Author Archives: Kennington Observer

About Kennington Observer

Surreptitiously observing Kennington, including the suburbs Vauxhall, Oval, Walworth, and Elephant since 2012. We're fiercely independent and never boring.

#3 Ten Ten Best Places to Eat in Greater Kennington (+ 1 Sunday Roast)

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The Coriander

For reasons purely relating to research we quality controlled Coriander on New Year’s Eve, 2025 and it still deserves the number three spot.

Greater Kenningtontonians are almost as opinionated about their curry as their Sunday roast (which this years winner will surprise you all), but we find that the best hands down to be The Coriander in Vauxhall. We are aware that such a bold assertion is controversial and might make you want to hurl tarka dahl our way but since you don’t actually know who we are that’s not likely to happen.

Coriander specialises in North Indian, Bengali and Nepalese cuisine. The garlic naan is just right – not too thick and herbs going through it. For side dishes, the  baingon motor (aubergine) is  a standout treat, and their other starters cover all the bases of North Indian food. For the mains, our favourites are the chicken tikka naga (above) with hints of cloves, cumin and loads of heat.  All the good curry house standards are also in evidence, and we particularly like the handi laze, which is spicy chicken with chillies and fragrant cardamon, giving some zing with added lemon. And as with most Indian places, there are a range of vegetarian options. There are also a huge range of rices, and we prefer the good old fashioned pilau. And what would ANY good curry house without some slightly tacky murals?

Honourable mention in for Indian food goes to proper old school curry joint Gandhis in Kennington Cross which just missed our list. As you can see by the celebrity strewn pictures in the window, if it’s good enough for Richard and Judy, Neil and Christine Hamilton, and some lady who’s a dead ringer for Hyacinth Bucket then it has to be good enough for us mere mortals and may return to the list one day.

#4 Top Ten Best Places to Eat in Greater Kennington #4 (+ 1 Sunday Roast)

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Kuma

If you’ve ever seen the crowds at Japanese/Korean joint Kuma in Kennington Cross you’ll know that they hardly need our support, but they’ve earned our coveted and profoundly ssubjective 4 spot for the second year. They’ve earned this due to their spicy, diverse and innovative fare served at reasonable prices. 

We started with Kuma’s best known dish, Korean Fried Chicken. The options were – traditional, spicy, or sticky soy garlic and we chose the latter. The medium portion was huge and suitable for two. It had a great crispy crunch and slathered in a sticky soy garlic sauce. For the mains your scribe opted for the chicken bulgogi (say it like a pro…..boo-GOH-gee) which were very thin strips of chicken grilled on a BBQ coated with a hearty sauce called gochujang. Spring onion featured and it was consumed in lettuce wraps. It was billed as ‘hot’ and it certainly was, and so generous that your scribe couldn’t finish it.

Kim the intern had the Kimchi Bokkumbap as a main; a Korean fried rice dish with the national ingredient kimchi (spiced fermented cabbage) topped with barbecued beef strips. A bit like Chinese stir fry rice with a heavy dose of red chilli sauce. It was topped with a fried egg and came with miso soup, and again was a very generous portion. Best washed down with a Cass or Asahi Super Dry beer, but not for Kim as she’s aware that our gratitude ends with a Pepsi Max  

We love nothing more than sticking our noses where they don’t belong, and towards the end of the meal we went to the toilets and might have accidentally wandered into the kitchen. We can confirm that sous chef Mike (aka Mike-ro-Wave) was nowhere to be seen and everything is made fresh. 

#5 The Ten Best Places to Eat in Greater Kennington (+1 Sunday Roast)

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Didi and Franc

We’re halfway there already, and the #5 spot is nailed nailed by posh deli and restaurant Didi and Franc. You’d be correct in thinking that Didi and Franc never seem to be open, but they seem to be focussing only dinners. The review below is from a gastronomic visit undertaken in November, 2024. But we returned to buy nibbles in 2025 and the same standards apply.

