Category Archives: cafes and restaurants

Paladar

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The extremely hip restaurant ‘Paladar’ has been on our radar since it opened in 2018 but our attempts to review the place have been consistently rebuffed by Runoff senior management.  They’ve alternately stated that it’s too expensive, that it’s not technically in Greater Kennington, and then tried to maliciously insinuate that we weren’t ‘hip enough’. When they relented last week we grabbed our chance. 

Paladar is a Latin American fusion restaurant in St. George’s Circus near Elephant & Castle/Lambeth North. The restaurant doubles as an art space, and on our visit featured work by Ecuadorean artist Ulises Valarezo. The crowd is more West End chic than we would expect in these parts, and in fact we were sat next to ‘Leave a Light On’ pop star Tom Walker and loads of people laughing while flicking their hair. 

  • Pork belly
  • Lettuce hearts

The menu is, you guessed it, sharing plates and five items served two people just fine. We were served by a precise, chirpy and professionally drilled service staff who knew quite a bit about what they were serving and actually spoke Spanish to one another.  Highlights were  texture rich tuna tartare tostadas accompanied by a fragrant salsa which  reminded us ever so slightly of a delicious, yet expensive, hand soap. The pork belly tacos had an interesting Chinese crispy duck sticky quality and were wrapped in lettuce leaves as opposed to a tortilla. On the veggie front, we enjoyed compelling, deep fried tapioca croquettes which were savory but just verging on being sweet. We also indulged on chargrilled lettuce hearts with a nut based topping.

Croquettes and Tuna

It is rather amazing that restaurants such as Paladar survived the Covid maelstrom, which partially explains why they send you about a dozen confirmation emails after booking. With a bottle of wine the total bill came to £84 which is by no means cheap but it will teach the management team a thing or two before they accuse us of being less than cool. Money well spent even if you don’t get the chance to sit next to a minor pop star in a bobble hat. 

Paladar also sell South American wines in their adjacent wine shop.  We enjoyed a divine £26 Montes Colchagua Valley Merlot which was less than a tenner more than was going in the shop. 

The Ragged Canteen

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Last week we popped over to the lovely but rarely open Beaconsfield Gallery in Vauxhall to check out their Ragged Canteen. It had been closed since before The Event but has now reopened as a ‘vegetarian, not for profit and kind to our planet’ establishment. So everything we aspire to be here at the Runoff. Well other than those days when we’re dealing with work related stress by cramming a £3 meal deal ham sandwich down our gobs…..Moving on…..

  • Yes we are aware that the sandwiches look exactly the same

Toasties are the main draw at Ragged Canteen, and on this outing my colleague had the carmelised onion, oregano, mozzarella and cheddar. It was nice and crispy around the edge, with a bit of cheese oozing out and well filled. Your scribe indulged in a gherkin and red pepper sandwich. Both on a nice thick sourdough and with all that goodness we just wish there had been more. All sandwiches can be made vegan if you ask them to substitute the mozzarella and cheddar with vegan cheeze.  Frequent readers will be aware that we have a long and somewhat tortured relationship with vegan cheeze so we bypassed this option.  

Also on offer at the Canteen are a host of snacks including croissants, crisps, brownies, cakes and cookies. Also available are a range of teas and coffees. We sat outside in their ample plant filled garden with just one another diner and a giant cat to keep us company. 

The name ‘Ragged Canteen’ prosaically references the buildings’ previous life as school for underprivileged youth in Lambeth, and we wrote about this noble and glorious past a few months ago. When it is open to the public the upstairs gallery is home to some very cutting edge and challenging shows. Some folks here in the office recently enjoyed an immersive exhibit about contemplating seeing art virtually versus seeing it in the flesh with the use of virtual reality goggles. 

    Orbit Brewery

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    Were you aware that Greater Kennington has it’s own top flight micro brewery?  Well if not we’re here to tell you about Orbit Brewery, located in a tiny pocket at the corner of the KR catchment area, off Walworth Road. We wrote about it’s more embryonic concept in 2016. 

