It may come as no surprise to you now that I am someone who LOVES writing about London and all its great eateries. If you have already familiarised yourself with the paragraph on the ‘about’ section of this blog you will understand that I am from London myself and go out A LOT here. My favourite things to do in London almost always revolve around eating or drinking, so it is no surprise that I have quite the collection of restaurants up my sleeve, ready to pull out and impress you all with.
Something you may not know about me however, (unless you are a follower of my other blog Glam Travel Guide) is that I am from the South East of London, The London Borough of Southwark to be more precise. So with that in mind I thought I would take you on a little foodie tour around my Borough. I do hope you enjoy yourselves. Please let me know if you have already been to/heard of these amazing places, and if you have visited them before I would love to know your thoughts.
‘ANTICO RESTAURANT‘, Bermondsey
‘Antico’ is one of my favourite places to dine at when I don’t fancy venturing too far from home. Located on trendy and up and coming Bermondsey Street (214) this restaurant has it all. I end up trying a different dish every time I come here, It is by far one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve visited in London. It opened its doors in 2012, and the best thing about this simplistic and friendly restaurant are that it changes its menu every season. I also love the fact that it has a gin and cocktail bar as well called 214 Bermondsey (owned by same owners)next door which is lovely to go in after dinner for some cocktails.
Stand out dishes:
Starter:
Antipasti board for 2- Prosciutto, Bresaola, Hand cut Salami, Pork and Pistachio Terrine, Pickles, Olives and Focaccia £14.00
Main Course:
Roasted lamb rump, roasted parsnips, Cannellini beans, Mint oil £18.00
Cocktail:
SE1 Spritz- Prosecco, Aperol, Yuzo, Gin, Elderflower and Pineapple Shrub £7.50
‘ROCCA DI PAPA’, Dulwich Village
It is no surprise that this restaurant tops my list, anyone who knows me knows my love for authentic rustic sour dough pizzas cooked in real wood burn ovens, and delicious crisp white wines to wash it all down with. Here you will definitely experience all of that AND MORE. Located in the heart of the village (75-79 Dulwich Village) this place attracts pretty much anyone who visits the area (They also have a restaurant South Kensington if you live a little further away from their Dulwich branch). The exterior is pretty and simple and the interior design is just as charming, there is a real authentic Italian vibe to the place. It is fresh, simple but exciting all at the same time. The whole place oozes sophistication, and if you are lucky enough to visit on a summery day expect outside to be VERY busy. Now on to the good stuff the food.
It is a well known fact that Italian’s love their food, cooking and eating are both passions for Italian people, and this restaurant shares the same feelings. Their menu is so thoughtful and the dishes are simple but made with so much care. I was lucky enough to have eaten at the restaurant on my last visit, and I opted for the sharing board to start and then had one of their rustic pizza’s (all to myself) both were simply delicious. (See below). They have such a good range of foods on their menu here are some more stuff I am dying to try. I would go as far as to say that the pizza is better than some I have tasted in Rome! (Bold statement I know, but also true).
Menu
Starter: Bruschetta Classica £3.10
Main: Carbonara £8.00
‘JAMIE’S, London Bridge’
Located conveniently next to the shard (near London Bridge Station) this lively restaurant and cocktail bar is more at the sophisticated end of the spectrum compared to some other local eateries, but the best thing about this place is it is still happily affordable (Not to be confused with Jamie Oliver’s restaurants). You will feel spoiled by the interior (think chic modern décor, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling) and the exterior (views of the Shard), the service is excellent and laid back (they never push you to finish or give up your table). Be warned however, this place fills up VERY quickly during the weekends especially around 5pm on a Friday when most of the restaurants clientèle are Young City workers celebrating the end of a long week. So you may want to reserve a table during the weekends.
Stand out dishes:
Bbq pulled pork with hickory sauce and home made slaw served in a Brioche bun with salad and skin on fries. £10.50
Nachos- £8.95
Vanilla Cheesecake with Passion fruit coulis- £4.95
Jamie’s, London Bridge can be found at 10-18 London Bridge Street, SE1 9SG and is open daily (check website for details).
Peckham Refreshment Rooms
I first heard of this place as it was recommended to me by a friend last year, I decided to test it out myself recently, to see if it actually was as good as she had told me. I am usually quite sceptical of new independent restaurants (unless I can see the menu or website before hand) so entering this one also made me feel quite uneasy. The food was actually really tasty and it was a far better quality place than I had imagined. They are available for Breakfast, Weekend Brunch, Lunch and Dinner every day. I chose from the Lunch menu the Buffalo Mozzarella Panzanella salad which was only £7.00. I chose to accompany this with a very tasty espresso martini which was £8.00. All in all it was a very enjoyable lunch and I probably would eat from there again.
Its in a fantastic location as well, as it is only a stone’s throw from the Mainline Station. It can get quite busy especially during Breakfast/Lunch times but I love the vibe of the place, it is very relaxed.
‘CONSTANCIA ARGENTINE GRILL’, Bermondsey
If steak is your thing (it certainly is mine) then you definitely need to come to ‘Constancia Argentine Grill’ which opened in 2009. Of course it is no Gaucho’s (so don’t expect fancy fine dining- there’s no need to dress up here) but what you can expect is some great Argentinian steak, South American wines, and a great laid back South London atmosphere. It is an independent family run place, who offer a friendly and warm service with a smile. Most ingredients are locally sourced from Borough Market. The restaurant itself is located just on Tanner Street (number 52 to be precise) which is just off of Tower Bridge Road. The great central location gives you endless options for drinks before and after, and it is located within a good distance to Bermondsey, Borough and London Bridge Underground Station’s as well as the main London Bridge Station.
Stand out dishes:
Starter:
‘Carne (Beef) Emapanadas’- Argentinian style Pasties
(as seen on Paul Hollywood’s Pies & Pud’s BBC) £3.50 each
Main Course:
‘Medallion’ de’ Lomo Argentino (283grms)’- 10oz Prime Argentine Fillet Steak £26.45
with ‘Papas Fritas a la Provenzal’- Chips with Garlic and Parsley £3.50
Dessert:
‘Cheesecake del dia’- Cheesecake of the day £6.50
Wine:
Cetena Chardonnay 2007 from Mendoza £33.50 for a bottle.
The restaurant is open from Monday-Friday 12:00-15:30 (lunch) and 17:00-22:30 (dinner) all day Saturday 12:00-22:30 and all day Sunday 12:00-21:30.
Artusi, Peckham
This one I actually found on Time Out earlier on in the year and thought it sounded like a nice place to go for dinner one evening so thought I’d give it a try for you all. It is one of the more ‘up market’ restaurants in the area so it attracts a nice crowd. The style of food is traditional Mediterranean, the feel of the restaurant is very minimal and modern. The service was as outstanding as the food for sure. I chose the Fusilli with Peas, Panchetta and and Wild Garlic and honestly it was the best pasta I have ever eaten! The Fusilli was cooked to perfect, the Panchetta was smokey and a little bit crunchy and the garlic was not too over powering, it was all well seasoned and very fresh. I tried one of their House White Wines, which was crisp fresh and fruity it complimented my mains very well.
So there we have just a few of my favorite spots to dine out in the London Borough of Southwark. Please comment below with your suggestions on these fantastic restaurants, and if there’s anymore I need to add to my list do let me know.
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