It’s been long overdue but we’ve finally paid visit to the little restaurant at Didi and Franc in Kennington Cross. For those not in the know, D&F is an upmarket deli/cheese/bread/wine shop that generally sells gorgeous foodie things that you have no practical use for but still want. The cheese section being particularly good. Didi and Franc are real people and usually on hand and possess a forensic knowledge of the food they sell and the items on the menu as they’re the ones who ordered and cook the stuff. The short and precisely primed dinner menu is Italian.

(Still serving Feb. 2026) Karen from finance loves a mackerel, so we shared a smoked mackerel mousse which was light in texture but punchy in flavour, served with some of the delicious sourdough bread sold in the deli. Karen chose to follow this with a vegetarian (possibly vegan) option of mushroom and chestnut tortellini with pesto rosso, cavolo nero and chestnuts. Chestnut feels wonderfully autumnal so it’s nice to see this feature. The generously filled homemade tortellini having a rich nutty taste that went beautifully with a red pepper flavoured pesto and a bit of green hit from the cavolo nero. Karen got so excited that while in the midst of chewing she yelled out, to a shocked room,  ‘this dish a triumph’! Or words to that effect. 

Beef
Mackerel

Your scribe consumed beef shin and red wine tortellini with tomato sauce. This was next level cheffy stuff with a very rich, wine based tomato sauce and seven tortellini stuffed with beef shin so delicate that it melted before hitting the back of the palate. The tortellini was perfectly al dente with a touch of parmesan. Pumpkin pie was a surprise dessert not originally on the menu but that had just been rustled up by Franc himself.

More experienced (read, OLD) readers might recall that the premises now held by D&F was formerly  an Oddbins and a place of sacred refuge after many a fraught team meeting here at Observer towers. So when it first opened we were disappointed at the pearl clutchingly high price of their wines. Well can we confirm that either Didi, Franc or both got the message as the prices are now a bit more reasonable (but still high). And with a certain gift giving holiday just around the corner, D&F could be the perfect destination for your foodie friends. And they also do ‘make your own’ hampers. 

The restaurant at D&F is open during the second half of the week and we strongly advise that you book as the first time we couldn’t get a seat and it royally pissed us off.

#6 The Ten Best Places to Eat in Greater Kennington (+ 1 Sunday roast)

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Amici

And the number 6 slot has been consumed by the cheery and eccentric Amici in Kennington Cross. After a post Covid stint looking rather like a charity shop, we can cheerily report that the ambiance is now dominated by plants, low lighting, a drinks trolley and contemporary art by Iranian artists. Amici prides itself on being a mixture of Persian and Italian dishes,  which at first gave us a nightmarish vision of pomegranate pizza kebabs. However, co-owner Sethy informed us that the cuisines are kept apart, aside from the one ordered by our new intern Pippa.  

Pippa pipped for the smoked aubergine and rose harissa rigatoni. The pasta was perfectly al dente with an earthy, smoky aubergine puree sauce. We would describe this as fusion although Sethy informed us that Iranians claim to have invented pasta before the Italians. We’re not weighing in on this as we have enough on our plate already. Your scribe opted for an Amici classic  – the Koobideh, which consisted of two perfectly grilled skewers of seasoned (cumin) lamb, with abundant jasmine rice and a grilled tomato, which Sethy said to crush into the rice. And of course nothing in Persia is served without the national spice, Sumac. Of course if you don’t fancy Persian (but you should) they have a number of Italian dishes such as pizza.

We chose the house red wine which was totally drinkable as it should be at £29. As Sethy was pouring a glass Pippa observed that the wine smelled ‘amazing’ and had a beautiful crimson look. Nice try Pippa,  but at the end of the day you’re only an intern and the freebies end with the meal. We’re sure she enjoyed her Pepsi Max. Our meal with one glass of wine came to £72

Amici generally have a quite bewildering array of theme nights and at the moment (2026) are having a ‘Valentines Challenge’ which entails, if we’re reading this correctly, eating a dish without cutlery, with others, and sharing it on Instagram. Photo below. Eating pasta without a fork is perhaps best undertaken after a drink, and they are having a two for £15 drinks deal Mon-Fri from 5-7 which we totally approve of.  One event that keeps popping up is a cigar night. We’re not sure who these nights are aimed at, as we don’t see many people chomping down cigars up Kennington Lane. We suggest following their antics on Insta for a great laugh, but go for the great food.

