Three Buds

Posted on July 14, 2026 by Kennington Observer

In this climatically challenging spell we’re having, ice cream becomes less of a luxury and more of a need. We’ve just undertaken an almost unheard of face to face interview with Sarah, who’s just opened gelato/coffee/bagel spot ‘Three Buds’ right in the middle of Vauxhall park. The buds refer to Sarah’s kids aged 3, 5, and 7. How she’s managed to start a business with three little ones whist we struggle to find a dropped paper clip eludes us, but this isn’t about us.

Sarah’s lived in Greater Kennington (Vauxhall) for 10 years and recently left her job in the City as she spotted a hole in the market for a quality café in Vauxhall Park. She was inspired by seeing her neighbours and kids using the park and wanted to extend that community feel by creating a space where they could relax. The concept of her business is to select food that she would want her kids to eat. So the gelato has no artificial ingredients found in creams you might get in Tesco (a supermarket). In fact, their gelato is sourced from the same supplier that’s used by the Italian embassy. Whilst there we indulged on (don’t judge us) pistachio, vanilla and strawberry, Belgian chocolate, strawberries and crème, and salted peanut butter, the latter being vegan. All rich and delicious. And if you’ve never eaten five gelatos at 10am it’s a whole different vibe.

We don’t usually accept freebies but as we’d already broken the fourth wall by pitching up in person we thought ‘screw it’ and accepted a creamy and balanced iced latte and a raisin bagel with homemade berry crème cheese. This was an example of breakfast fare and Sarah explained that they have a range of lunchtime bagels as well. The bagels are sourced from NYC and ours was doughy and excellent. Sarah road tests all of her goodies, such as coffee beans, before they hit her café. When asked how she makes margins work as food prices increase, Sarah put on her sunglasses and said, wearily, ‘I don’t know’. So this is our call for you to pop over to Vauxhall Park and say hello to Sarah and her new local business. Oh, and buy things.

Matiz – A Mighty Fine Latin American Joint

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Kennington Observer

Perched at the periphery of the Observer catchment area near St. George’s Circus, we find ourselves at new kid on the block Matiz to sample their pan Latin American cuisine. Matiz is curiously located next to the delicious yet more pricey joint Paladar restaurant which we reviewed in 2021 and dined with a B list pop star. As they serve the same cuisine we queried if the establishments were in some way related. They deny the coincidence but frankly we don’t care as the food at both establishments are great.

Matiz is a family owned business and everyone who served hailed from either Spain or Latin America and is well located as its close to the wonderous Latin American offerings in Elephant Road. On group office outings we long ago learned that splitting main courses ends in bloodshed or a chopstick crammed into an ear, so we avoided the mostly Latin American mains and shared Spanish tapas. The group ordered up a range of classics with free flatbread served before. We recommend hanging on to the bread to soak up the juice of the tapas. This message didn’t appear to apply to Kevin from personnel who chose drown his sorrows over his recent hair loss by downing two bowls of the aforementioned flatbread.

The ordered classics included chorizo al vino, gambas al ajillo, mushroom croquetas, calamari and patatas bravas. All were tasty and well sized and plenty to share among four people. Remember to order spartanly as you can always just order more, and the delivery is quick. A special shout out goes to the chorizo al vino which was perfectly rich and chunky, and the gambas which may be the most garlicky thing we’ve eaten this year (that’s a compliment). When Karen from Finance wanted an open mouth kiss at the end of the evening we were able to use the gambas/garlic consumption to escape.

An even bigger shout out is owed to the ceviche Peruano, which worked well as an additional small dish. It consisted of bite sized pieces of sea bass well marinated in lime juice mixed with onion and Peruvian-style crunchy corn and sweet potato. It’s a lovely, refreshing plate and perfect for the summer. Wines were reasonably priced, including some sub-£30 and our Rioja rosé was spot on for a warm evening. But please be aware that the value rather dissipates when bottle number five hits the table. A fun night in a part of Greater Kennington often not visited by locals like you.

As we’re on a Latin American theme, the prospects don’t look good for the Latin food outlets and indeed the culture in Elephant Road as the malevolent shopping centre emerges behind it. They also need our support lest they be turned into a Joe and the Juice or, lord in heaven help us, Gail’s Bakery. Adios!

Koi in Sayer Street…Seriously Good Ramen

Posted on June 24, 2026 by Kennington Observer

Taking an intern to lunch is a perfect way to bond, with the handy goal of getting them to undertake tasks no one wants to do. It was with this spirit that your scribe invited Tighe on a lunch to Koi ramen bar in Sayer St. in Elephant Park.