    Orbit Brewery is the brainchild of Scotsman Robert Middleton, who has been producing beers under the arches in Walworth since 2014. Orbit used to sell a small volume of beers on site and about three months ago hired another arch across the road to create taproom selling their wares and, straight on the pulse, pop up food. We went on a Friday evening and sat outside and it proved to be a little urban oasis. Well, if you can escape the notion that you could be in the forecourt of a car repair shop or that place behind a nightclub where they store the bins. BUT, it had a good mix of locals and we were very pleased to see groups of women in what is sometimes construed as a male space. 

    In a very challenging assignment, your dedicated scribe opted for the ‘IVO’ pale ale. I was getting hits of tangerine and some tropical fruits, cream and honey with just a bit of bitterness. My colleague had the ‘Peel’ pale ale.  It was Belgian and intensely hoppy, with notes of lemon and lime zest and bits of pepper and other forms of citrus. The colleague then had the ‘Dead Wax’ London porter, with a great deal of malt, not a great deal of bitterness, and spicy hops. And it was particularly coffee flavoured. They also feature a tzatziki flavoured beer which featured notes of cucumber and, yes, yogurt if you want to create illusion that you’re drinking something healthy.  The beer is served in pints, 2/3 and half pints if you like to mix things up. 

    On the food front, we must disappointedly report that it was adequate but did not just really justify the £12 price point for a burger and potatoes. Granted, the potatoes were well cooked and the right side of greasy. We had the Challah baps which just didn’t really hit the mark on the flavour and seasoning front. We think bar snacks are the best accompaniment to your very own delicious Walworth crafted beer. And, like us, after a few you might find yourself in Orbit too. 

    400 Rabbits

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    We’ve done a lot of soul searching and have decided to embrace our inner hipster and allow the top knotted dinizens of the Elephant Park development into the Kennington Runoff catchment area. One reason is the good places to eat which can be found there. A recent discovery is the delightful ‘400 Rabbits’, a south London based pizza, craft beer and gelato micro chain that has recently emerged next to the spiffy Elephant Park park itself. Like it’s neighbour, Theo’s Pizzeria, it is all about the sourdough at 400 Rabbits and theirs is a slow fermented sourdough affair that is thinner and crispier than Theo’s but without the burnt blistering which we happen to love. 

    The first thing you should know about 400 Rabbits is that it’s seriously cool. We’re not talking mismatched cutlery here, more like vintage toilets. We went on a weeknight and it was very quiet, and we attribute this to lingering hesitancy of eating out and also the inexorable rise in home deliveries. My work associate had a £4 negroni cocktail and ‘The Chorizo’ pizza. The nice base was offset by a good tomato sauce and decent mozzerella and chili and basil, with the chorizo supplied by Brindisa. 

    • Chorizo
    • Anchovy. Photograpphing food is hard.

    Your scribe had a craft beer and ‘The Anchovy’ which featured a parsimonious amount of the little fishies and the salt kick was supplemented by a load of capers. Also featuring was red onion and a very dominant presence of earthy rosemary, which is not often encountered in a pizza. To top it all off our chirpy server then said ‘would you like some dips with your pizza’. We have no idea what this means but, feigning a kind of hipster confidence, we replied ‘ta, we’re good thanks’. 

    400 Rabbits also prides itself on the gelatos and they did look splendid but after the pizzas, gelato wasn’t on the top of our list. The interior is fresh and bright with green highlights, a stone fired oven and open kitchen. 

    Mama Thai in the House

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    When your brain thinks ‘I really want a quiet meal out tonight’ the first thing that pops into your head hopefully isn’t ‘Walworth Road’. And it wasn’t ours until we got wind of a delightfully and totally old school Thai joint called ‘Mama Thai’ that reminded us of a Thai place that you might see off a night market in Bangkok. 

    We got there early

    My associate had the Pad Prik Khing. Now this might sound like a name you’d call a psycho ex-boyfriend, but it was in fact a stir fry with chicken and aubergine which had a big red curry kick and fairly heavy on the fish sauce saltiness. Nice big flavours that paired quite well with a generously proportioned coconut fried rice for some sweet and salt balance. 

    Your scribe had the Baikapraow with chicken. It was a very pleasingly stir fry affair with loads of chili and loads of holy basil. Also mixed in was fish sauce, onion, ginger and a ‘don’t kiss me now’ amount of garlic. For a starter we shared spring rolls which we are pretty sure were home made and delicious. 

