Category Archives: cafes and restaurants

Merano Cafe and the Looming Towers at Albert Embankment

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Believe it or not, the new towers on Albert Embankment, those looming  sentinels over the western reaches of greater Kennington, are actually within the KR catchment area. The other morning we decided to pop over and check out a curious new café as oligarchs have to eat somewhere  it seems to be developing a bit of a buzz. It’s located on the ground floor of one of the new buildings: We don’t recall the name of the specific building, but they all seem to be named after luxury cars from yesteryear so take your pick. Roller? Corniche?

Merano Rose bar café is a buzzy and airy joint that doubles as a cocktail bar/restaurant in the evening. It mostly caters to people who work in Vauxhall, with a small smattering of locals. We had a very flaky and buttery croissant, but could have chosen from a range of other pastries and muffins. We also indulged in a very rich but satisfying eggs benedict on sourdough served with parma ham. If you are a fan of hollandaise sauce you are going to love this place, as half of the menu items seem to feature it in copious volumes. If you are of a healthier bent, they also serve granola and porridge…

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On the drinks front, Merano serves fresh squeezed orange juice, espresso, and a range of coffees and teas. When we were there some people had just popped in for a quick bite and others were working assiduously (they have wifi). They are open throughout the day from 8, including weekends, and also have a lunch and dinner trade.

Merano is a good little, moderately priced outpost on the periphery of our society so worth checking out. And at the end of the day, where else could you wash down your 8:30am scrambled eggs with a G&T?

Merano is at 31 Albert Embankment, SE1 7GR. It is just beyond the arches at Vauxhall and is more or less at the back of Spring Gardens. Happy eating!

Taro Time

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As most of you are aware we’ve had a lovely, much overdue Japanese joint on our doorstep for nine months now and we recently checked it out (ok, we’ve actually been about eight times). We have to confess to a slight bias as we’ve been going to Taro’s Soho outlet for about 16 years and it’s great to see a Soho venue in our area, but without the rickshaws, sick and stag ‘dos.  This was one of our predecessors’ top 10 earlier this year, but will it make the cut again?

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We were in Japan earlier this year and went to Taro with our friend Mark, who actually lived in Japan for years and acted as our cultural attaché. We had sushi (both tempura-maki and other maki) which was fresh and generous on the fish side. We also had fried chicken (below), which was crunchy and equally meaty. For a veg angle we also indulged in juicy tofu steak, with a surfeit of ginger and wasabi. For sides we recommend onshinko pickles and gyoza dipped in soy vinegar.

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Taro is honest, authentic ‘Izakaya’, (roughly meaning ‘pub food’) very similar to  the food you get in Japan and is good value for money. While this is the best Japanese in the Runoff catchment area and it’s environs, we have to concede that *dodges brick*  if you want the real deal there are more authentic Japanese places in London. So, if you like your sushi made in right in front of you by grumpy chefs, you might try venturing to Eat Tokyo. However, if you want to keep it local Taro is a firm choice, but do reserve as a few weeks ago we couldn’t get our hands on a table!IMG_5193

 

For the curious, apparently Taro roughly means ‘dude’ in Japanese and on most nights Taro himself  is on the premises (his round face is the logo). He likes to talk about his lovely farming family who’s picture graces the back wall, so pick his brain.

Daebak – A Korean Worth Visiting

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A few days ago we popped our sweaty selves to Vauxhall to revisit a delightful Korean friend called ‘Daebak’.  It is a small, delightful restaurant not to be confused with the not so charming ‘Jihwaja’ across the road. Well, unless your idea of charming involves hen do’s, stale kimchee and blaring K-Pop. And if it does then this website might not be for you…..

For our meal the three of us ordered soy garlic chicken (a speciality, below), spicy bibimbap,  Katsu curry, crispy tofu, and gyoza. Let me tell you, reader, we were rolling out of there by the end of it. We could have easily dropped one of the main courses as they were huge. We highly recommend the various kinds of fried chicken on order (crunchy, subtle) and the Bibimbap is delicious and comes with two veg. options. I would also experiment with a starter like octopus balls. Great food, and pretty kind on the pocket. If you are going on a weekend it might be a good idea to book, as last time we couldn’t get in we had to go across the street and it wasn’t pretty.

