Zeitgeist – German beer heaven

If we told you there was a German restaurant in Greater Kennington you’d probably say ‘get the schntizel outta here’. Well there is – and it’s a gastropub called Zeitgeist in Black Prince Road. The Ethelred estate seems like a rather implausible place for a pub geared at the German community, so we donned our Alpine headwear to check it out. 

Zeitgest has a host of German beers including Pils, Helles, Hefeweizen, Kolsch and Altbier all on draft, with some bottled beers as well. A pint came gratis with our meal, which was a bonus. Of course eating was involved, and I had the Zeitgeist Flammkuchen, which is a kind of Alsace pizza. The base was extremely thin and crumbly, and the pizza consisted simply of munster cheese with pastrami. I’m not exactly sure why it was served on a piece of torn cardboard but lets just call that ‘rustic’, shall we? 

My dining partner had the Jager Schnitzel, which consisted of a generous chunk of veal, well breaded, and a creamy mushroom sauce. The huge pile of chips beneath it, unfortunately, had spent most of their short lives in a freezer.

In summary, let’s just say that eating at Zeitgeist is an activity best undertaken when you’re not entirely sober. But that’s easy, as for the German beers they have 18 on tap varying from the big German brands to the more niche. It’s also a fun environment and usually shows German football and plays 80’s music. The free beer with a mains ends on 31 August so you better get your Gesäß in motion. 

Vauxhall Food and Beer Garden

When the Vauxhall Food and Beer Garden opened a few years ago in the bin storage area behind London’s most notorious nightclub, we said to our bemused selves ‘right, so we’re supposed to eat and sip cocktails in an alley behind Fire, surrounded by empty kegs and nitrous oxide canisters?’

Since opening in 2014 the Food and Beer garden has been incrementally upping its game, and last year even started hosting comedy nights. As they’ve been plugging themselves relentlessly on social media recently we went over to inspect. Additionally, we liked the fact that the space allows people to eat and drink more safely by being outdoors (with big marquees if it rains). 

We timed our visit to coincide with the ‘after work’ crowd, but when we arrived we realised that the ‘after work’ crowd really doesn’t exist anymore. Undeterred, on our mission we discovered no fewer than 40 beers on tap, with wines also available On the street food front we spotted Greek, Mexican, Chinese, French, Wagyu burgers and ramen. Even if it had been buzzing there was plenty of space to distance yourself. This extended to the toilets, which are the spacious toilets of Fire (but we suspect a lot cleaner). 

Before the world turned upside down one of our favourite pastimes was sitting in Starbucks of a Monday morning and watching people falling out of Fire at 9am. We called it ‘Fire damage’. 

The Vauxhall food market is open daily from lunchtime to 10:30pm and is great for a quick drink with friends or a ‘I don’t want to cook tonight and I have to get out of the house’ meal. We have also strolled past on a Friday night recently and it is rather lively. 

How much has the Kennington pub scene changed?

As much as we’ve cherished the experience of standing in the middle of Kennington Cross drinking takeaway beers out milk containers, we were brimming with giddy thrill when we learned that pubs would be re opening  on 4 July. Unfortunately the top brass at Kennington Runoff got wind of our excitement and demanded we work over the weekend undertaking a covert pub crawl. Oh, we do suffer for our craft. 

Yesterday your intrepid reporter and three safely selected associates began our journey at the Dog House, as there is outside seating. Ordering is at the bar behind a Perspex screen and you can drink by spaced seats either indoor or out. It didn’t feel different to many other afternoons there, and if anything was more quiet (and they were even showing football). Afterwards we decided to move to the Duchy Arms, as they seem to be the perpetual underdog in the area. With a large garden they are perhaps having their long overdue moment, and the manager at the door explained that they were at ‘safe capacity’ (pic below), which was about 60%. He also helped us to clarify a puzzling riddle we’ve had of late – ‘can you book a table just for a drink’. And the answer is yes.

