzzy” chain remains “a winning formula”: “it’s so nice to have a simple menu choice, and what they do, they do very well”; this includes the very impressively “friendly and professional service-with-a-smile”. One catch: “you have to put up with no bookings”, so “be prepared to queue”. But “if you want a great meal on a budget: go visit!”

“A marvellous alternative to generic Middle East cuisine” – this family business has graduated from Peckham Levels (where they still trade) to this new café in Camberwell, where they offer “a Kurdish take on classic Middle Eastern dishes: well spiced, utterly fresh and served with a warmth worth mentioning because it’s so uncommon...”. A rave August 2019 review from Jay Rayner has propelled it to becoming a fooderati talking point.