Daebak is at 316-318 Kennington Lane

Pros – It has wide open doors overlooking Vauxhall

Cons – It has wide open doors overlooking Vauxhall

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Adulis – A Mighty Fine Eritrean Joint

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We are spoilt for choice when is comes to Eritrean/Ethiopian food in greater Kennington, and there a number just on our outskirts. We have tried them all as we have a problem with binge eating  care about or readers. The best of the lot is called Adulis and is at the top of Brixton Road. It grabbed  the #7 spot in Jamie’s pick of ‘best of Kennington’ earlier this year on the Runoff and is certainly on our long list and has been for a while.

As with any cuisine that might be new, if you’re not familiar with the cuisine the best launching point is a sampler plate. At Adulis it is the ‘Kirchat’ (and there is a vegetarian version). It is fundamentally a selection of their best meat and veg dishes served on a platter usually including Kifto, which is tender meet in Ghee and to die for. All of the dishes haver have a sweet and sour, almost vinegary tinge to them. They gladly pimped our 2 person serving up to 3 as we had a third diner, and the pic is below.  Please don’t let my bad photo below put you off, as not all Eritrean dishes look like cat food.

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This dish is served on a platter with a base of bread called ‘injera’, which is a leavened pancake made with sourdough (and if you run out you can get more for free). Almost all meals here are served with it and the whole shebang is to be eaten with your good hands. One speciality of the house is their Adulis honey wine. We’ve had this previously and lets just place it in the category of ‘experimental’. Since then we’ve stuck to the Kenyan beer ‘Tusker’ or South African whites.

 

Adulis has a slightly retro Eritrean feel to it with memetoes both current and from the past. The staff are very friendly and a good chunk of the punters are (tick!) Eritrean themselves. The place also wafts with the aroma of their coffee (and popcorn) ceremony. Tsibuk E’dl!!!

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Theo’s Pizzeria

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As we love all things related to cheese, carbohydrates and comfort food, we recently checked out a newish Italian place called  ‘Theos’ in Elephant and Castle. Trust us reader, this was one of the best pieces of dough we’ve stuck in our gobs into for a long time.

As with most good restaurants, the menu at Theos is very small and focusses squarely on the thing they do best. I had the Napoli Salami pizza, which was spicy, full of cheese, and presented with a crust so fine that it had be eaten with a fork.

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My dining partner had the Nduja and Ricotta pizza. It featured sun dried tomatoes and huge mounds of ricotta. As you can see, both pizzas are deliberately charred and blistered, giving them a very earthy and almost smokey taste.

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The vibe at Theo’s is youngish, but not so young that they shy away from playing 80’s music. The venue is bright, airy and staff very friendly. They explained that the venue is the ‘little cousin’ of their original branch in Camberwell. It therefore represents the good side of gentrification in Elephant. Given that the previous occupant was a dreary mattress store with the sinister name ‘Beddie Buyz’, anything would have been an improvement.

As you can see from the bill below, the price point is very reasonable, with pizzas coming in at £10 or less. As you can also see from the bill below our bar tab was more than the food bill, but don’t judge us. Theo’s also does a brisk takeway trade, as evidenced by the many men in helmets who came and went, so you can enjoy your pizza at home. We don’t recommend this manouver, however, as an ethos of KR is getting people on their feet and exploring….Plus Deliveroo is evil.

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Seveni Bar and Grill – The Real Chinese Deal

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An underlooked gem on the gastronomic  landscape of greater Kennington is a newish place called Seveni Bar and Grill, at the top of Kennington Road across from the Imperial War Museum. Kennington Runoff has recently been to central China (not for this specific review, mind you, as the budget usually ends at tea bags) and we can assure you that this joint is the real deal, organs and all.

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What first strikes the patron is the presence of Chinese pop music (tick) and actual Chinese diners (triple tick). As a starter I had the lamb intestine. I’ve never actually eaten an intestine before, and I can only describe it as kind of like squid. It was heavily seasoned with cumin (as a lot of dishes are),  sesame, and a great deal of pepper. I thought about ordering the pig brain, aorta, or tongue but then thought that my table would end up looking more like a post mortem dissection, so I gave them a miss.

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For the main course I decided to go a bit more mainstream and order the stir fry sliced beef with sour pepper. I got the mild version (you can choose the hotness) but it was so hot that I had to order an extra 5 Tsingtao beers (oops). The peppers can be avoided to make it less hot, but it was excellent. Slightly fatty beef and a great combination of sour and slightly sweet and the portion was huge….And you ain’t gonna get that in Gerrard St, mister.