    On of the best things about Mama Thai is that it is BYOB and there is a handy Tesco Metro across the street. Apparently its Pinot with Thai. So with two starters, one main and two rice dishes the total came to well under £30. 

    Whilst eating our old school Thai we were entertained by some very pleasing mid naughties Ibiza chill out music. When paying the bill we told the endearingly grandfatherly proprietor that we enjoyed the music and it was unique to hear in a Thai restaurant. Without missing a beat he replied ‘I love techno and dance music and it really makes people happy. I’ve been to Buddha Bar in Paris a few times’. Wow 

    If that comment doesn’t make you love living in Greater Kennington then we don’t know what does! 

    Gandhi’s and a Vegan Surprise

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    Gandhi’s in Kennington Cross is like a dear old aunt to us; always available for sustenance and forever reliable. But, much like that dear old aunt, if we don’t look after it well, it might just kick the bucket and be consigned to history. Or worse, become a Foxtons. So last night we swept away our football related cobwebs of gloom and gave auntie a face to face visit. 

    On our visit we were surprised to see that Ghandi’s has really upped it’s game since our last visit in the flesh.  There are now a whole range of vegan dishes,  and from that menu we treated ourselves to a very rich spinach and potato starter. There were also vegan versions of other staples such as Biryani, Balti, Bhuna, and Jalfrezi. We’re used to pure veg South Indian, but vegan Indian is a whole new kettle of tofu. 

    My associate had the Lamb Tikka Biryani, and it packed quite a flavour punch. The lamb was spicy and slow cooked in the tandoor and there were generous amounts of it. Mixed into it was rice that was infused with the flavours of the cooking, with additional spices. This came with an accompanying vegetable curry which was adequate, but not a spot on the lamb itself. 

    Your intrepid scribe had Chicken Shaslick, which were succulent and dry cooked in the clay oven. There were an array of spices in evidence but the most dominant was cumin. There were also grilled tomatoes and onions thrown in for good measure. It was far from a curry and more like a kebab. 

    As you can see by celebrity strewn pictures in the window, if its 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.*

    *If you’re lucky enough to be under 30 ask your parents who these people actually are. 

    Conuco Venezuelan

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    Venezuela has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, but not due to their cuisine. We recently took a break from the incessant drone of faxes, dial-ups, mimeographs and the background clatter of ‘Loose Women’ at KR towers to take in a leisurely lunch at new joint ‘Conuco’ in Oval and we’re here to give you the score. 

    • We were there before 12!

    The specialities of Conuco are arepas and empanadas. Arepas is a kind of one handed sandwich made of ground maize dough and can be filled with meat or veg, and at Conuco stuffed with cheese. Empanadas are more well known in the UK (especially if you’ve been to Borough Market) and pretty pervasive at the moment. For those not in the know, they are fried turnovers stuffed with a variety of items such as cheese, chorizo, chicken or shredded beef.

    On our visit we had a arepas with pulled beef and a white cheese called ‘costeno’. As you can see, the sandwich was rammed with dripping, shredded beef and towards the end we had to deploy the use of a fork. As it was a hot and sweaty day we had the local drink ‘papelon con limon’, which was a pleasing lemon/orange. A very spicy and peppery sauce and a green sauce with coriander were served with it either to dip or slather over the meat. 

    The total came to just over £7, and filled us up until dinner. Conuco has wifi and has a good relaxing vibe and very friendly staff. Eat in or if it’s nice take your grub to Kennington Park. That way if your stuffing falls out you don’t have to clean it up and you’ve just made friends with all the local pigeons and dogs who will soon swirl around you. 

    We’re messy eaters. Don’t judge us.

    Urban Botanica

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    It’s only taken us 2 1/2 years, but we’ve finally got around to visiting Urban Botanica in Kennington Cross. The market is increasingly competitive for tea/coffee shops in Greater Kennington, and the USP of this place is that it is an unconventional hybrid of coffee/lunch shop meets garden centre where you consume your flat white amongst a seemingly endless selection of house plants from potted to hanging and from cacti to flowering. Got it?