Undaunted, we then moved into Vauxhall and tried to get a table at the ever popular Black Dog. The chirpy doorman explained that they were also at safe capacity and he suggested that we saunter to the other end of Spring Gardens and try the Vauxhall Tavern. The place was very buzzy, gay and straight, and we sat on a table on the stage (!). This was unusually the only place where we needed to leave our name. It also had a very handy method of scanning a QR code and ordering at the table. Afterwards we went to The Pilgrim, but to be honest dear reader this is when our journalistic skills became a bit compromised. But we do remember that people were standing and drinking at the bar, which we’re not really sure is recommended. Hand sanitisers were readily available everywhere.

Overall our little tour revealed a pub landscape that, while different, was more normal than we had previously believed. For instance, we thought the toilet situation would be a ‘raise your hand like you’re in year 6’ affair, but it seemed very straightforward. And while people sitting at tables were not distancing, different tables were spaced apart adequately. The success of Kennington pubs and the livelihoods of the people who work there depend entirely on our ability to use them safely, and our verdict is that you can. 

The Pilgrim. Not so sure about this.

A celebration of Kennington pubs

Do you remember a halcyon time when we could go to a place and have a drink with people we didn’t live with? Well those days will be upon us again in some kind of fashion on 4 July. Some of these pubs are gone forever, some others rebuilt, and few looking amazingly familiar. We could stare at the pictures all day, and enjoy….

The Victorian Elephant and Castle pub in Vauxhall, 1970. Same building, but now ‘Starbucks’.
The King’s Arms pub, Chester Way and Kennington Lane, 1880. Destroyed in WW2, rebuilt 1946.
The Horns Tavern, Kennington Road and Kennington Park Road., 1910. A local institution damaged in WW2 and never really recovered. That and a dislike of Victorian architecture meant its demise in 1965. Now JobCentre Plus and Nisa Foods.
The Roebuck pub, 1972. Still very much there and known as The Dog House.
The Cricketers pub in the Oval standing proudly on game day, 1957. Closed for aeons, but the building is still there.

The Tankard pub, Kennington Road, 1880. Altered through time, but looking amazingly familiar.
The Vauxhall Tavern, 1950. The RVT had shops on either side of it and a thriving community behind until cleared for Spring Gardens in the late 1960’s.
The Prince of Wales, Cleaver Square, 1973. The only thing different is the cars (and the house prices).

A taste of takeaways and pubs

We have to face up to the reality that we won’t be eating in a Greater Kennington restaurant any time soon. And when we do, we might encounter the indignity of having to shout ‘hey, can I have some more ketchup please’ from across a socially distanced room. To address this, some local restaurants are offering a takeaway or collection service with a limited menu. The places offering this service generally let you know via social media.

One of our favourite local takeaways is unsung gem ‘Taste of India’ next to the bike shop in Kennington Road. On a recent visit my associate had lamb korai, which was heavy on the lamb and onions but a bit light on the spice. Your reporter had the prawn bunha, which had a very good mix of spices, thick gravy and full of tomatoes. On previous visits we’ve enjoyed the madras and jalfrezi, which certainly delivered on the spice front.  Side dishes are always a highlight with Indian food, and we recommend the huge, crunchy onion bhajis,  garlc naan bread, and tarka daal. 

The lamb, or ‘this is why we aren’t food photographers’
The prawn. Honestly, it tastes better than it looks.

While it might not possess the Prime Ministerial credentials or razzmatazz of Kennington Tandoori, we think Taste of India *prepares for hate mail* is better. Taste of India doesn’t quite achieve the culinary highs of Gandhi’s, but sadly it isn’t open. And if you don’t fancy Indian food but you still want to sample the fare at ‘Taste of India’, then why not plump for their…..wait for it…….sushi!  

Over the past week a few local pubs have also opened offering takeaway drinks and a reduced menu, for collection only. We’re very excited about this development and enjoyed a pint at The Doghouse on Friday night, and then another at The Black Prince.  This goes a bit to retaining a sense of normality and also helps these small businesses. We suggest you take your drinks home, however,  to avoid being known as ‘that street drinker who lives a few doors down’. Other pubs further afield might be offering this service, so again check them out on social media and eat safely. 

Once upon a time in Kennington

Once upon a time it was possible to go to a place and have a drink with other people. One of those places was in central Kennington and called ‘The Tommyfield’ and they had a cracking stand up night called ‘Always Be Comedy’. We wrote about ABC in July and have been regulars since its inception eight years ago. We’re big fans of the evening as it’s always nice to see up and coming comics in addition to big names, and of course they’re honoured to be in our manor.

