The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 2 – Theo’s

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

The finish line is in sight and grabbing the number two spot is newish Elephant and Castle pizza restaurant ‘Theos’ . As with everything on our countdown, Theo’s is closed for ‘dining in’ customers but they do a very brisk delivery business (it is pizza after call) via Deliveroo and Uber Eats. Theo’s Elephant is the small brother to its big bro in Camberwell. As a small and local business in these troubled times, it needs our support now more than ever.

Hands down, we think that Theo’s is the best pizza place in Greater Kennington and one of the best in London. But don’t take our carb obsessed word for it, the secret is out and this is a sentiment shared by Time Out. The pizza is Neapolitan with a sourdough base that’s soft and chewy on top and crisp underneath. The power is in the dough at Theo’s, and those slightly charred bases makes the toppings almost secondary.

As with most good restaurants, the menu at Theos is very small and focusses squarely on the thing they do best. None of this pasta malarkey. I had the Napoli Salami pizza (below) which was spicy, full of cheese, and presented with a crust so fine that it had be eaten with a fork. My dining partner had the Nduja and Ricotta pizza. It featured sun dried tomatoes and golf ball mounds of ricotta. Also on offer is sone tasty Italian wines and cocktails.

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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. When Theo’s opens normally again you’ll encounter a youngish clientele but not so young that they shy away from playing 80’s music. The venue is bright, airy and staff very friendly.

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The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 3 – Prince of Wales

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

The number 3 slot is awarded to Kennington stalwart and our own little country pub ‘The Prince of Wales’ in Cleaver Square. The Prince of Wales is of course not open and they do not deliver. However. if our local pubs and restaurants are to survive this crisis they’ll need our patronage once they reopen, so stick this gem in your bejewelled pocket diary.

The Prince of Wales did the seemingly unthinkable last year by changing hands from being run by a major chain to being independently owned and operated. Armed with a a new menu and a spanking new chef, we decided to give it a twirl last year and we were duly impressed. In addition to the menu we were pleased to note that they also had new cask ales and an improved wine list.

My dining partner had the spiced buttermilk chicken burger on a glazed brioche bun. This undefined person got a nice spice hit from the chipotle mayo and the chicken was soft and made succulent with the creamy buttermilk. The chips were big, triple cooked and definitely not out of the freezer. The portions were definitely something to be admired.

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Your author had the cornfed chicken and chorizo hash. Mine was a mighty chunk of chicken served with a confident splash of bourguignon sauce. The hash was really more of chunky mash potato with very spicy, paprika punched chorizo. I never got to the bottom of the hispy cabbage affair, but it bulked up the plate and acted as a crunchy counterpoint.

The Prince of Wales and other independent pubs are certainly vulnerable, but we think they will make it. In conclusion, if you crave some excellent pub grub and want a place without music, shouting or people coming up to you every two seconds asking ‘are are alright’, then the POW might be your thing.

The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 4 – The Coriander

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

We’re getting closer….And the number 4 prize goes to the best Indian in Greater Kennington, The Coriander in Vauxhall. We are aware that such a bold assertion is controversial and might make you want to hurl tarka dahl our way, but since you don’t actually know who we are that’s not gonna happen.

Of course Coriander isn’t open for diners at the moment, but their menu is still available through Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just-Eat. This is another example of a small chain which needs our support more than ever if it is going to whether these strange times. We just walked by and there were people inside cooking away.

Coriander specialises in North Indian, Bengali and Nepalese cuisine. The garlic naan is just right – not too thick and herbs going through it. For side dishes, the baingon motor (aubergine) is a standout treat, and their other starters cover all the bases of North Indian food. For the mains, our favourites are the chicken tikka naga (below) with hints of cloves, cumin and loads of heat. All the good curry house standards are also in evidence, and we particularly like the handi laze, which is spicy chicken with chillies and fragrant cardamon, given some zing with added lemon. And as with most Indians, there are a range of veg options. There are also a huge range of rice options, and we prefer the good old fashioned pilau.

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One day soon the Coriander will again be open for diners, so put it in your diary. Draft Indian beers wash down the heat and the wine list is pretty reasonable.

The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 5 – Daebak

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

We’re going to ramp up our top 10 list in tandem with the almost hourly changes happening in our society. All of these places are now closed, but put them in your little pocket diary for future reference. Most of these places are small businesses, and without our ongoing support they might ~~become estate agents or barber shops~~ never open again. Most of these places offer takeaway via Deliveroo or Uber Eats.

The number 5 prize goes to yet another new kid on the block, the excellent Korean restaurant Daebak in Vauxhall. Daebak is no stranger to plaudits, having been named one of the best Korean restaurants in London by Time Out shortly after it opened. The venue slightly maintains the greasy spoon aesthetic of the joint that was previously there, with the highest accolade being that actual Korean people frequent the place.