Koi is a small chain and this venue has a cosy post industrial look balancing the aesthetics of the furniture aisle at Ikea with a bondage/sex club. Intern Tighe bouncily suggested that we start with gyoza and then promptly ordered a £3 can of Italian soda, while your scribe opted for the freely flowing tap water. The gyoza was crunchy, full of chicken, and of course served up with vinegar soy and added chives.

Tighe indulged in the pork ‘Old Skool Shoyu’ which is fundamentally a soy based broth with umami boosters kelp and shitake mushrooms. He described it as full of flavour with the noodles perfectly cooked but with the added comment that it ‘could have been better with more pork’. On the way to the toilet your scribe whispered ‘ingrate’ and then enjoyed a perfectly chicken filled shoyu with bone in thighs, a rich and slightly soy base with the added bay boys of ginger, green onions and garlic. The base was obviously slow cooked and delicious.

As with all good Japanese joints, one of the great things about Koi is that you can witness the food being created before your eyes, so we suggest sitting at the bar. Overall, this is a cheap(ish) dinner but the lunch is more of an indulgence. With the unneeded addition of Tighe’s gyoza and bougie Italian water, the bill came to £30, So Tighe, we’d like to introduce you to the world of stapling and fax machines. And we wish you the best……

Pullens Yard Open Studios Spring 2026

Posted on May 28, 2026 by Kennington Observer

As frequent readers are all too aware, we here at the Observer love nothing more than anonymously sticking our noses where they don’t belong. So why not join the merry ranks of middle class white people and partake of our passion/dysfunction? We’re talking, of course, of the great Pullens Yard Spring Open Studios weekend taking place on 5-7 June (that’s next week and not this weekend, folks. Keep up) in Walworth. It might just prove to be the last warm weekend of the year.

Pullens Yards (Clements, Peacock and the large Iliffe Yard) are an amazing collection of 1880’s workhouses which were originally designed for the people who lived in the nearby Pullens Estate. We wrote about the fascinating squatting history of the estate a few years ago. Instead of being converted into luxury flats, the Yards serve the same purpose as they did 140 years go, and the cabinet makers and blacksmiths have been replaced by potters, jewellery makers, card makers and folks who make things that you want but by no means need. We once bought moth balls disguised as little knitted mice. And as we know crystals are just rocks, but the stall holders might just convince you that they have the power to heal.

The studios at Pullens Yards are usually not open to the public, but twice a year they fling their doors open to give us a glimpse into their creative universe and this is the Spring iteration. The artists are more than happy to show you what and how they create, and of course you can buy what’s on show. And buying is by no means compulsory, as at the end the day these folks just want to show off how clever they are and it’s totally free. Have we mentioned how much we love free?

A visit to the Yards is a fun way to spend a morning or a late afternoon searching for quirky and unusual gifts for yourself or loved ones. In the past we’ve encountered live music, food for sale, a bar provided by Orbit Brewery(!) and live music. A sunny late spring day is an exceptionally optimistic way to see the Yards. And who knows, you just might discover a previously unrealised desire to own a necklace made out of forks or a room deodoriser fashioned as a piece of cheese.

Pullen’s Open Studios is open Friday evening and in the daytime over the weekend. And if you’re overwhelmed by that necklace fashioned out of forks, take a break and check out the great and very quirky Electric Elephant Café. And no, its not a charity shop. It just looks like one.

The Simply Bread Revisit

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Kennington Observer

We recently paid an overdue revisit to takeaway sandwich joint Simply Bread in Black Prince Road in Vauxhall. It’s run by the team from the excellent Jolly Gardeners pub a few doors down. Sandwiched between the two was Ginger Provisions, their noble but doomed foray into the retail supermarket world which itself deserves huge plaudits.

For this meal we were once again joined by our gastronomic collaborator Karen from the Finance team. Still resplendent in her post GLP appearance, she ordered the falafel and hummus sandwich, citing that it was vegan and therefore, in her own parlance, ‘totally healthy’. When we pointed out that falafel is deep fried, Karen replied ‘whatever, its vegan’. Karen observed that the falafels were not made on site, and had probably spent much of their brief life in a very cold place (ie a freezer). What offset this was a delicious hummus and well roasted peppers and courgettes. Overall Karen proclaimed it to be a flavourful and substantial addition to her day. If not quite as virtuous as she cares to admit.

