Category Archives: Elephant and Castle

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

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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.

Gorgonzola
Anchovy

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 tuna, but in reality they all look the same

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’. 

400 Rabbits

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Located in the heart of trendy Elephant Park, Karen from Finance and your scribe find ourselves revisiting pizza palace 400 Rabbits, the newest in a south London collection of four pizzerias. Going for the youthful and fun market (us), the design aesthetic at 400 Rabbits is very much ‘post industrial meets aisle 6 at Ikea’. From the outset service was similarly bright and welcoming with tap water freely offered. When we discovered the negronis were only £6.50 we ditched the water and we can report that said negronis  had the precise bittersweet bite you expect of the drink, served simply in a small glass with ice and no faff. Lots of other cocktails are available. As we’re journalists of the classiest ilk, with the negronis we enjoyed delicious Catalan olives.

Your scribe ordered the anchovy, tomato based pizza. It came with an abundance of silvery anchovies and flecked with plump capers. You can imagine the umami kick. To complement these were the addition of shallots, black olives and rosemary. All worked together very well. The crust is slow fermentation sourdough, crispier and more robust – although thin – than the chewy Neapolitan style along the road at Theo’s. There are plenty of toppings choices in weird and wonderful combinations that we imagine change regularly given that a whole section was devoted to “Summer Pizzas”. Walnuts and kimchi being just two of them. Karen’s customary grab for a slice was countered by a deft fork stab of her index finger.

As Karen is currently having a ‘Mounjaro moment’ we’re surprised that she accepted our offer for dinner in the first place. Exhibiting profound discipline, she opted for a smaller pizza accompanied by a salad. She had the beef which came with shallots and guindilla chilies as well as the ground beef, so again a complex topping portfolio. Karen enjoyed the pizza but nevertheless smothered it in the free chili oil, which perhaps indicates that the Mounjaro hasn’t kicked in just yet. As Karen keeps banging on about tomatoless pizza (what’s the POINT!) we promised to add that some pizzas are indeed white, so you’ve been warned.

A very good pizzeria overall, but will it make our Top 10 List ™ in the new year? All pizzas are around £14 with £10 pizzas on Tuesday. The best bit is they make their own gelato, but that didn’t fit into Karen’s new lifestyle so we passed.  

Theos, Redux

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We are conscious of the fact that we bang on about Theos pizza in Elephant to the extent that it appears we’re getting a kickback. But fear not dear diner, we are totally independent and just want to share what we think is the best pizza in our storied land. 

Theo’s is a stripped back, casual restaurant with tables and banquettes complimented by friendly staff. We took new intern Ivan, and he had the item lurking at the bottom of the menu: calzone classico. Trying to act as if he knew what he was talking about, Ivan quipped that the typical UK pizzeria calzone is a domed affair with fillings within tomato sauce on top, and this was entirely flat. Its arrival was met with Ivan’s feigned surprise and perhaps a little suspicion but that was quickly dispelled upon tasting it. What appeared as a flat semi-circle of a pizza (tomato sauce and mozzarella on top) held within its two thin pizza dough layers a layer of the most delicious ricotta and salami. Ivan was won over and said, with a mouthful of cheese, ‘well this is just GREAT’. This will go on your appraisal, Ivan. 

Your scribe consumed an anchovy pizza with capers, olives, oregano, garlic and mozzarella. Luckily your scribe was not planning on snogging anyone in the office later in the day as a great whiff of garlic dominated. This led to a double umami hit provided by the anchovies and capers. The toppings were equitably spaced and generous. As with all of the Theo’s pizzas, the quality of ingredients shined through. Another novelty is the signature blistered base, darkened almost to the extent that you might just be eating ash.

On the drinks front, Theo’s has a good selection of Italian wines and beers at good prices.  Ivan was a bit disappointed  that the carafe of wine ordered was solely for the consumption of your scribe. But if you’re reading this Ivan (and if not you really should be) at the end of a day you’re just an intern so make yourself happy with that Pepsi Max and a flat pizza. Theos is also open at lunch and offer a rocking wood fired sandwich called panuozzo which we reviewed here, and has so many calories you won’t need to eat for the next week. 

The Ten Best Places to Eat in Greater Kennington # 7

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+ One Sunday Roast

Kachori

Earlier in 2025 we noticed that Kachori was having that duality of signs that a joint is in trouble – They were having a bingo night hosted by a drag queen. So we can imagine this good place needs our custom

We recently inspected swishy looking new Indian restaurant Kachori in Elephant Park which has opened with some buzz. From the outside it resembles a second rate Dishoom, but inside gives way to low lighting, dark woods, and a very inviting bar. So tempted were we by the bar that two of us kicked off the fun by ordering Indian espresso martinis. When they arrived the upbeat proprietor informed us that we could eat the cups that they were being served in. As edible crockery is a new and, frankly, groundbreaking proposition at Runoff Towers, we took him up on the offer. More on this later.