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Last week ABC started a virtual comedy night and we popped along, partially out of curiosity and partially to avoid watching another episode of ‘Tiger King’. They had a few tech problems but considering that they were switching between three comics and the MC, it went pretty well. They have a few upcoming shows and we highly recommend them for a change of pace.

Wed 15 April – Josh Widdicombe and others

Wed 22 April –  Sara Pascoe, Nick Helm, and a ‘mystery guest’ (usually a pretty big name)

Wed 29 April – James Veitch and others

Wed. 6 May Iain Sterling (the guy who does the voiceover for Love Island….not that we watch it) and others.

All shows run from about 8 to 10 and the best bit is you can watch in your underwear without being picked on by the comedians. Tickets are a fiver and can be purchased here.

When this mayhem has subsided places like The Tommyfield and ABC will need our patronage more than ever. When it’s possible to go in the flesh again ABC has a good atmosphere with a fun mix of people. However, on your first visit it’s hard to escape the eerie notion that you’ve just stumbled into a reunion of contestants from ‘The Apprentice’.

Hang in there, folks. After all, by invoking that wartime spirit we all got through the great toilet roll crisis of late March.

The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 3 – Prince of Wales

The number 3 slot is awarded to Kennington stalwart and our own little country pub ‘The Prince of Wales’ in Cleaver Square. The Prince of Wales is of course not open and they do not deliver. However. if our local pubs and restaurants are to survive this crisis they’ll need our patronage once they reopen, so stick this gem in your bejewelled pocket diary.

The Prince of Wales did the seemingly unthinkable last year by changing hands from being run by a major chain to being independently owned and operated. Armed with a a new menu and a spanking new chef, we decided to give it a twirl last year and we were duly impressed. In addition to the menu we were pleased to note that they also had new cask ales and an improved wine list.

My dining partner had the spiced buttermilk chicken burger on a glazed brioche bun. This undefined person got a nice spice hit from the chipotle mayo and the chicken was soft and made succulent with the creamy buttermilk. The chips were big, triple cooked and definitely not out of the freezer. The portions were definitely something to be admired.

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Your author had the cornfed chicken and chorizo hash. Mine was a mighty chunk of chicken served with a confident splash of bourguignon sauce. The hash was really more of chunky mash potato with very spicy, paprika punched chorizo. I never got to the bottom of the hispy cabbage affair, but it bulked up the plate and acted as a crunchy counterpoint.

The Prince of Wales and other independent pubs are certainly vulnerable, but we think they will make it. In conclusion, if you crave some excellent pub grub and want a place without music, shouting or people coming up to you every two seconds asking  ‘are are alright’, then the POW might be your thing. IMG_0054

The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 8 – The Tommyfield

The number eight position goes to central Kennington stalwart The Tommyfield.* The Tommyfield is the Kennington outpost of swish, small south London chain ‘Three Cheers Pubs’. Most of their other pubs are in Clapham and Battersea and have a similar cohort of punters.

The Tommyfield is the pub of choice here at Runoff HQ as it is just down the road and we have therefore tried just about everything on the menu. This isn’t too difficult, mind you, as we wouldn’t exactly call their menu ‘dynamic’. However, what they stick to they manage to do very well. We like the pies (steak and ale/chicken and leek) which are very rich, heavy on the meat, and the puff pastry flaky and buttery with pureed potatoes. The fish and chips are also to be lauded, and they have a reliable number of veggie options (but not vegan).

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The place is usually pretty full at weekends and they do a mean trade in Sunday lunch. The roasts are huge (we’re talking car tyre huge) and you can see the chefs undertaking their handiwork in the open kitchen (and yes, they make their own Yorkies). The ribeye steak is also something that we’ve had on a Sunday and it’s up there in Michelin star category and seasoned to perfection.

The Tommyfield is one of the few places in our area the accepts Tastecard (but not on Sunday) and they provide two for one mains if you have one. Perfect for those ‘I don’t feel like cooking’ nights or if, at this rate, there is soon to be nothing left on supermaket shelves but cat food.

