New Cross Gate Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: “Tasty thin-crust dough – cooked well in the middle, so no soggy bottoms” – is the secret to the appeal of this seven-strong South London sourdough pizzeria group, where the emphasis is on local ingredients (including Shipton Mill flour and British-made buffalo mozzarella) washed down with locally brewed craft beers and juices from Kent.

This “great sharing-plates restaurant with very accommodating staff” – and a “good wine selection”, its primary focus – has been a linchpin in the emergence of Peckham’s going-out scene (“I’ve never had a bad meal here: in principle I’m not a fan of small plates but here it all works”).

This “wonderful little local restaurant” is now the flagship of a Peckham-based ‘Collective’ (Little Kudu, Curious Kudu, Kudu Grill) from second-generation restaurateur Amy Corbin (daughter of Corbin & King’s Chris) and her South African-born partner Patrick Williams, who infuses some dishes on the “quite unusual” menu with a light Saffa spin: “engaging and fun” with food that’s “spot-on”. Top Tip – gorgeous cute garden.

2023 Review: “Always fresh sourdough pizza” has helped build a strong local following for this hip southeast London group, with outlets in Crystal Palace, Nunhead, West Norwood, Herne Hill and Elephant & Castle. A new natural wine selection from specialist importer Les Caves de Pyrène is now available alongside the craft beers on tap. Top Tip – “make sure you leave room for the ice cream”.

2024 Review: Open in June 2023 from Peckham’s Kudu Collective, Little Kudu replaces the Smokey Kudu cocktail bar in Queen’s Road (which has shifted to the RIXO fashion emporium on Chelsea’s King’s Road). There’s a strong focus on South African wine here, with simple, tapas-y/small plates food to soak it up (eg Braaibroodjie: a Saffa cheese toastie).

“Top pizza and panuozzo with nice drinks” (from wines or slushy cocktails to pints for a fiver) put the crowd in a fun and easygoing frame of mind at this “relaxed and funky” little bar in Nunhead. (Their pizza is also a feature in The Perseverance pub in Bloomsbury).