London Restaurants - South London

Former supperclub host Adejoké ‘Joké’ Bakare got her leg on the first rung of the restaurant ladder when she won a cookery competition in Brixton Village. Now she has her own restaurant there which has deservedly won a multitude of plaudits from both critics and customers. She describes it as a modern West African restaurant, which means using traditional recipes and techniques to create contemporary dishes.

This Peckham restaurant comes from local success story, Kudu, and it's all about South African braai, with open-fire cooking a big part of the restaurant. Most of the dishes will come from the open grill and they'll also be using their nearby allotment as a source for the produce.

This is chef Sven Hanson Britt's first solo restaurant, and combines that restaurant with a shop, bar and gallery. It's all about his signature tasting menu and has a big focus on using local producers.

This Brixton restaurant is from Brian Danclair, the man behind the popular Fish, Wings & Tings. It's best described as Caribbean fusion, while also taking influences from Latin America.

Enjoy the best Spanish food and wine, with a particular focus on the Basque region. And - if you like what you try - you can also buy it to bring home. With various locations around town, each Tapas Room lets its manager pick the wine list, so there’s always something different to try.

Recently renovated, this popular Battersea haunt has been given a Gatsby-style makeover. So if you’re after somewhere a bit glam to go ‘out out’ then this is the venue for you. Weekend brunches are a big thing here and the cocktail list combines both low and no alcohol serves as well as those with a serious kick.

If low beer miles are a concern, then this Battersea taproom couldn’t be a better choice - they pump their beers direct from the brewery to their tanks. Food-wise it’s British cheese and charcuterie sharing boards and toasties.

Wines by the glass is the Vagabond USP and there are more than 100 on offer here using their clever enomatic system. Battersea is also home to their winery making wines from vineyards close to London.

Tour Spain without having to leave SW11 - with tapas, aperitivo and more on offer. Inside this Spanish restaurant, there’s a mix of counter dining and bar space and the outside river facing terrace is a real boon.

Vivek Singh’s bright and breezy chain fuses Indian spicing with the best of British produce. So the Kentish saddle of lamb comes with keema saag and mussels are served with a in tomato curry leaf broth.

At the heart of Little Portugal, Estrela is a place to come to, to enjoy grilled sardines, Portuguese wines and even Portuguese football on the TV.

With a spa, hairdressers and beauty salon, the cafe here follows the same ethos of wellbeing with a plant-forward menu and list of organic wines on offer. Vegan, flexitarian, gluten-free and dairy-free diets are all catered for.

Gul Vaswani's vision of promoting Rajasthani culture in India has made its way to London where the menu here celebrates the food of Rajasthan as well as roaming the subcontinent. It's quite spectacular looking too.

Following on from their success in Islington, Irish duo Aaron Wall and Ciarán Smith have expanded with a larger food menu at their Embassy Gardens bar. Their cocktails are strong and very well made with Irish spirits coming to the fore.

Bringing Aussie beach vibes to South West London, this cafe serves up excellent coffee, brunches and a regularly changing menu with wine and beers in the evening.

Franzina Trattoria began its life in a shipping container in Pop Brixton. This husband and wife team then found themselves a permanent spot a mere stone’s throw away from their original home. Passionate about food from their hometown Palermo, this restaurant takes you through Sicily’s culinary traditional dishes and more - try their panelle, arancini and sfincione. Finish with cannoli or their Sicilian doughnuts with cinnamon, fresh ricotta cream and chocolate.

Adam Byatt's Clapham restaurant is a super neighbourhood restaurant that's also well worth crossing town for. They say their food is seasonal and inspirational, countless loyal customers agree.

BAO has opened their third restaurant in Borough and this time, they're promising something a little different. There are the same bao buns you've loved, but more dishes as well as downstairs karaoke.

A menu with some Irish influence menu is on offer at Robin Gill's next restaurant Darby’s, inspired by his father. It's an all-day restaurant and bakery just opposite the US Embassy and they'll also be serving food at the development’s incredible Sky Pool 10 stories up.