Daebak means ‘awesome’ in Korean and the meal we had there last year was just that. 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. variations. I would also experiment with a starter like octopus balls. They also throw in a few Japanese dishes to mix things up. Great food, and pretty kind on the pocket. If you are going on a weekend it might be a good idea to book, as the word has gotten out.

Please don’t confuse the awesome ‘Daebak’ with the not so awesome ‘Jihwaja’ across the street. Unless of course your idea of awesome comes with a hearty dose of blaring K Pop and karaoke.

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The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 6 – Kuma

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

As said previously, we’ve decided to plow on, bull like, with our top ten list but not with the intention that you will rush out tonight and put yourselves at risk. Rather, you might consider takeaway or indeed write them down in your bejewelled pocket diary for future attendance. Importantly, these venues are mostly small businesses which are in acute risk without our ongoing support at some time,.

The newest kid on the Greater Kennington block gets the number 6 prize due to its menu of Japanese and Korean fare at good prices. When it opened we had a mild panic that Kuma was going to feature fusion food (imagine the horror of kimchi sushi) but were assuaged when the menu featured a clear distinction between the cuisines. They were also able to pull off the two cuisines in equal degrees, which is no mean feat.

My dining partner had the tonkotsu bento box, the main feature being breaded pork katsu. Said partner would have liked a bit more slop of the tangy sauce but it was very well proportioned and the sauce even managed to make the bean sprouts better than usual. Your reporter had prawn gyoza which were grilled well and had definitely not had part of their lives wasted by a freezer. I then had the chicken bulgogi (say it like a pro…..Boo-GOH-gee) which are very thin strips of meat grilled on a BBQ. The chicken had a very good sauce and featured spring onion. It was billed as ‘hot’ and it certainly was. And so generous that I couldn’t finish it.

Korean and Japanese restaurants are the new gospel in London and don’t seem to be going anywhere, and Greater Kennington certainly has caught the bug (oops, sorry). Kuma holds its own by giving highlights of both cuisines without being too experimental. I went downstairs to go to the toilet and ‘accidentally’ walked into the kitchen. I could not see any sign of notorious sous chef Mike(rowave) and it appeared that everything was made on site. The bill, with four beers, came to £50 which was reasonable. When the bill came we tried to pull the ‘but we’re Kennington INFLUENCERS’ trick, but they were having none of it.

Self Isolating in Greater Kennington? You’re not alone!

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

We’ve just been contacted by a group of volunteers around Kennington looking to help members of our community (that is, Greater Kennington) through the Covid-19 crisis. They’re goal is to make self isolation a bit easier for you. They ask nothing in return, but just want to help the more vulnerable in our ranks during this time of crisis. They can help by

Picking up shopping and medication
Topping up electric and gas
Posting mail
Urgent supplies
A friendly phone call
Dog walking

The volunteers are not medical professionals, and are in no place to offer medical advice. For this use the NHS 111 online service which can be found here. If you would like general, local inormation about the crisis then check out their Facebook group here. This is a mutual aid and support group but has handy links for local support. A great deal of other information can be found on the AgeUK website.

To contact the volunteers directly just ‘leave a reply’ to this post. It won’t be published on this site but we’ll connect you to the volunteers.

The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 7 – Taro

Posted on March 15, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

As habitués to the Runoff are aware, one of our missions is to get people out of the house and live by experience. In our current climate this might not be the best thing to do, but we have chosen to persist with our top ten list nevertheless. With the rest of the list we’ll let you know if they deliver, and we also suggest going for an early or late dinner if possible. And of course, you can always make a note of the venues in your little pocket diary for future reference.

Part of the Greater Kennington firmament for over a year now, Taro has secured the #7 spot by its consistent delivery of authentic ‘Izakaya’, (roughly meaning ‘pub food’) very similar to the food you get in Japan, and is good value for money. They also have a menu more diverse than most Izakaya places (not always a good thing but it is in this case), which caters to varied tastes. Believe it or not there are a number of Japanese joints in our area, but this is acres above the lot.

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We were in Japan before our Taro visit last year and went to Taro with our friend Mark, who lived in Japan for years and served as our culinary attaché. We had sushi (both tempura-maki and other maki) which was fresh and generous on the fish side. We also had fried chicken (above), 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. Both veg and meat gyozas are great. The salmon teriyaki bento box at the next table also caught our eye.

Taro can be delivered to your door via Deliveroo, and you can pop in and take it away. They curiously don’t have a website, but are located at 414 Kennington Road, close to the park.

