Southwark, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: Stick to the good-value, meal-with-ticket deals at the theatre restaurant of this converted Victorian chocolate factory, whose food is “honest” but rather “hit and miss”, hence “not good enough to pay full stand-alone prices” – especially with foodie Borough Market just across the road.

“It’s amazing what they can achieve with simple ingredients”, and there’s “always cheerful and efficient service” at this “little sharing-plates restaurant” close to Tate Modern, which has won a solid reputation for its “very talented” founders Lucy Pedder and Natasha Cooke over the past six years.

“The most original brunches” – with “a good selection of super-tasty, tapas-style dishes” fusing eclectic flavours from the Middle East to the Pacific – are the top feature of these “nicely vibey” haunts, which also boast “great coffee and pastries, plus interesting non-alcoholic drinks (like sodas and kombuchas)”. And they serve “lots for vegans and veggies too”. On the downside, they become “noisy”; staff can be “overstretched” and ratings are dragged down by those who find them “a convenient option, but, in truth, a slightly disappointing one”. Expansion is still on the cards, though, with 2023 seeing a big new opening in Covent Garden, in a workspace on Drury Lane, complete with outside terrace.

2021 Review: Gordon Ramsay’s “Italian-leaning” warehouse conversion in Southwark, with an indoor ‘olive grove’ complete with trees, pleases some with its “giant portions of great food” and “fantastic cocktails”. Far too many reporters this year, though, complain of a “sterile” aspect to its “industrial” decor, and dismiss the fare as mightily “uninspired”.

2021 Review: “A firm favourite for breakfast and brunch in Southwark” – this café-style fixture a short stroll from Tate Modern serves “a great menu to suit all tastes”, and fans say it’s “unbeatable”.

“Excellent modern cooking with Med influences” and a “good natural wine list” are the strengths of this Borough Market staple that has championed organic and biodynamic wine for more than a decade; and which was joined two years ago by a spin-off near London Fields. The cuisine is “down to earth, with some stonking small plates” and matched with “efficient service and a relaxed atmosphere” to provide a “very enjoyable meal”.

2022 Review: In late 2019, the team from well-known café, 26 Grains of Neal’s Yard, opened a big sister over the road from Borough Market. It’s a casual, tastefully decorated haunt serving simple food; and where at night, the vibe is less café, more wine bar. In late 2020, Tom Cenci (the ex Duck & Waffle head chef, whose own Loyal Tavern venture did not survive the pandemic) took over what has become an extended residency. The cooking (by him and one other chef) centres on sustainability, and less-used cuts of meat (particularly Irish beef).

“A unique experience!” – “For a dinner with a twist, sit ‘outside’ within Borough Market and enjoy a set menu with wine pairing” at Tomas Lidakevicius’s offbeat venture, attached to a greengrocer’s stall. “You’ve no need to choose anything and everything is good”: “the lovely setting helps for sure, but the great food from a tasting menu with seasonal veg as its centrepiece speaks for itself”. “Loved it!”.

The “unforgettable setting” of this pub and restaurant adjoining Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, “with a lovely view over the river” to St Paul’s, provides much of the draw, although its food and service are (just about) up to scratch too. The wide range of menus makes it a “flexible option”, providing afternoon teas, brunches, drinks and meals before and after performances.

With its “great view over the river”, the sixth-floor restaurant in this converted power station opposite St Paul’s Cathedral is a “really rather splendid place for a decent set lunch”. The food is “better than expected, perhaps better than it needed to be” – “appropriately arty”, too, with dishes inspired by artists on display in the gallery. (Over at Tate Britain, “the Rex Whistler dining room is sorely missed and a real loss” – its closure brought about by a combination of Covid and dilemmas about the depiction of slavery in its Whistler murals, nowadays deemed ‘unequivocally… offensive’.)

“Everyone is here for the view” on the 31st floor of the Shard, with “all diners glammed up to celebrate something special”: “it’s what you are paying for”. “And boy are you paying!” – “when you consider the sky-high bills”, the cuisine is somewhere between “decent enough” and “bog standard”. In a similar vein, “service is fine, but could use some improvements… with views to attract the crowds anyway, perhaps management aren’t super-worried about the service levels”. Overall, though, it’s a Faustian bargain many reporters are prepared to make, especially for afternoon tea or a date… or both!

“What could be nicer than sitting on the 38th floor of the Shard with fantastic views of London”, while lingering over a “lovely unrushed afternoon tea” or – later in the day when the mood is “very romantic” – sampling its “fresh Asian-inspired dishes”. Not a huge volume of feedback, but ratings are better this year as it escaped the customary complaints for overpricing.

“You book for the view, which is obviously incredible” at this 32nd-floor venue, run by Rainer Becker (of Zuma and many other top London restaurants). Like most places with a stunning outlook and “special occasion” suitability, it often takes flak for its sky-high pricing to match. This was absent in (admittedly thin) feedback this year, though, and the luxurious outputs from its open kitchen (with Josper oven, charcoal grill and rotisserie) were well-rated. (For cocktails or afternoon tea, head to Oblix East).

“Still fantastic after all these years” – this celebrated foodie favourite near the Old Vic returned to being London’s No.1 gastropub this year, in a dead heat with Fulham’s Harwood Arms. “It’s a bit insulting to call it bar/pub food as it’s a level up from that” – “very strong, British traditional fare is made with added flair and style” from a “daily changing menu with lots of options” (“the shared roast and other meat dishes are quite unique and the eclectic wine list a joy”). And “nowadays they serve a well-priced lunch as well as its always-magnificent evening menu”.

2021 Review: “Good coffee… and the food’s OK too” – this Borough Market café remains one of the top caffeine hits in SE1. “It’s great for breakfast” too.

2023 Review: “Imaginative Caribbean fine dining” is an unlikely find at any time – particularly considering the bland location of Anguilla-born Kerth Gumbs’s Bankside newcomer, which opened in early 2022 amidst the anonymous glass-fronted offices behind Tate Modern. The Evening Standard’s Jimi Famu thought his east Caribbean-inspired tasting menu to be “dumbfoundingly good… laser-honed… top end” cuisine, while one early reporter questions “is this a potential Michelin star at some stage”. Definitely “worth trying”.

“An exceptional list of wine with so many to choose by the glass that it’s always possible to try something a bit different” is the key selling point of this popular modern wine bar chain. Its culinary attractions are less reliable – the food can be “surprisingly good” but is too often “essentially average”; service can be “accommodating” or “rushed”; and the ambience can be “better if you can sit outside”. But its “excellent value” drinking and “lively” style carry the day. In particular, the “conveniently placed” King’s Cross branch has a “great location, which makes it a winner”. Top Tip – “creditable set lunch at a pretty restrained price”.