For dessert we almost always plump for the banoffee pie, which is delicious.

*If you’ve been knocking around SE11 long enough to remember its previous incarnation as ‘La Finca’ you get a prize. Or something.

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The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 9 – The Hercules

The number nine slot goes to new kid on the block ‘The Hercules’ located across from Lambeth North tube. The first of three gastropubs on our list, it’s made the list mostly due to it having the best selection of beers for a gastropub in Greater Kennington, with no fewer than 24  to choose from , and an impressive selection of spirits and wines. And a curious LED sign telling you about the rotating selection of beers on offer.

We thought it appropriate to go The Hercules with some tourist friends, as the crowd is a mix of thirty somethings with a melange of visitors wondering how the hell they ended up in Lambeth North when their hotel across the street is called ‘Waterloo’.  We went for Sunday roast, and one of us had beef and the other two pork belly. The portions were generous and the meat well cooked. The roast potatoes were also browned and just the right side of charred. The cauliflower cheese was commendable and the Yorkshire pud was huge and crispy.

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Aside from roasts, The Hercules offer other dishes that are more varied than most local gastropubs, and commendable  bar snacks. On another visit we snacked on spicy squid and Vietnamese chicken wings, and had some very juicy burgers and hake with chorizo. The place also opens at 8am if you fancy a fry up or a quick Merlot on the way to work. The atmosphere is the upmarket ‘old school meets new school’ of the White Bear and is relatively good value for money.

Finally, *expects egg throwing*  we are conscious that The Hercules is part of the Fuller’s pub chain, but even soulless chains can sometimes get things right. If it is just beer you fancy without the food, we recommend Mother Kelly’s under the arches in Vauxhall.

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Meet the Locals 1 – James Gill of ABC

Recently we had a nice chin wag with comedian and overall ‘fun guy’ James Gill about his Thursday comedy night, Always Be Comedy,  at the Tommyfield in central Kennington.  For the uninitiated, ABC features some established comics (last Thursday we saw Marcus Brigstocke and the crap evidence is below) with up and coming folks. Once you recover from the crowd resembling a giant reunion of contestants from ‘The Apprentice’ it’s a nice place to unwind and have a giggle at this most stressful time of year.

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KR – How long has ABC been running and what inspired you to start it?

James – Oh my gosh! It’s been more than EIGHT YEARS. I started it with two former housemates: Stuart Keeping and Paul Vale.. So I’m the last man standing. Christ. This is how The Sugababes must feel. Why did we start? I still have no idea whatsoever. I think it was so I could learn how to MC. But I’m guessing. I have no idea. If you ever find out, please will you tell me?

KR – What makes a good audience member?  And what about  a bad audience member?

James – A good audience member is someone who laughs. At the right times, obviously. If they’re just sat laughing all night, before the show, at the set-ups and through the breaks, then they may be unwell, and I now feel genuinely sorry for this fictional person in my head. A bad audience member. Oh, the person who has turned up to actively have a shit night: arms folded and a general aura that says, “Yeah, well what have you got?” I try to spot them early on and ask them to unfold their arms as they’ll have a much nicer experience.

KR – Can you tell us a bit about the games you play before the show and during the break?

James – Yes! Absolutely. It feels like we used to play a lot more weird and wonderful games, and perhaps I was personally hiding behind the games. So I try to be a lot more man-and-a-mic these days, with the games a lot more pared back. That’s because I MC and do telly warm-up a lot elsewhere, and it wasn’t realistic carrying a bag full of props to, say, Leeds. I do sometimes miss the ridiculous games – especially the Nerf-related games. Maybe it’s time to resurrect the Nerf. You can never have a Nerf… I am SO sorry.

KR – What can punters expect to see in 2020?

James- Lots of shows are booked already. So from late summer into autumn, we’ve got Sara Pascoe, Rachel Parris, Ivo Graham, Iain Stirling, Ellie Taylor and heaps more. And perhaps a bit more Nerf. Have I gone on a bit too long? I feel a Nerf is a Nerf… Again, so sorry. Thank you so much for the chat and hopefully we’ll see a lot more local faces at future gigs. And, again, if you know why we started the gig, be sure to come over and have a chat with me.