Category Archives: top 10 best restaurants in Kennington

Jeju, new Korean in Walworth Road

Posted on by
Reply

One thing we love about London is that all you need to do is turn the corner and you’re in an different environment completely. We thus we find ourselves a world away from the leafy homes and estates of Walworth and deposited into the galaxy of African restaurants, kebabs, Caribbean butchers, Poundstrechers and wig shops in Walworth Road. And nestled appropriately between a jerk chicken joint and a Halal Ghanaian hangout we find ourselves in new Korean restaurant ‘Jeju’ because yes dear reader, Korea is still a thing.

Our Finance Director (and Karen’s boss) Alex joined your scribe after telling us that his daughter is crazy about NewJeans. When it dawned on us that daddy was probably not shopping for clothes, we deduced that NewJeans must be a K-Pop band and we proceeded to a surprisingly sprightly and packed Jeju. We assumed that Jeju didn’t take reservations but be aware that they do, but only over the phone. So Alex and your scribe booked and spent the unexpected half hour interregnum in the mysterious bar Feed the Yak, which kind of wants to be a global sports bar/restaurant/off licence all at once. But loving the name,

With the reassuring dulcet tones of Kpop in the background (possibly NewJeans themselves) we were seated and began to peruse. Hoping that Finance Director Alex would get the hint about the importance of sharing, we collectively ordered Cheolpan bulgogi, kimchi pancake and steamed rice. We were worried this might be scant food for two but in fact it was bountiful. Portion sizes are generous, to the extent that half of the pancake found its way back to ever frugal Alex’s home., The bulgogi arrived as a sizzling plate, piled high with beef and vegetables in a strong gochujang sauce. This is a decent serving for two and thus well-priced at £16.50. It’s a spicy bulgogi here, and a good one at that. High praise also to the generously proportioned kimchi pancake, which was also spicy and just the right kind of stodge to provide a satisfying meal in itself. At only £11.90 it has to be one of the bargain items of the menu.

Walworth Road has an undeserved reputation for being a bit sketchy but it’s anything but. A sashay down the road will reveal a host of bargains, plants, and a mind boggling assortment of butchers and fishmongers to provide you with cooking inspiration.   And if you’re lucky you might just pick up a dress for £10 or an Iphone 17 that’s just been unlocked. But that’s London and that’s why we love it. And so do you.

A Return to the Tommyfield

Posted on by
Reply

Further in our mission to achieve gastronomic excellence by means of overeating, your scribe and Karen from Finance just revisited stalwart pub the Tommyfield in Kennington Cross. We invited Karen as she was upset after someone in the office laughed at her when she asked “if Claude is so helpful, can’t we just hire him?”.

Karen ordered her go-to item of Chicken and Leek pie as it’s been on the menu for years and Karen hates change. For the uninitiated, a proper pie is fully encased in pastry and in this case filled with chicken chunks in a creamy, leek filled sauce. Karen found that the only thing better than the filling was the pastry itself: buttery and flaky without being too flaky. The substantial pie sat atop smooth mashed potatoes and a serving of sauteed cabbage. Karen observed that  “the miniature jug of gravy allows soothing lubrication to be added to the plate”. So the pie continues to be a classic but Karen, please never again use that phrase to describe gravy, or anything else for that matter.  

Your ever virtuous scribe ordered chicken skewers on a bed of quinoa tabbouleh with tenderstem broccoli and a tiny mango salsa. The chicken was plentiful and marinated in lemon and olive oil and just the right char. Your scribe generally loathes quinoa, but In this format it worked as it was tossed with parsley and mint. The broccoli was plump and plentiful and the mango salsa a sweet surprise. On the wine front, the waiter guided us through the list and recommended a chewy and cheap red. His oenological knowledge was in fact so comprehensive that it left us wondering why he worked there.