#7 The Top Ten Best Places to Eat in Greater Kennington (+ 1 Sunday Roast)

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Bonnington Cafe

Motoring on, and the number #7 Spot is awarded to the very independent Bonnington Cafe, and we recently made a much overdue visit to the Vauxhall institution in Bonnington Square. The Cafe is part of the larger Bonnington Centre, but more on that later. 

Bonnington Café was established over forty years ago as a not for profit endeavour and still serves its original purpose of serving affordable (£5 starters £12 mains £5 desserts) vegetarian and vegan fare prepared by a rotating cast of chefs. They also have a BYOB policy to make it even more affordable. At the moment the chefs are creating British comfort food, vegan Polish fare, and locally sourced favourite dishes (UPDATE FEB 2026 – still occurring). Our night was led by Syrian chef Hind Danoun, who passionately cooks her mother’s Syrian vegetarian dishes. She’s in the kitchen on Fridays and some other nights. 

The menus at BC are purposefully very small, and showcase what the chef is working on at the moment. Cliff from the HR team chose the grilled aubergine with tahini and paprika sauce topped with nuts for a starter and he called it ‘sublime’. The tahini was described as creamy and smooth, no clagginess: a light dish of splendidly umami flavours. The lentil kebab main didn’t feel remotely like a kebab to Cliff, so an odd name: lentil steak would have been closer. This was lightly spiced, and benefitted from its accompaniment of yoghurt sauce and a great sumac sauce that made the dish.

Your scribe had the fattoush salad with pomegranate molasses, which was bright and sharp: a little too sour for some tongues but a nice contrast of leaf and crunch. Meanwhile, majouka felt rather like a Syrian take on a vegetarian biryani – which was a result that your scribe could get on board with: simple, tasty, hearty.

Overall, both in terms of pocketbook and what we consumed we left feeling healthy. Well, maybe that £7 bottle of Tesco Malbec we knocked back in half an hour wasn’t so healthy, but don’t judge us. If you don’t fancy a meal at the BC then pop over to Bonnington Square itself for a bit of a wonder, as it’s a verdant urban subtropical oases (maybe not in February) with a storied past that we wrote about previously.

The Bonnington Centre has an eclectic sounding programme of activities on the first floor including one called ‘Death Café’, which rather reminded us of the time when Phil brought homemade brownies into the office. They also have yoga and film nights. On our night there were a motley and hungry group of amateur musicians coming downstairs for a bite, while as we left we were serenaded by the lovely tones of other musicians upstairs.  

#8 The Top Ten Best Places to Eat in Greater Kennington (+1 Sunday Roast)

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Taro

And we find ourselves whizzing forward to eight and its been nabbed by Japanese canteen Taro. It is now a Kennington staple and has established itself as a local favourite, and this was certainly in evidence when we visited on a busy Thursday night.   We love Taro for consistently  serving up authentic ‘Izakaya’ fare, roughly meaning ‘pub food’ and have rejoined the glamourous Top 10 after missing out for a bit. But are they still worthy of their noble accolade? We can imagine they’re shaking in their sushi right now awaiting our answer.

With half the office on (much needed) weight control drugs, on this visit we focused on the sushi section of the menu. The Taro sushi board offered a great mix of different nigiri and couple of rolls, a great option if you want a variety or if you find it hard to commit to anything. We also ordered a rainbow roll, a visually arresting inside out roll with crab. The mango roll was an accidental order, where mango is around the outside of the roll. That’s great if you are a mango fan, less so if you don’t usually mix savoury and sweet. We branched out most with the tempura roll. This was a sushi roll, and in this case with prawn and avocado, delicately friend in a light sushi batter. That sounds heavier than it is and generally got the thumbs up as something different, even with the Mounjaro faithful.