All of the tables are set up with BBQs for on table grilling and on the night I visited there was a  mix of couples and larger groups. So great for a date, work ‘do, or just ‘we don’t feel like cooking;’ night.

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Abraham – the Friendliest Man in Kennington

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While passing through Kennington central of a morning you might have passed a marquee selling coffee and other items. It is ‘Bouquets and Beans’ and is the brawns and brains of creator Abraham (below), who is on hand to deliver coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cake and a friendly chat to passing Kenningtonians from Tuesday to Saturday, 7:30 to 4:00.

The core element of Bouquet and Beans is floral services, and they provide the flowers to Winkworth and the Doghouse, in addition to services offered online. However, B&B is increasingly servicing the coffee and cake addiction of Kennington by selling 100-150 cups from 7:30-10. Abraham describes himself as a ‘people’s person’ and the best part of his job is talking to people as they buy their cuppa enroute to destinations beyond our cherished area. He also loves the ‘community feel’ of Kennington and tries to be here as often as possible, including the Kennington Fete.

If you’ve ever wondered why there is a kind of ‘Scandi noir’ feel in front of St. Anselm’s in December that’s because Bouquets and Beans also sell Christmas trees, and KR has bought several of them. They are of very high quality and if you ask the right questions Abraham’s burly assistants can even deliver them to your door for free.

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Ta Ta Tesco

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For those of you new to the area, or those who are of a forgetful disposition as we are, you might not be aware that Tesco Kennington Lane will be closing forever in June. It will be replaced by a Tesco (probably the Metro variety) in the soon to vanish car park.

How can this be happening, you ask? Well several years ago Berkeley Homes purchased the Tesco site and the redundant gas holders behind it. After several years planning permission was granted for the construction of 728  new homes ranging from 4 to 17 stories, and 23, 000 sq. feet of commercial space. And taking a page out the King’s Cross book, one of the gas holders will have flats in it. The Lambeth planning application  (great for insomniacs) indicates that this will take 30 months (a gentle way of saying 2.5 years) but the Berkeley homes website indicates ‘Phase 1’ will take 40 months.

Not to worry, dear reader, when all is said and done there will be a new all singing and dancing Tesco, and a pic of it is below. The footprint is slightly smaller than the old store, but according to a consultation I went to last year it will be better laid out. Precisely how Berkeley Homes know how Tesco will lay out its store I’m not exactly sure.

If you want to make yourself feel all warm inside about our neighbourhood, have a gander at the slightly fictionalised description of Kennington/Oval on the Berkeley Homes website . Oval Village beckons!

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The Mighty Hercules (Pub)

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Up we go to the very northern fringe of Kennington, (formerly known as LAMBETH NORTH). Across from the tube there’s a new pub (OK it’s been there 5 weeks, but we’re busy) in a building that used to house the most depressing Chinese restaurant on earth. It’s called ‘The Hercules’ and KR gave it a visit on Sunday for some daytime boozing and roasting.

The Hercules features 24 cask beers (each described on a handy LED screen) and an impressive array of wines and spirits. For roasts, one of us had beef and the other 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. The butternut squash, however, was liquefied and didn’t work. As for the crowd, it’s a mix of youngish locals and tourists trying to figure out the contents of sticky toffee pudding while also figuring out how they ended up in Lambeth North when their hotel is advertised as ‘Waterloo’. The atmosphere is the upmarket ‘old school meets new school’ of the White Bear. Overall, great atmosphere and drinks, but there are better roasts in SE11 and environs. But try it out if you tire of your favourite roast.

Finally, *expects hate mail from millenials*  kale is lovely but it has no place in a Sunday roast. Bring us savoy cabbage!

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The Elephant in the Room

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And over to East Kennington (the area formerly known as WALWORTH) we go for a visit to our favourite SE17 cafe, The Electric Elephant in Crampton St. It’s located in one of three Victorian mews yards  in the area which will be flinging open their artistic doors at the beginning of June. But I digress.

OK back to the cafe……..It is owned and operated by Louisa (who makes and sells a mean marmalade) and for lunch features a selection of salads, omelettes and sandwiches all made to order. Breakfast offers a very hearty fry up or croissants. Homemade cakes are also on offer. All very reasonable, and a mug of tea will set you back just £1.50 (what’s that sound…Vanilla Black gasping?). And they have WiFi.

The decor has a kind of ‘charity shop being squatted in by hippies’ vibe to it which is very relaxing and a perfect place for a quick lunch or a jaded Saturday morning. Image.png-4 Image-1.png Image-2.png