The Tommyfield is run by independent south London based Three Cheers Pubs, who operate nine other swishy yet beautiful pubs, mostly in Clapham/Balham. It’s also the venue for the now almost legendary comedy night Always Be Comedy, where we’ve seen the likes of Joe Lycett, Sarah Pascoe and Harry Hill.  At the end the bill was reasonable but we nevertheless tried to score a discount by explaining our role as anonymous yet highly successful influencers*.

*This never works

Jack Whitehall

The Dragon Castle Experience

Posted on by
Reply

A trip to Dragon Castle in Elephant is a joyfully kitschy experience as it feels and smells like a genuine mega restaurant in Beijing with its sad goldfish, plastic plants, rude service, and chairs/tables that look as if they were nicked from a conference centre in Solihul. Not to mention Christmas lights in September. There is an updated menu since our visit in 2023 with sections for set meals, a la carte and dim sum options, so that was our flimsy excuse for a revisit.

For this meal we were joined by new Finance Director Amy. She opted for the double cooked pork belly with black bean sauce and egg Fried rice. The pork dish was denoted on the menu with two chillies and was as spicy as hoped. The pork itself was thin strips that worked well with the vegetables and spicy sauce, an interesting element of which was a mushroom fungus. This was an oily dish so Amy suggested using  a napkin to ‘cover your essentials’. Exactly where on the anatomy those essentials can be located remains unclear.

Your scribe suggested getting a range of dishes to fully sample the breadth of food on offer at Dragon Castle. This was met with what we now understand to be Amy’s ‘death stare’, so we opted for the more parsimonious tofu and prawn salad. This was a light and flavourful protein packed dish augmented by ginger, garlic, spring onions, and coriander with s savoury, soy based sauce. Your scribe also ordered rice but as they are so big you really need to order just one.

To be frank Dragon Castle is not a great deal better than most Chinese takeaways but its loads of fun and gets you out of the house. With a beer and wine the bill was just over £50. At the end of the meal we had to bid a sad adieu to the plastic plants, goldfish and Solihul influenced dining furniture to be dispensed into the unmitigated reality that is…… Walworth Road.

The Daebak Reunion

Posted on by
Reply

In our relentless pursuit of  gastronomic excellence, sometimes referred to as gluttony, we recently revisited Korean joint Daeback in Vauxhall. Daebak hardly needs our support as it’s always rammed with on trend young foodies which is a good sign. Or it could be a horrible sign. Anyway, our visit was inspired by our recent office discovery of hot new acts Stray Kids and Blackpink. In the real world they’ve been around for over a decade and have played Wembley Stadium. But when you’re stuck working in an underground bunker one loses the sense of time.

Daebak has a varied menu, including Korean classics (fried chicken, bulgogi, bibimbap) alongside more traditional Japanese dishes which are also served in Korea. We are again joined on this excursion by office ‘fun guy’ Phil from Accounts.  We wanted the classics and chose Korean fried chicken and beef bulgogi, along with some steamed rice – all to share. The chicken is available in various sizes and with a variety of sauce options. One of these was sweet cheese but Phil murmured/slurred something about that combo being “just whack” and so we opted for soy-garlic sauce. The chicken was salty and super crispy with a great deal of sauce suitable for dipping. It was all boneless, and suitable for our bone averse culture. The small option is an easy starter for two or a mains for one.

Moving on to the main event. The bulgogi (say it like a pro… bull-gah-gi) was something that Phil was expecting to be spicier although was pleased with the generous helping of steaming finely sliced beef strips. This had quite a sweet and savoury quality and very moreish. If Phil had done his research and was remotely sober he’d be aware that bulgogi is rarely spicy. You’ll need to look elsewhere on Daebak’s menu for that, and spicier options abound. However, there are spicy additives on every table. On previous visits we’ve enjoyed the fermented, intense cabbage based bibimbap.

One feature of Daebak is the quick service, making it more suitable for a midweek treat.  There are Korean beers, sojus (alcoholic fruit drink) and wine. Phil made good use of the quick service and beers and the result can be found in the photo he took on the right ‘of the whole table’..  The crowd tends towards twenty-somethings and all-in-all, it’s a great value stop.