Named after the lesser known coastal area of Tuscany, a wife and husband duo opened this rustic Italian neighbourhood restaurant in 2019. Its interior is light and stylish and the place focuses on simple and seasonal regional specialities with fresh pasta and gnocchi made daily and meat and fish cooked on a charcoal grill. The wine lists boasts many that have not been represented in the UK before.

This Taiwanese restaurant moved into Brixton Village Market back in 2018, specialising in BAO and Asian BBQ food. Lots of small and sharing dishes are the vibe here - BBQ chicken wings and Jerusalem artichoke chopsticks with truffle ponzu, and baos aplenty, including tofu and kimchee, pork belly with peanut powder, shitake mushroom with yuzu.

A totally unique cocktail bar and restaurant, this offers some truly creative and mind-blowing cocktails. A Bloody Mary arrives as a clear drink (they make their own clarified tomato juice), and many others come with a taste-enhancing accompaniment while other drinks are presented with smoke, fizz, or have flashing icecubes. The kitchen has changing residencies, currently Donnelley’s, where you can experience an eclectic range of dishes with influences from all corners of the globe.

Not so much of a restaurant as a take-out with the option to sit in, this is the flagship premises of the fried chicken chain. Perch on the high stools and watch the bustle of Brixton through the glass arch as you choose from six different burger options, including garlic butter mayo fried chicken with parmesan and pickles. There is a vegan option, and sides include vegan dirty tater tots with “bacon” bits and ranch sauce.

Okan has three outposts in total, and with two of these in SW9 Brixton folk feel rather spoilt. The locations feel different in atmosphere and serve different dishes, so it's worth checking both out. Head to Brixton Market for Osaka-influenced cooking with sizzling hot plates of teppanyaki, omuyaki soba or okonomiyaki. Round the corner is their Coldharbour Lane site, where the fare is Izakaya style tapas with mum’s ramen and donburi in a calmer setting.

Fun, bright, and a bit bonkers, this restaurant is the brainchild of Tim Anderson - the youngest ever winner of Masterchef back in 2011. Nanban means “southern barbarian” and Tim’s cooking style is to mash up Japanese soul food with international flavours from Brixton Market. Ramens all come with a twist, like the lazy goat ramen topped with Scotch bonnet-pickled bamboo shoots. Other dishes include Japanese inspired burgers.

A hidden gem, and one for dedicated sushi lovers, this 6 seater set up specialises in Yoroppa-Mae style Sushi Omakase. There is no menu, the chef serves up to 18 inventive courses with the freshest fish he can source that day. The chef graduated from Tokyo Sushi Academy and the restaurant focuses on Japanese techniques while also taking influence from his Colombian and Thai heritage. An intimate and unique experience.

The character of Brixton comes from the diversity of long-standing independent businesses and Caribbean community, and this Jamaican restaurant offers staple Caribbean food that many locals will queue for. The no-frills site on Electric Avenue cooks up salt fish, callaloo, chicken and beef patties, dumplings and more. They also bake fresh Jamaican hardo bread on site daily and there is seating on two floors if you want to take your time.

Can’t afford a flight to the Caribbean? Close your eyes, take in the reggae vibes, order a rum Ting and you are halfway to being there at this laid back, well-known corner spot in Brixton Village Market. Food is unfussy, delicious and flavourful with the home made chilli sauces packing a punch. Local owner Brian hails from Trinidad and gives credit to his grandma for inspiring delicious dishes such as codfish fritters, reggae wings slathered in sticky chutney, rotis and a banging jerk chicken.

Well known within the South American community, this Colombian restaurant often has a queue outside its doors. Located on the Coldharbour Lane Village entrance, this simply furnished space offers a cosy setting with a largely meat based menu. Known for substantial portions, often served with a drink and banana on the side, diners can choose their famous hen soup, empanadas, beef in creole sauce or frijoles with rice and fried plantain. The food is traditional, rustic, and reasonably priced.

A crisp, refreshing beer with an Indian is a fine thing and Booma’s USP is to match its selection of craft beers, ales, stouts and ciders to the dishes you choose on the menu. Think wine pairing but with beers. Booma offers 1/3 and 2/3 pint options so that you aren’t limited to what you can taste and match to your dinner. The staff are super knowledgeable, helping to choose what’s right for you.