London Southwark Restaurant Guide

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

“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.

This business-friendly D&D London venue plays to its strengths: the spectacular Tower Bridge setting, plus a well-constructed menu of meaty, classic British dishes. Originally part of the late Sir Terence Conran’s ‘Gastrodome’ project in the 1990s, fans “have been coming here for years” and for a simple grill in prime Thames-side territory, it’s worth remembering.

“A great view of the river and very competent cuisine” makes this would-be Elizabethan tavern – on the first floor of Shakespeare’s Globe theatre – “a delightful find on the tourist trail”. Chef Allan Pickett sticks sensibly to modern British rather than cod-historical cooking.