We would definitely advise venturing into the vegetable-focused side dish areas of the menu. The agedashi tofu in soy sauce was silky and delicate. The seaweed salad was a mix of different seaweeds with a dressing with a wasabi kick. We know this reads like we’re binge eating, and you might have a point.

What makes Taro work is its commitment to quality Japanese food at a moderate price point. If you want a big occasion meal, you’ll probably venture that small distance to the West End, and good luck with that. What Kenningtonians demand is something that’s good quality and reliable that won’t break the bank…..Oh, and serves cocktails….

Taro, if you’re reading this (and if not you’re missing out) our only note of guidance is to find a way around the unedifying presence of balaclava hooded ‘Just Eat’ delivery drivers in the restaurant, as it rather cheapens the experience. And no one wants to be cheap. 

#9 The Top Ten Best Places to Eat in Greater Kennington (+ 1 Sunday Roast)

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Beza Vegan Ethiopian

Beza Vegan Ethiopian is the Observer’s favourite vegan joint and has been since it started its local life as a pop up in Elephant and Castle shopping centre in 2016. It now lives on close to the new ‘was hip but now has a Gail’s Bakery’ dining area Sayer Street in Elephant. And the only thing better than the food is the fact that it is female owned and operated.

If you don’t know a great deal about Ethiopian food they make it easy for you as there is only one thing on the menu, and the very friendly Ethiopian staff can tell you all about it. The food is served on a giant platter and is intended to be eaten without cutlery by means of a glorious bread called injera, but you can choose rice (but don’t). Injera has a slight tangy flavour to it and they’ll bring you as much as you want. On the platter we had red lentils with garlic, sautéed mushrooms, chickpeas, spinach, beetroot and cabbage cooked in a variety of ways. The heat level was moderate but if want to ramp it up we were given two condiments. One was hot and the other felt like we were chomping down on molten lava, mitigated by free minty water.  All extremely pleasing.

The crowd at Beza are primarily thirty somethings who just left the gym with their water bottles and who probably live in those new flashy towers nearby. And LOTS of hair flicking. This by no means describes us, but they appeared envious of just how quickly we downed our big glasses of wine. And at only £39 for two people it was certainly good on the wallet. Or if you’re the hair flicking sort then your Apple. They also serve an even larger (were talking car tyre size) portion for four people, creating a party sharing vibe.

Why Ethopian food isn’t more popular is a great mystery to us, like that giant pong that used to be in Kennnington tube or why you never see any baby pigeons. But this shouldn’t be a mystery to you, and take your friends who dither, as there is really only one option!  አስገራሚ!

#10 The Top Ten Best Places to Eat in Greater Kennington (+1 Sunday Roast)

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The Duchy Arms for BBQ

And we’re off! And this spot was achieved for excellence in smoked meats

We’ve always felt slightly bad for the Duchy Arms as it suffers from BPLS, otherwise known as Bad Pub Location Syndrome. Located in Sancroft Street, you might have never seen the place in spite of its massive beer garden. In our role as ‘random yet glamourous members of the public’, we got talking to manager Josephine (who lives behind Sally White’s, tick!) who acknowledged that previous owners were ploughing through managers and menus faster than Boris Johnson has kids, and part of this was due to the location. So thinking creatively, they’ve turned the place into a barbeque smokehouse, an action of which we thoroughly approve.  

Your scribe and ‘office fun guy’ Phil from Accounts first ventured into the small plates section  by asking if Jager bombs count as a small plate. After being summarily kicked under the table, Phil ordered a pickles plate and some lamb ribs. The pickles were a mix of gherkin, carrot and radish; substantial rather than sliced and tasting home-prepared. They were sweet and sour and only gently acidic. This balanced quite well against the two fairly large lamb ribs that were as rich, fatty and lamby as you would hope. 