The proprietor we speak of is Brindar Narula, former executive chef of Michelin starred Gymkhana, but here offering much more affordable fare. We started with two sets of nibbles: methi namkeen and nan chips. An interesting alternative to poppadums, the methi are little strips of fenugreek flavoured crisps similar in appearance to an earthworm, offered with a dip. The nan chips are fried bread strips with another dip which looked not unlike pleasing shoe leather. Both were delicious with the nan chips being the particular hit with the table. Two portions were good for four people. 

This is a very dark restaurant
Lamb

One of our group had the lamb biryani, and it  arrived encased in a crust to seal in the flavour and juices. With an excellent balance of spices, this was rich and gorgeous with meltingly soft pieces of lamb. Your scribe had the west coast prawn masa swimming in a pool of mangosteen, coconut milk, and palm vinegar. Huge, juicy prawns with a powerful aniseedy note. A side of palak paneer (spinach with cheese) was warm and satisfying as was the methi tadka dal (yellow lentils) rounded off the meal as sides. 

Brinder  explained to our little group that while he is from Mumbai, the flavours at Kachori focus on dishes from the Northwest of India. This is modern Indian at its best, with ingredients popping up (Jalapenos! Truffle oil!) not encountered in most Indian joints. Towards the end of the meal Brinder added that our rice based cups would have dissolved after 40 minutes if we hadn’t drunk the contents and then eaten the cups. Right, like that was gonna happen. 

40 Elephants

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From the archives, the sixth and last of our month of best history posts

2025 Update – Disney + is about to broadcast a series on the 40 Elephants called ‘A Thousand Blows’ and it premiers on 21 February. We at the Observer like to think that we inspire Disney in a variety of ways and we hope that our story about the Elephants from several years ago gave them the confidence to pursue their project.

Elephant and Castle has always been a haunt of the curious and suspicious type, and in the 19th was the home of several criminal gangs. The most fascinating was an all female crime syndicate who specialised in shoplifting and who existed for over a 100 years, 40 Elephants. A side hustle was blackmail and extortion, as you do.

In the 19th century, the 40 Elephant ladies were able to turn social mores distinctly to their advantage. The same outfits which were designed to conceal a scandalous bare ankle could also be cunningly deployed to conceal frocks, hats and scarves. And as they used their ill-gotten gains to ‘look the part’ in high end joints such as Selfridges, no one really questioned them when they came out of a changing room. They were also able to flout social mores in other ways, by supporting their husbands who were often idling away at home or weren’t quite as clever as the Elephants and ended up in prison. 

Unlike many unruly male gangs, 40 Elephants was a tightly run and neatly organised cell of gangs that operated out of E&C but extended beyond our fair area. Apart from shoplifting, the Elephants undertook daring and ferocious daytime raids which terrified both shopowners and customers. When they were not working clandestinely they would descend en masse on large stores and ransack the place, causing chaos and confusion by entering and leaving through various doors. The Elephants would escape on foot or later by fast cars, and if apprehended wouldn’t think twice about putting up a fight as formidable as any man. 

In the 20th century the most notable ‘Queen’ of the gang was Annie Diamond, below, who was raised in Lambeth Workhouse and was reportedly given the name for a predilection for punching police officers while wearing several diamond rings. She was also known for her ingenuity, for instance the gang never wore the clothes they nicked, but instead bought flashy new threads to minimise detection. While not punching officers, Diamond and her gang threw lavish parties with endless champagne and, in all likelihood, freebies liberated from Harrods. Some would call them entrepreneurs in a time when women had few options, others would call them criminals who frightened people. Either way, 40 Elephants knew how to take care of themselves. 

If you want to find out more about 40 Elephants, a very interesting YouTube clip can be found here. If that hasn’t calmed you down there is even a very posh bar called 40 Elephants in, believe it or not, Great Scotland Yard. 

Bert Hardy, Chronicler of Greater Kennington

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From the archives, the fourth of our month of best history posts

Bert Hardy (1913-1995) was a self trained photographer and resident of Elephant and Castle who worked as chief photographer for the Picture Post during a pivotal moment in the history of the UK. Hardy travelled the world photographing wars and current affairs and closer to home covered the D-Day landings and a certain royal wedding. Closer to home ever still, he was commissioned a series of photographs called ‘Life in the Elephant’ over a three week period in 1949 depicting working class life in the Elephant.  