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The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 8 – The Tommyfield

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

The number eight position goes to central Kennington stalwart The Tommyfield.* The Tommyfield is the Kennington outpost of swish, small south London chain ‘Three Cheers Pubs’. Most of their other pubs are in Clapham and Battersea and have a similar cohort of punters.

The Tommyfield is the pub of choice here at Runoff HQ as it is just down the road and we have therefore tried just about everything on the menu. This isn’t too difficult, mind you, as we wouldn’t exactly call their menu ‘dynamic’. However, what they stick to they manage to do very well. We like the pies (steak and ale/chicken and leek) which are very rich, heavy on the meat, and the puff pastry flaky and buttery with pureed potatoes. The fish and chips are also to be lauded, and they have a reliable number of veggie options (but not vegan).

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The place is usually pretty full at weekends and they do a mean trade in Sunday lunch. The roasts are huge (we’re talking car tyre huge) and you can see the chefs undertaking their handiwork in the open kitchen (and yes, they make their own Yorkies). The ribeye steak is also something that we’ve had on a Sunday and it’s up there in Michelin star category and seasoned to perfection.

The Tommyfield is one of the few places in our area the accepts Tastecard (but not on Sunday) and they provide two for one mains if you have one. Perfect for those ‘I don’t feel like cooking’ nights or if, at this rate, there is soon to be nothing left on supermaket shelves but cat food.

For dessert we almost always plump for the banoffee pie, which is delicious.

*If you’ve been knocking around SE11 long enough to remember its previous incarnation as ‘La Finca’ you get a prize. Or something.

The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 9 – The Hercules

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

The number nine slot goes to new kid on the block ‘The Hercules’ located across from Lambeth North tube. The first of three gastropubs on our list, it’s made the list mostly due to it having the best selection of beers for a gastropub in Greater Kennington, with no fewer than 24 to choose from , and an impressive selection of spirits and wines. And a curious LED sign telling you about the rotating selection of beers on offer.

We thought it appropriate to go The Hercules with some tourist friends, as the crowd is a mix of thirty somethings with a melange of visitors wondering how the hell they ended up in Lambeth North when their hotel across the street is called ‘Waterloo’. We went for Sunday roast, and one of us had beef and the other two 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.

Aside from roasts, The Hercules offer other dishes that are more varied than most local gastropubs, and commendable bar snacks. On another visit we snacked on spicy squid and Vietnamese chicken wings, and had some very juicy burgers and hake with chorizo. The place also opens at 8am if you fancy a fry up or a quick Merlot on the way to work. The atmosphere is the upmarket ‘old school meets new school’ of the White Bear and is relatively good value for money.

Finally, *expects egg throwing* we are conscious that The Hercules is part of the Fuller’s pub chain, but even soulless chains can sometimes get things right. If it is just beer you fancy without the food, we recommend Mother Kelly’s under the arches in Vauxhall.

The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 10 – Cafe Van Gogh

Posted on March 7, 2020 by Kennington Runoff

Welcome to our almost annual run down of the best places to eat in Greater Kennington. Let us start with a few caveats. You might notice that we generally give good reviews to eating places here. This not due to lack of scrutiny as we eat out in Kennington all the time. Rather, we choose to promote the places we enjoy and feel passionate about, as opposed to the places which aren’t up to standard (and you know who you are..we can hear your microwave humming). Also, there are many places which we know are wonderful (such as Bonnington Cafe) but we just haven’t been able to make it there recently, so we apologise if your favourite hasn’t made the cut.

Number 10 is Cafe Van Gogh. a glorious vegan cafe on cusp of the KR catchment area in Brixton Road. Not afraid of being lauded, it was recently anointed as one one of the Guardian’s best vegan friendly restaurants in London . We visited on a weekday during half term, and the place was full of people working on laptops and folks with kiddos. We chose the vegan mac-n-cheese partially as a challenge, as it is pretty hard to pull off in a vegan joint. Our server explained that the cheese is achieved by a mixture of mustard, garlic and onion powders. We were very sceptical about this but the result was delicious. Those around us had a butternut squash pasta dish and a plant based based burger with chips. On the other table a mum told us that she just had an aubergine stuffed chapatti with dhal. It should be noted that the menu is concise and well curated.

Cafe Van Gogh is a not for profit social enterprise who work in conjunction with a range of local Kennington/Oval/Brixton charities. They provide paid employment for people who have faced challenges in life and who want to get back into the realm of employment. We are not vegan ourselves, but having lunch here was a truly delicious eye opener and even more valued with the knowledge that we’re giving something back to the more vulnerable in our shire.

Vincent himself was not present for this dining experience, but if you want to experience his work without even seeing anything he actually painted, then you might want to check out the totally bonkers Vincent Van Gogh experience just up the road at the Southbank..