As Phil will do anything for free food, he then selected baby back ribs and your scribe grabbed the beef cheek. The ribs were a portion of two racks and had a nice glaze to them and pork meat that slid off the bone. You don’t need a sticky sauce when the meat is this good and the celeriac slaw accompaniment was great. The beef cheek wins the prize for the most surprised reaction when it arrived: as a big black glistening lump not unlike a genetically modified Malteser.  The dark smoked roast on the outside yielded to paler, supersoft meat within. If you don’t like fiddling with bones, it’s a good way to go – sticky, unctuous, super rich and smoking (traits that no one in the office possesses). It came incongruously with a  healthy cauliflower, smoke-grilled with curry spices and sat on what we assumed was hummus but was in fact a bean puree.  The side-order of chilli and garlic corn, slathered in deep smoked butter, pushed us further on the road to diabetes, but was great.

So how does the smokehouse menu stack up? The answer is excellently due to its breadth of barbecue offerings and its execution in a giant smoker in the garden. And believe it or not the Duchy does offer vegetarian items but veggies be warned – you will be seeing your favourite barnyard critters in flames in front of you as they have a giant smoker. We cannot vouch for the other items, but we think a deviation from pub classics is a good development in Kennington and we wish them the best of luck.

Ahead of the Big Event…….It’s Cafes!

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As we put the final touches on our profoundly scientific yet utterly subjective rundown of the top 10 list of best places to eat in Greater Kennington (plus 1 Sunday Roast), we wanted to give an honourable mention to the cafes and coffee shops which weren’t eligible for the noble accolade but we were nevertheless loving in 2025.

Italo Vauxhall – Cozy Italian café and shop nestled in the heart of Bonnington Sq.

Eat the Sunshine, Down the Sun – Brand spanking new Filipino art café in Kennington Cross.

Park College Café – Hidden gem next to Kennington Park run by young people with additional needs. Cute upcycled gifts. Walworth

Electric Elephant Café – Quirky tea and cake spot that looks more like a jumble shop. The owner makes everything by hand. Walworth

Walcot Stores

Walcot Stores – Tiny and adorable café off Walworth Sq. selling baked goods and bread. And of course coffee.

Urban Botanica – Buzzy Kennington Cross staple selling a range of coffees and teas and, errr….houseplants.

Change, Please – This IS a chain but we love them as they employ people with experiences of being homeless. Elephant Park

Vauxhall City Farm – Little known but buzzy café and coffee spot. Where else can you have a coffee while watching llamas eat?

Greater Kennington’s First Skyscraper

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From the Archives, the fifth and last (sadface!) month of best history posts

Long before the behemoths of Vauxhall and the impending towering bewilderments of Elephant, there existed Draper House in Newington Butts, where Kennington meets Elephant and Castle. Nestling shyly next to the ‘who switched the fans off’ Strata, the Draper Estate was built in the Brutalist style in 1965, and when Draper House was finished it was the tallest residential block in London. If you look up at the block today this seems almost unbelievable.  

In order to meet the varying needs of a devastated community post WW2, radical architects Kenneth Campbell and Hubert Bennett were commissioned to create a building consisting of 141 flats and maisonettes. In the manner of Le Corbusier, the idea was that ‘nothing is too good for the ordinary man and woman’ and the building had wide corridors and the unique addition of fire escapes. Campbell and Bennett transcended traditional building methods by installing a cladding of storey high slabs of white Italian marble.  Another unbelievable reality when we look at the cladding of public housing today. 

We were made aware of the interesting existence of Draper House after reading that one of its original residents just moved out after 56 years. Falling into a typical Runoff rabbit hole, we read the interesting stories of current residents such as Ian, who has lived in the building for 36 years and raised his family there. He notes that many residents have lived there for decades and over the years has progressively reflected the multi cultural dynamic that gives Elephant it’s energy. 

Being tall and notable does have a few downsides, and for many years Draper House had a darker side as it was known as the suicide capital of London. Those days are long gone and the multicultural essence persists at ground level with such treats as a Latin American mini mall, a Brazilian hair salon, a Chinese tea house, and two of our favourites eateries – Italian ‘Theos’, and the wonderfully named ‘After Taste’.