31 Things To Eat In Southeast London Right Now

All the best food is south east.

1. Street food at The Old Nun's Head, Nunhead

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This popular local pub has given over its kitchen to a rotating selection of street food vendors, and without making any kind of horrible song and dance about "pop-ups" at that. Burger Bear (pictured) are regulars, and kebab wraps from I Should Be Souvlaki are not to be missed when they're at the grills. Keep an eye on The Old Nun's Head's Twitter to see who's cooking when.

2. Bagels at Brown's, Brockley

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They buy them in fresh from Brick Lane's Beigel Bake and then fill them on-site with salmon and cream cheese, pastrami and pickles and more, right on time for weekend breakfast. Enjoy one with Browns' excellent flat white, made with delicious Square Mile coffee.

3. Jerk Chicken from Smokey Jerky, New Cross

Helen Graves / Via helengraves.co.uk

Or jerk anything, for that matter, because their pork is off the hook too. Make sure you try their homemade hot sauces, but beware, they're H🔥O🔥T.

4. Pie, mash and liquor at Goddards, Greenwich

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Ten different kinds of pie, buttery, creamy mash and a cup of tea on the side. Get the liquor, a light, non-creamy parsley sauce, if you will, because if you're going total-trad with a minced beef pie, you've got a good helping of the meaty kind in there. And it's delicious. If you're not all pie'd out by that point, head up the road to Wellbeloved in Deptford and stock up on their infamous steak pies to eat at home.

5. Satay chicken Bahn Mi at Panda Panda, Deptford

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Spicy, light, fresh, juicey, crispy and only £4. You couldn't ask much more of a sandwich.

6. Sourdough from Ayres the Bakers, Nunhead

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All of the baked goods at Ayres, from flaky pasties to sweet cakes and biscuits, are worth buying a couple of dozen of. Follow them on Instagram and you'll see what a labour of love their sourdough bread is too – probably why it's some of the best around.

7. Chargrilled octopus at Peckham Bazaar, Peckham

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The big juicy sea-beast is just one of the many things that keeps locals coming back to Peckham Bazaar. Close your eyes and you can pretend you're eating a barbecue on the beach.

8. Sausage rolls at The Royal Albert, New Cross

Royal Albert.

Always on the bar, just begging to be eaten with your pint.

9. Fancy Indian food at Babur, Forest Hill

Babur

Babur

Babur's elegant and luxurious Indian food, highlights of which include lightly spiced tandoor-cooked venison, quail breast with black sesame seed masala and seared stone bass with fennel chutney, which all come with high-end wine recommendations, is a far cry from the curry and a pint you might be used to. Although if you are after something more casual, they're pretty great at that, too, at their takeaway outlet.

10. Zeret surprise at Zeret Kitchen, Camberwell

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You could easily miss Zeret, hiding in a row of shops on Walworth Road, but this cosy, friendly Camberwell institution is not to be overlooked. The "Zeret Surprise" a sharing dish of various Ethiopian meat and vegetable stews served on top of injera bread, a sort of fluffy, sourdough pancake, is a great way to try loads of stuff on their menu. Tear bits off and scoop up the spicy sauces until you're full and happy.

11. Rare beef pho at Mo Pho, Brockley

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Mo Pho deserves serious recognition, not only for their excellent name, but also for their great selection of cheap and delicious Vietnamese favourites. The flagship dish, rare beef pho, is an unsurprising highlight, with its rich, aromatic broth, crisp fresh vegetables and of course, tender slices of beef.

12. Salt beef and pickle sandwich from Brickhouse Bakery, East Dulwich

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Brick House bakery has long been building a fan base selling their bread around London, and now that they've opened a pleasant cafe in East Dulwich, you can be sure the sandwiches they're using it to make are second to none, too.

13. Hot sauce at Hop, Burns and Black, East Dulwich

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Hop, burns and black refers to the beer, hot sauce and records (black vinyl, yeah?) that this hipster-dad's wet dream of a shop is selling. They've got an excellent selection of all three, and provide snacks such as sausage rolls that you can slather a bit of said sauce onto and eat in the shop while you have a drink and listen to some tunes. If you're looking to tart up the condiments shelf of your fridge, this is where to go.

Honourable mention for Hop, Burns and Black's sausage rolls, too.

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They get them in fresh from Pig and Hay, because you have to have something to put your hot sauce on.

14. Lamb Mo Mo at Yak & Yeti, Crystal Palace

Yak & Yeti

These mini, stuffed, steamed pancakes are a popular fast food in Kathmandu, and a great introduction to Yak & Yeti's excellent Nepalese menu.

15. Pasta at Artusi, Peckham

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The menu changes all the time but you can guarantee whatever pasta dishes they have on will be exceptional. Much love has been expressed for their rich, lamb ragu slathered pappardelle, and their lighter, anchovy linguine is a lovely option too.