    Of course our priority was food, and the sandwich options consisted of a serrano ham/cheese scenario and a brie and egg. Each served on croissant, we chose the ham which was very good but probably not best served flattened and toasted. You can see the before and after impact below. However flat, it was very tasty and well filled. Our server explained that more lunch options will be rolled out in the coming weeks. There were also a variety of other pastries. On the coffee front, they serve single origin coffees from Horsham Roasters and all the usual players are there such as Espresso, Cappuccino, and Flat White. 

    • Before smush on right
    • After smush

    They have a very lovely and unexpected garden in the back and wifi in the main cafe. The garden is suitably verdant and a great way to spend a few hours on your laptop. So, next time you wake up and think ‘god, I really fancy a Minor Figures Nitro Brew and a potted fern but how can I get them IN JUST ONE PLACE’ well your wishes have been answered. 

    Urban Botanica is in Windmill Row but it doesn’t have a sign, so just look out for the indoor jungle…….Namaste……

    Cabinet, Beaconsfield and a Spot of Tea

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    For a number of years we’ve been trying to ascertain the function of that strange building that popped up at the back of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens a few years ago. Resembling a posh persons’ house meets North Korean torture centre, it’s actually mostly dedicated to the very intriguing Cabinet Gallery. The current show somehow manages to make a connection between a horse drawn carriage and Oprah so it might be a bit of a stretch for some, but this place is definitely something for that pocket diary that we’ve been telling you get for years now. Check out the website for what’s on. 


    As we were up in the lovely upper Vauxhall neck of the woods anyway, we checked out the critically acclaimed but rarely open Beaconsfield Galley. It’s open this Saturday (12th) and the next (19th) showing one large immersive work by Korean/Uk artist JinHan Lee called ‘Extended Realities’. The concept is an exploration of themes of virtual versus material art and how (or if) they complement one another. Very thought provoking and out questions the limits of how much we can take in without actually seeing it.


    All that culture was proving exhausting to our lockdown addled  brains, so we popped into the wistfully eccentric Tea House Theatre for some tea and sandwiches. The sandwiches needed a bit of work (and if you’re reading this Tea House we’re wagging a coronation chicken stained finger at you) but the list of teas were endless and the cakes abundant. Check out their eclectic website for things that are going on there such as themed suppers, talks and kids stuff. When we visited they were even offering a course in….wait for it….picking locks! Another for that pocket diary that you’re on the very cusp of purchasing with your newly socially activated fingertips. 

    The Jolly Gardeners

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    Some of you might remember a curious German themed sports pub called ‘Zeitgeist’ at the top of Black Prince Road. We reviewed it last year and described the fare as ‘food best consumed when you’re not entirely sober’. Shortly afterwards it went under. It has now been resurrected in its original guise –  ‘The Jolly Gardeners’. We had a clandestine and very pleasing meal there a few weeks ago and then caught up with the current proprietors to find out how they plan to please us Greater Kenningtonians. 

    The Gardeners was purchased late last year by five mates from Essex, Dan (who now lives next to the Gardeners), Nick, Jonathan, Ryan, and Rob. All come from different professional backgrounds but are rooted in running restaurants and pubs. As the pub is enormous, I asked one of the guys how they plan to use the space. They explained that part of it will be a reservable restaurant in a ‘family sharing vibe’ (think Sunday roasts, bloody Mary’s, scotch eggs, etc.) the other 70% will be more of a traditional pub. They’ve also built an outside area (which rather resembles a ski lodge) which will be useful in the summer, if that ever happens.

    On the food and drink front, the boys informed us that over 50% of the food items will be vegan but ‘more interesting than you might think’. They are trying to source things locally and are tapping into local producers. On the subject of tapping they are not tied to a brewer and are trying to use localish brewers such as Coalition. Pub snacks will also be on the menu, featuring items such as confit potatoes and cauliflower wedges. According to the boys, they acknowledge that dining and drinking habits have evolved over the past 18 months, for instance with more people working from home, and they are keen to address this.  

    One of the issues with the Gardeners is that it does not have a great deal of footfall and people might forget that it exists. When I asked the guys how they plan to address this niggling issue they replied ‘by serving excellent foot at a reasonable price point so people don’t forget us. 

    The menu below might have changed but gives you a sense of what they do. The pub is open now for drinks and food. Even if all the boys aren’t locals, lets embrace them as one of our own!