Your scribe had the spicy tuna sandwich served on granary bread. The spice kick was furnished by Korean chili flakes augmented by those tuna bad boys peppers and sweetcorn, mixed with a guilt laden level of mayonnaise. With both sandwiches the portions were huge, and could easily have been nibbled on for the rest of the working day but of course were devoured quickly. In addition to lunchtime sandwiches, Simply Bread opens at 8am and offers the usual amenities of teas, coffees, flat whites, and pastries before you travel to work. Even if that travel is only to a laptop in the corner of your bedroom.

If you’re a restaurateur reading this, please be aware that we get loads of offers of free food from establishments wanting us to darken their door. We praise you, but this rather defeats the spirit of this website. So if you see a gaggle of overworked yet glamorous people lurking at your corner table, it might just be us but you’ll never know.

Save Maderia Star!

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Kennington Observer

At the Observer we tend to avoid campaigns as that would make us no better than, say, Loose Women. But rules were made to be broken and we’re adding to one.

Madeira Star has been an institution in Kennington Cross for over thirty years. It is one of the few places in Greater Kennington where normal folk can grab an affordable lunch or a decent(ish) fry up. The landlord has decided to not renew Madiera’s lease, the likely reason being that they calculate that a large chain would pay more rent. This would be a true loss to Greater Kennington, as through the years what Maderia has become is more of a community gathering place, and its loss takes away not not only an institution but part of our identity. What is being proposed by the Change.org petition is for Lambeth to step in and protect it as a community asset.

We have to confess that our ulterior motive is that we possess an irrational fixation that any vacant property will be replaced by that scourge of the high street….Gail’s Bakery. And Loose Women, if you’re reading this we do love you. In fact, for reasons relating solely to journalistic research two of the team were in your audience in October. We’re in the picture below between Janet Street Porter and a minor Nolan sister. Yes that us in the grey, right in the middle.

To join the movement click here. Unless you enjoy shelling out £8.90 for a sandwich and £3 for a cup of tea.

Because we all Need a Fresh Start

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Kennington Observer

Establishments reviewed by the Observer have an unfortunate habit of going bust shortly after they’ve been benighted with our pixie dust, and thus was the case with Unique at 63 Black Prince Rd. in Vauxhall which uniquely managed the feat a mere five weeks after our review. The new occupant is coffee shop ‘Osoji’, which roughly translates to ‘fresh start’ in Japanese.

To these events we usually invite Phil from accounts but he’s lookmaxxing at the moment and unable to even drink a cup of tea. When we pointed out that tea in fact has no calories he muttered something about controlling the amount of fluids in his body, which is funny as he’s never said that in a pub. Moving on, Osoji has the regular staples such as loose leaf tea, cappuccino, flat white, Americano and others.. and on our visit we encountered ACTUAL ITALIAN PEOPLE. We didn’t understand what they were saying but they certainly looked content with their espressos and macchiatos. Thrown into the mix is also a nice assortment of pastries

The demographic of Osoji consists of earnest dog walkers, mums dropping their kids to school, and folks scurrying to work. Customer service facing local businesses live and die largely on their ability to engage with customers and this was in evidence on our visit, as the staff were funny and engaging. It appears that new owner Nancy already knew some of the punters as she worked there before, and it shows. Overall, Osoji is solid spot for a quick brew or to work (they have WiFi). And Osoji, if you’re reading this please be aware that we love your subtle nod to Japanese design

Taro

Posted on April 8, 2026 by Kennington Observer

We’ve often pondered the why there aren’t more sushi joints in Greater Kennington, and have placed this into the category of the unexplained. Other examples of the unexplained are why people talk about their personal lives over the phone on the 59 bus. Or why you never see a baby pigeon. The only quality sushi joint in our manor is Taro near Kennington Cross. It is so acclaimed, in fact, that it’s been on our Top Ten© list since opening in 2018. We went on a Tuesday evening and the place was buzzing with friendly, hair flicking folk.

Karen from Finance is still resplendent in her new post Ozempic glory so she left the tempura prawns to your scribe who found them light, airy, but with that savoury crunch we all expect. The sushi came as it was freshly prepared by the chefs in a Izakaya manner from the open kitchen. Izakaya is equivalent to ‘pub food’, but more importantly this word is a great one to throw out in order to impress/condescend to your friends during said meal. Among the first to emerge was the Ebi gyoza. In the inside they managed to stuff prawn, leeks, and cabbage. It was pan fried and delicious with a vinegar soy sauce.

