The earth-hued interiors at Lolo in Bermondsey
Wait, José Pizarro has opened another restaurant in Bermondsey?
He has; the consummate restaurateur and chef has further expanded on his favourite street in London by opening up Lolo right next door to his original London tapas bar, José. That makes this his third restaurant on this stretch.
Where is it exactly?
If you don't know the area - maybe we should dub it Pizarro Mile? - you'll find the restaurant about halfway up Bermondsey Street. The nearest station is London Bridge. The building itself used to be a charity offices but has been utterly transformed into one of the nicest-looking restaurants we've seen in a while. Original paintings adorn the walls including one particularly amazing giant watercolour (you can see it at the end of the room in the photo above).
Where's a good place to meet for a drink first?
You're not short of nearby pubs that's for sure, as this is next to The Woolpack and opposite The Garrison. There's also the nearby bar at B Street Deli if you fancy a glass of wine.
What sort of place is this?
In terms of what to expect, as the man himself explained to us, every new opening of his has to offer something different and this one is José's first all-day dining spot, open from breakfast through to dinner. So you'll find a menu with breakfast items like eggs and pastries alongside dishes that are available from lunchtime onwards.
Where should we sit?
There's a range of seating options available. Both the kitchen and bar have counter seating and there are also some nice high-top tables for two just as you come in. There's also a communal table and, to the right of that, a section that's probably best for couples and larger groups. There are also a few tables outside which will be very popular on sunny days.
Good luck trying to get a seat outside when the weather's good...
What's on the menu?
If you're coming here for lunch or dinner, then the menu is divided into mostly small dishes that'll be suitable for sharing (there are a few larger dishes too). Here's what we had to give you an idea:
Crisps, caramelised onion & 100% paleta Ibérica 5J lazy tortilla (£11) - this is one of those dishes that everyone will talk about and a genius twist on the traditional tortilla.
Chicken liver parfait with PX vinegar served with sweet potato buns, red onion & parsley salad (£10) - super smooth parfait but you'll probably need a few more buns (or some bread) to make the most of this.
Mediterranean red prawn carpaccio with orange and chill (£16) - one of the best (of many) prawn crudo dishes we've enjoyed in London recently.
5J Ibérico pork tenderloin with hazelnuts and apple (£17) - as its position in the crudo section makes clear, this dish comes cold, so don't be surprised. It's also very good.
Roasted peppers with confit Gadira tuna (£14) - fabulous tuna, slow softened peppers and the best olive oil, of course.
What's on the menu for vegetarians?
There's plenty for vegetarians, if not vegans, from the Scottish girolles and hazelnut tortilla to the British cheeseboard or vegan gilda with gordal olives and pickles.
Home-made fresh cheese with tomatoes & preserved lemon (£12) - this soft cheese is made in-house every day so it couldn't be any fresher.
Room for dessert?
Of course. There are only three on the menu so you could either go for all three for the table, or pick these two as we did.
Chocolate mousse with cherries marinated in vermouth (£9) which had a nice touch of salt in it too.
Natillas (£6.50) - the classic Spanish custard dessert with vanilla sponge embedded in the top.
What's the wine list like?
A little surprisingly, this isn't an all-Spanish wine list, with options from all across the Mediterranean to be found here. We did stick with Spain though, opting for the house white, a Rioja which at £32 we thought was a really drinkable white. Most are available by the glass and carafe too.
Overall thoughts:
What a gem this new restaurant of Jose's is. It sits neatly between the more casual Jose and the higher-end Pizarro and has already become stupidly popular just a few short weeks after opening. We're already planning to go back and tackle the breakfast offering here too, with its baked eggs, pastries and must-try lolo de tenera beef sandwich.
More about Lolo
Where is it? 102 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UB
Find out more: Visit the website or follow him on Instagram @jose_pizarro.
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Lolo. Prices correct at time of publication.
Subscribe to be the first to get the news from Hot Dinners