Best element – Cooling and sweeping open doors with Vauxhall vistas.

Worst element –  Cooling and sweeping open doors with Vauxhall vistas.

Jack the Chipper

Posted on by
Reply

We just paid an Observer visit to new Chippie on the block and it’s the unfortunately named ‘Jack the Chipper’ in Sayer St. in Elephant. It’s part of a micro franchise and this third location is run by a father and daughter team. It exists as both a takeaway and as a higher priced dine in establishment with other options to order such as burgers and pasta (but don’t). On this occasion we were accompanied by Marsha from Business Support, who needed her spirits lifted after worrying that she was about to be replaced by AI (she is).

Jack the Chipper works as both a traditional fish and chips takeaway service but also, with the same menu but higher prices, as a dine-in restaurant. This isn’t like the chippies with a few afterthought tables, but a proper restaurant experience with full table service, and a bar. The menu covers all the chippie classics, including sides such as mushy peas or pickled onions. Marsha ordered haddock and chips. While she was chewing she noted is that the batter was light and the fish tasted fresh. The chips are proper, thick, chip shop chips, made in-house without resorting to Mr McCain or a freezer. There are even reassuringly large bags of potatoes out front.

Your scribe ordered the frankly quite fancy sounding grilled seabass with cherry tomatoes. Playfully assorted was garlic, lemon parsley, capers and baby potatoes. The seabass flaked easily and had a delicate, mildly sweet flavour. Each portion comes with tartare sauce and lemon, as is correct procedure and salt and malt vinegar was on the table. We could have done with a bit more tartare sauce; I’m sure we would have been granted had we asked With an airy ambience to the restaurant and substantial outside seating, this is a good place to stop. We feel reassured that everything was of high quality, which it should be for £22

At the Observer we pride ourselves on being the least ‘woke’ site you’ll find, but we draw a line under your name, Jack. Ten years ago it might have been very clever to name your gaff after a serial killer of vulnerable women but its 2026 and its not on. When you arrive at that giant deep fat fryer in the sky you’ll understand this, but hopefully before. In spite of the name we hope Marsha had a nice evening as she wistfully and correctly pined ‘this might be the last time I eat out for a while’.

Matiz – A Mighty Fine Latin American Joint

Posted on by
Reply

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 by
Reply

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……

Screenshot

The Simply Bread Revisit

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Making Your (Persian) Mind Up

Posted on by
Reply

We love Amici as they never run out of novel concepts to get people through the door. Bands! Singles nights! Jack Straw! And now they’ve done it again….Just when you thought Kennington couldn’t get any more camp they’re hosting…..wait for it….. a Eurovision night!

Amici will be taking their enormous TV outside and it will be viewed in their otherwise quiet garden where, according to the press release, drinks will be flowing and food will be served (it’s not free, we know what you’re like). The food served is Persian and Italian. You can get Italian anywhere so we always stick to the Persian, which is to die for.  Office favourites are any of the grills, and also the Persian stew called Khoresh. The owners are Iranian and can give you the full low down about what you’re about to encounter. Well maybe not if it involves dancers emerging from under a giant skirt.

Amici if you’re reading this (and if not you’re missing out) we have some tips to make it a better night. You could try a ‘who’s replaced Scott Mills’ drinking game or, even better, have a former UK representative do a PA! There are plenty of them who have a LOT of time on their hands. Try reaching out to Gina G, she’s getting on a bit but stranger things have happened.

The UK entrant is the disturbingly catchy ‘Eins, Zwei, Drei’ by Look Mum No Computer. The chorus features the lines ‘Darlin’ I need somethin’ salty, with a slice of pepperoni’. See for yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMKvJ-Itq8&list=RDniMKvJ-Itq8&start_radio=1

Taro

Posted on by
Reply

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.