Peckham Bazaar
Find this taverna-style restaurant on a residential road east of Rye Lane. Albanian owner John Gionleka cooks padrón peppers, harissa chicken thighs and pork skewers on the charcoal grill. And while the service can be hit and miss, the flavours are worth it. The place is particularly lovely on a balmy evening if you can nab a table on the deck outside. There’s a reason the feta-stuffed courgette fritters don’t leave the menu: order a portion each.
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Named after 1970s New York DJ Larry Levan (the owners are music-mad), this bistro is always buzzing. The space has an open kitchen, deep blue walls and a dining room in two parts, while the refined menu is big on cheesy comfort (Comté fries with saffron aïoli, gnudi with wild garlic and Lincolnshire Poacher). There’s an extensive natural wine selection and a strong playlist. Next door at Bar Levan there is more biodynamic wine and late opening on weekends. A grown-up neighbourhood duo that Londoners travel for.
This, the little sibling to neighbourhood bistro Levan, might just be even more fun. It's mini, with moody lighting and high stools lined up against the bar and windows where locals sip organic and biodynamic wines recommended by charming and familiar staff and graze on French-influenced dishes from the chalkboard menu. Our pick is slices of baguette with saucisson and pickles, the devilled egg with Kewpie mayo and trout roe followed by a bavette, frites and a salad to share (delivered from the restaurant next door). Always buzzy, it feels like the place to be.