16. Big (or middle) plate chicken at Silk Road, Camberwell

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It's impossible to go to Silk Road without ordering this bonafide classic – a rich, peppery broth filled with green chilli, chicken and potatoes, with a plate of homemade "belt" noodles thrown in halfway through - so make sure you go with a load of people to get the most out of it. Shout out also to their fish skewers, home-style cabbage, sea kelp in chilli oil, pork with black fungi and smacked cucumbers. Order it all, leave with change from £20.

17. Thali at Ganapati, Peckham

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A brilliant way to sample a selection of South Indian delights at this old Peckham favourite.

18. Charcuterie at Donde Tapas, Honor Oak Park

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There's not much better than a massive plate of cured meat and a beer on a weekend afternoon. Especially if you order a load of other classic tapas dishes, including tortilla and chorizo to go with it.

19. Spaghetti with Mussels at Il Giardino, Peckham

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Il Giardino is one of those classic old Italian restaurants where you can get a big, fresh bowl of pasta (or indeed, pizza, meat or fish) where you won't have to tolerate any trendy bullshit. The drinks come in regular old glasses! You can book a table! The menu allows you to order a full plate of food that you won't have to share with anyone! Make that full plate, a simple seafood spaghetti with a glass of red. You won't regret it.

20. Tea and cake at Alexandra Nurseries, Penge

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"Penge? LOL," you say? Go and have a look at property prices around SE London and see if you still think the idea of going there is so funny.

Done?

OK, now I have your attention, consider the cafe at this botanical haven where you can have a lovely slice of homemade cake and a pot of tea after stocking up on plants to brighten up the flat nearby that you've just had to spunk nearly half a million on. They even sell burgers and great beers in the evenings sometimes. Not so bad this far down south after all, eh?

21. Scotch bonnet and pork fat toast at Camberwell Arms, Camberwell

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Whether you're there for The Camberwell Arms' lighter (and excellent value) lunch menu, or there for a full dinner, the scotch bonnet and pork fat toast is not to be overlooked. Meat, spicy decadence in its simplest form.

22. Brunch at No.67, Camberwell

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Everything you love about a trad English, but tarted up a bit (see chorizo and homemade baked beans). Or of course you could go transatlantic with sticky waffles and bacon. Whichever you choose, enjoy it with the Sunday papers and the sun streaming into their light, airy dining room.

23. Lamb kebabs at Meze Mangal, Lewisham

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Why subject yourself to the hipster horrors of Kingsland Road when you can enjoy excellent Turkish food right down south? Lewisham's Meze Mangal has been long-loved by locals far and wide thanks to their beautifully spiced, charcoal grilled meats and amazing sides.

24. Stuff on toast at Peckham Pelican, Peckham

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Avocado, radishes and cucumber, tomato, chorizo and poached egg – whatever you top your chewy sourdough toast with at Peckham Pelican, you're guaranteed to leave pleased.

25. Sourdough Pizza at Mamma Dough, Honor Oak Park

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The south London outpost of Clapton and Hoxton favourite, Sodo, is just as good as its east London cousins, and chances are, there'll be less of a queue between you and your lovely pizza.

26. Antipasti from Gennaro Delicatessen, Lewisham

Gennaro Delicatessen / Via Facebook: italianfoodlondon

Some might say that the narrow little street that runs round the back of HSBC in Lewisham isn't a culinary hotspot, but those people have obviously not been to Gennaro Delicatessen and discovered the treasure trove of Italian wonders it holds. Fresh bouncy mozzarella, oozy gorgonzola, a bounty of olives and all the charcuterie you've ever dreamed of. Why not get a fresh coffee and a panini to enjoy on the way home, too?

27. Schabowy pork at Mamuska, Elephant and Castle

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Everyone who lives in the vicinity of Elephant will speak fondly of this Polish restaurant tucked inside the shopping centre. Try the crispy Schabowy pork with creamy mashed potato and you'll understand why.

28. Sticky toffee pudding at The Great North Wood, West Norwood

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A pub's pudding menu should not be overlooked – especially when it includes this kind of sticky toffee perfection. Enjoy it with a pint of stout to counter the sweetness regardless of whether or not you've eaten your dinner beforehand.

29. Roast Chicken at the Rosendale, Dulwich

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The roast is just as everyone likes it at this family friendly pub: simple, well cooked, packed will flavour and fully appreciative of much-loved traditions like bread sauce with chicken.

30. Dim sum at Hong Kong City, New Cross

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Hong Kong City is packed with loyal devotees most Sunday mornings and it's no surprise when a dim sum brunch here can set you back as little as a couple of quid a plate. Flaky barbecue pork buns might not be the healthiest thing on their menu, but they're absolutely worth tucking into for a treat.

31. Spit and Roast fried chicken at Brockley Market, Brockley

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It's often a challenge to choose from the huge variety of food treats at Brockley Market on a Saturday, so we'll make it easy for you and suggest you get a buttermilk chicken bun from regulars, Spit and Roast, when they're around. Juicy, crispy chicken and a punch of Korean hot sauce will get your weekend off to a great start and set you up for the day.