The Top Ten Best Restaurants in Kennington – those that didn’t make it

Before we publish our definitive list of the top ten best restaurants in Kennington, we thought we’d shout out of some of those that didn’t quite make it for various reasons fair and foul.

Toulouse Lautrec – they just celebrated their tenth anniversary and we hope they last for many more decades, but when it comes to food, we were more Lobster Pot people (RIP).

Toulouse Lautrec - Kenningtonrunoff.com

Frenchie Bistro – great if you eat duck but not much good for vegans (Artworks where Frenchie Bistro was located has now closed permanently)

The Frenchie Bistro duck breast - kenningtonrunoff.om

Dragon Castle – we once saw a mouse in the dining room and have never been back, but we keep checking the food hygiene rating in vain hope of improvement… what is it with Walworth Road establishments and their dire food hygiene ratings? How long can you be rated as “needing improvement” before the Food Standards Agency take serious action?

Dragon Castle - kenningtonrunoff.com

The White Bear – we like this huge pub with its theatre, garden, beehive and restaurant… We always feel like we’ve left London for a small town in Somerset when we go there. The food is decent but a little overpriced.

The White Bear Theatre Pub new exterior - kenningtonrunoff.com

Rare Burger Co – a welcome addition to the Kennington restaurant scene, with friendly service and beetroot burger and shrimp burger options for non-meat eaters. It just didn’t quite make the top ten. We’re told, although we haven’t had a chance to check this, that Rare Burger Co has closed now – shame if true.

Rare Burger Co shopfront - kenningtonrunoff.com

Above The Stag – the menu at this LGBT+ theatre looks appetising but the one time we tried to eat there, they were closed for a refurb.

Above The Stag - kenningtonrunoff.com

Aobaba – really good Vietnamese food but the atmosphere is hindered by it being in a supermarket with plastic seats and strip lighting.

Aobaba - kenningtonrunoff.com

Nandine – we’ve heard great things about this shack on St George’s Road but decided to limit this list to places you can sit down and eat in the evenings. For places to eat lunch, check out our Top Ten Best Lunch Spots in Kennington list from a while back – most of the places are still open happily.

Theo’s Pizzeria – several people recommended this new pizza place where Mamuśka! used to be on the former Southern roundabout in North Kennington. We asked about vegan options and they said “Vegan customers have either or both of our house salad or a tomato based pizza to which they can add a range of veggie options. We don’t do a vegan cheese but customers often bring their own and we are happy to add that to pizzas”. We appreciate the reply but in an era when Pizza Express offer two vegan pizza options, this wasn’t quite enough to tempt us to Theo’s.

Theo's - kenningtonrunoff.com

Amici – we do eat at Amici, and like their fish dishes, especially in summer in the courtyard, but atmosphere wise we preferred it when it when it was where Doost is now, and almost always full!

Perdoni’s AKA Riverside 2 – we also eat here, but feel it is a little overpriced.

Florentine – friendly but located in one of London’s worst looking buildings (the Park Plaza “Waterloo” hotel), and the food is too salty!

Di Lieto Bakery – this place sounds amazing for pasta but doesn’t qualify because not open in the evenings (yet?).

Café Van Gogh – we haven’t visited yet – no excuses as this sounds right up our street.

Jihwaja/Seveni/Daebak/CheeMC – we love that there are at least four Korean restaurants in the area but left them all out as there’s not much to choose between them. Seveni is probably our favourite for food, Jihwaja for karaoke, and CheeMC for chicken lovers including Jay Rayner.

24 The Oval – this is some people’s favourite restaurant in the area and understandably so, but we’d say it’s better for meat eaters and lovers of rich food. Plus it’s not cheap.

24 The Oval exterior - kenningtonrunoff.com

The White Bear

Like the Elephant & Castle, the White Bear is a Kennington pub with a very long history, which has recently relaunched in impressive style.

The White Bear Theatre Pub new exterior - kenningtonrunoff.com

Thomas Ellis owned the Horns Tavern pub on Kennington Common, where Guy Fawkes stored his gunpowder in the cellar. Mary Cleaver leased White Bear Field to Ellis in 1780, and he laid out Cleaver Square, the earliest London square south of the Thames, and built the White Bear (read more Kennington history on their blackboard).

The White Bear Theatre Pub fire and local history - kenningtonrunoff.com

We first knew The White Bear as a rather edgy, although rarely busy, Irish sports pub, with the White Bear Theatre feeling very incongruous in the back. It was bought by Young’s around 2012, after which there was a short-lived relaunch (bye Irish sports fans, hello not many other people), then it closed for a long time for a much more thorough overhaul.

The White Bear Theatre Pub middle dining room - kenningtonrunoff.com

The White Bear Theatre Pub back dining room - kenningtonrunoff.com

Now it’s huge – Kennington’s biggest pub  – with two dining areas where the theatre used to be, plus a garden stretching the width of two properties.

The White Bear Theatre Pub garden - kenningtonrunoff.com

The White Bear beer garden - kenningtonrunoff.com

The theatre (which we’ve not visited since the relaunch) has relocated to the first floor – the bear will show you the way.

The White Bear Theatre Pub bear - kenningtonrunoff.com

The new White Bear has the feel of a country pub, and we can’t think of another like it in central London. Perfect for Kennington Village!

The White Bear Theatre Pub bric a brac - kenningtonrunoff.com

They serve food which is good if pricey. Mains at launch ranged from toad in the hole for £11 to black Angus sirloin, mushrooms and tomatoes, chips, Bearnaise sauce for £21. Being mostly vegetarian we haven’t tried either of their specialities yet, which are beef Wellington, black cabbage and chestnuts (£21) and steak and kidney suet pudding, calcannon (£20). But we have tried rainbow chard, pine nut and blue cheese quiche (£13):

Rainbow chard, pine nut and blue cheese quiche at the White Bear - kenningtonrunoff.com

And the roasted pumpkin cobbler, purple sprouting broccoli, not entirely successful but relatively cheap at £12:

Roasted pumpkin cobbler, purple sprouting broccoli at the White Bear- kenningtonrunoff.com

The Queenie and monkfish scampi, chips, peas cost £16.50:

Queenie and monkfish scampi, chips, peas at the White Bear - kenningtonrunoff.com

And the ale battered cod, chips, mushy peas, tartare sauce are £13, which is £2 more expensive and not quite as good as the Duchy Arms’ equivalent:

Ale battered cod, chips, mushy peas, tartare sauce at the White Bear - kenningtonrunoff.com

Nonetheless, we keep going back there to eat and find the service exceptionally friendly and helpful. They have a good selection of ales on tap, and it’s always busy in the bar area – great to see after years of emptiness. Well done The White Bear and Young’s brewery.