We personally don’t approve of rainbow hued maki rolls with flecks of gold. However, we fully accept that we live in an era of Insta and TikTok where an image can immediately determine the life or demise of a company. And so they arrived, along with a spicy tuna roll and tofu. The rolls were stuffed with cream cheese, chives, prawn and crunchy veg. They were topped with a generous slice of fish and finished off with a dollop of Kewpie mayo. The tofu was pan-fried and coated in a sweet/savoury sauce made from soy, mirin, and sake. Delicious. As for the tuna, At one point Karen had three large rolls in her mouth at the same time requiring us to lean over and say, tactfully, ‘let’s not go back to the bad old days Karen’. Karen nodded in agreement as she was unable to talk. Evidence if it is needed of the appeal of spicy tuna.

Taro is open seven days a week and also on all delivery services for the Gen Z’ers who can’t be bothered to walk down the street. Lots of love.

Roam Community Cafe – End the Cycle of Jinxism!

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Kennington Observer

We often find ourselves strolling past a former Victorian pub at the corner of Tyers and Johnathan St. in Vauxhall and long ago consigned it to ‘jinxed property’ status, as it’s variously been occupied by everything from a creche to a jujitsu studio. It’s with great glee that we can announce that it’s now a community owned coffee shop called Roam with a soft play and role play area downstairs. And for those of you unaware of the concept of soft and role play, it’s about toddlers playing on safe surfaces as opposed to what you might undertake on any given Saturday night.

On the tranquil ground floor Roam serves the usual battalion of pastries in addition to espressos, flat whites, and soft drinks. Our tea was just £1.50. For those lucky/unlucky enough to have little ones, there is a lift down to the basement café. For £4.50 parents can enjoy a range of toys and activities suitable for under 5’s, and they even have a slide. Again, we’d like to remind our readers that the slide is just for kids. In our now famous clandestine guise as normal people, we got chatting with the owners who explained that the concept was derived from them being mothers of little ones themselves and were seeking a place where both the kids and parents can have some variety while chatting with other parents. Both owners also live locally, which we found doubly exciting.

The ingenious concept behind Roam is that you can support a children’s café without actually having to see children. Don’t get us wrong, we love kiddos. In fact some of us in the office were once actual children ourselves. The Observer celebrates every (good) local enterprise which occupies vacant spaces and especially those which are female owned and operated. On your next work from home day, check them out and end the cycle of jinxism!

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

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Kennington Observer

THEOS

It’s the moment that Observer staff have been fainting in the corridor over (or it could just be that we work in an underground bunker). For the best place to eat in Greater Kennington we’ve chosen Theos in Elephant because of its creative toppings, great sourdough base, their delicious Pannuozzo wood fired lunch sandwiches, tiramisu, and good price point. We are aware that recommending the best pizza in Greater Kennington is fraught with opinionated tension and might even cause small dough based riots in Kennington Cross so we’ve sealed the hole to the bunker. The runner up pizza is the 400 Rabbitts, in Elephant Park for their wonderful bases and decor which makes you feel like you’re eating in aisle 7 of Ikea.

On the pizza front Keith from HR had the aubergine and Gorgonzola. An adventurous choice; the aubergine was very soft and this was offset by the sharp hit of pecorino followed by the blue hit of Gorgonzola. Your scribe had a ‘blood pressure through the roof’ salt kick of an anchovy, capers, olive and mozzarella pizza. All the salty elements were balanced well, and the best element of these pizzas is that they are served on a sourdough bread that is blistered on just the good side of incineration.

Theo’s recently won an award for best Tiramisu in London, and in our opinion it is well deserved. It ticked all the boxes of ‘Italian almost trifle’ with a perfect balance of strong coffee, dark chocolate, creamy mascarpone and served between layers of soft cream.

While writing this article several staff people became rather obsessed with the very notion of Theos’ panuozzo sandwich so we unlocked the door to the bunker and headed over there. Your scribe had an panuozzo with olives and onions and mozzarella dripping out. To create an illusion of health the base was Ortiz tuna. Keith had the sausage and gorgonzola with mushrooms. Mind you, we will need to run to and from Theos 65 times to burn off the calories, but it was delicious nevertheless.

The Kennington Observer

Surreptitiously observing Kennington, including the suburbs Vauxhall, Oval, Walworth, and Elephant since 2012

Category Archives: cafes and restaurants