Set amidst a backdrop of bombs and building sites, Hardy captured the backdrop of a seemingly unchanged pattern of life….horse drawn carts, trams, kids playing…juxtaposed against a community that was changing radically. The wintry weather had a great deal to do with the effect of these photos, as did Hardy’s predilection for haze and smog. The photos below are just a snippet of those generated for the Post. We invite you to Google the man and you might just find yourself down your own time consuming but very enriching rabbit hole. Meanwhile enjoy the photos below.

A small boy reads a newspaper at the kitchen table while his mother opens a tin of food at their home in the Elephant and Castle area of London, 8th January 1949. Original publication: Picture Post – 4694 – Life In The Elephant – pub. 1949 (Photo by Bert Hardy/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The Rosy Hue

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In our never ending pursuit of gastronomic excellence in Greater Kennington (read – to find a flimsy excuse to cram food in our face), we recently ventured to independent gastropub ‘The Rosy Hue’. The Hue opened in Elephant Park in 2022 and is part of a small south London based chain. Since then, its positioned itself as a kind of sports pub with a separate gastro restaurant. The upshot being can you can’t really hear the pub in the restaurant. 

For this dinner your scribe was joined by partner in crime Karen from Finance and her friend from Milan, Gabs. Karen was pondering the burger versus fish and chips, and when the waiter indicated that the fish and chips was the more substantial plate, it was music to Karen’s ears as she was keen to break her January resolution.  This certainly proved to be the case with a lightly battered fillet of haddock taking up half or more of her plate and sitting atop crispy golden chips. It also came with a small bowl of crushed minted peas and some homemade tartare sauce. As pub fish and chips go, this was a very creditable offer. The fish was fresh, the batter was light and perfectly crisp, and the chips were good. 

Your scribe opted for the daily special, which was steak and ale pie. The pastry was sturdy and buttery, and topped with some seeds. Inside the pie, the juice was a good combination of sweet brown ale and beef stock. The steak was plentiful and tender, and in the mix were small hints of bacon. It was served with some very creamy mash and well prepared tender stem broccoli. 

As for Karen’s friend, when his burger and chips arrived he commenced eating both with a knife and fork. Karen and your scribe looked at one another with bemused fascination, and I asked him if in Italy its customary to eat a burger with a fork. Without looking up he retorted ‘yes, everyone does’. As we were leaving, Gabs was asked if he’d like to share his fork eating burger experience with our multitudinous readers. He quipped, with Milanese aplomb, ‘not really’.   

But the burning question is…will the Rosy Hue make our top 10 list of best places to eat in Greater Kennington 2025?

The Book Elephant

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Older and more experienced residents of Greater Kennington might recall from the brambles of their hippocampus that for eight years there was a bookshop in Kennington Cross (there was also an Oddbins, but don’t get us started on that trauma). It closed in 2015 and after almost a decade a new bookshop has emerged in the area. It’s called The Book Elephant and is now in soft launch stage in Sayer Street in that oh so trendy new bit of Elephant and Castle. 

At the moment the Book Elephant appears to be a mainstream bookstore with a range of offerings from fiction to children’s books, from reference material to biographies and political books. They also sell paper related things such as cards, notepads and greetings cards. Mostly importantly, they’ve confirmed that you can buy and collect books there if they don’t stock it by ordering on their website.

As we witnessed with the loss of Kennington Bookshop, making independent bookshops viable is extremely difficult and they need all of our support and resources. Because if we don’t support them we might end up with another *bangs head on keyboard* Gails Bakery. And besides, buying books and buying them locally makes you feel doubly virtuous. 

Elephant Park Market

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Over the years we’ve seen Oval Farmers Market become smaller and less relevant, which is an inevitable symptom in the evolution of our cherished patch. Well, maybe not so inevitable given that a lot things there are overpriced. So we welcome the new outdoor market that’s popped up in Elephant Park. Elephant Park Market is in the new park located just south of Elephant Road, the home of some amazing South American joints and sometimes home to gentlemen who enjoy an outdoor beverage.

Elephant Park Market is a new neighbourhood market for street food and drink, artisanal food and designer-makers, bringing together and supporting independent, local, ethical and sustainable food producers and crafts traders (yes, we’ve cut and pasted from the press release). On our visit we saw traders selling cards, pastas, biltong, honey, juices, coffee, beauty products and, umm, pencils. We have a particular weakness for those soaps with things stuck in them which look strangely edible, and they’re on offer as well. 

The Market at Elephant Park runs every weekend, Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5, and features over 20 independent traders. But keep going as there is plenty of room for growth and it appears to be getting larger.