Where To Eat In East Dulwich, According To A Local
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12 minutes ago
Move over (north) east London – south east is quickly becoming London’s best spot for food
East Dulwich, which borders Peckham, Camberwell and Dulwich proper, has seen a number of brilliant restaurants and chefs move into the area in recent years. No-one has had better vantage to watch this than Jamie Younger, the co-owner of The Victory pub, who has been local to Lordship Lane for 30 years.
‘I bought my first property in East Dulwich around 30 years ago, and set up my first gastropub there – the Eagle – 24 years ago,’ he says. ‘At the time, there was nowhere else to go to get a decent Sunday lunch. But now we’ve got lots. People have just begun to realise how great south east London is – from the parks to the schools – and that’s meant an influx of shops, wine bars and restaurants.’ Below, he brings us a foodie’s guide to east Dulwich.
Where To Eat In Dulwich, By Jamie Younger
You should know this restaurant… Evi’s, on North Cross Road. I’ve gotten to know the owners, Evi and Connor. She’s Greek, from Crete, and they do very authentic Greek cooking. Properly done, too, they import what they need, and use British ingredients where they can.
We don’t have many… Chains. East Dulwich is full of independents. There’s a chipotle, or whatever, now, but it’s by and large independent. We have a lovely wine shop called Cave de Bruno, for example – which, bizarrely, is managed by my old restaurant manager [when I was at the Palmerston]; it’s all a local closed circuit.
I start my day with… Eric’s bakery. Another independent. It’s run by Helen Evans, who was formerly head baker at Flor, and she makes everything in-house, Thursday to Saturday. When it’s sold out, it’s sold out. It’s all made with UK-grown wheat and rye.
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For lunch… It’s back to Evi’s. They do a souvlaki wraps which my kids love.
My date night spot is… Kokum, the all-day modern Indian restaurant on East Dulwich Road. It’s lovely, does fantastic cocktails, and brilliant curry. Sometimes I do leave the area for Herne Hill – it’s just down the road – for Llewelyn’s, too.
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For family-friendly dining… I go to Monkatsu on North Cross Road. It’s a family-run Japanese place, and my little boy loves the pork katsu curry. The place is always full of kids, probably because it also does children’s portions.
My Friday night takeaway spot would have to be… MEATliquor, for a burger. Scott Collins, before creating MEATliquor, was actually running a pub in east Dulwich. There’s only three MEATliquors now – Dulwich, W1 and BLOODsports. He’s kept Dulwich because it’s just around the corner from his house, and it’s his baby, really. My kids love the mac and cheese from there.
This is the bar to go to… Kix Bar on Lordship Lane. It was previously Vits + Kicks but rebranded recently, and does Mexican-Asian fusion food, now. There are nine different margaritas on the menu.
Best Places To Eat in East Dulwich
The Victory
Though Jamie may be too humble to recommend his own restaurant, The Victory is a fantastic Dulwich addition. It opened in May on the former site of Franklin’s (‘a bit of an institution,’ says Jamie), as both a bar and restaurant. Head chef Seán Breen, formerly of Noble Rot, serves a menu of ‘French-ish’, seasonal dishes. Fish comes from the south west – where Jamie grew up – while, at the moment, a lot of game meat is entering the menu (‘there’ll be a nice beef cheek cottage pie on our winter set lunch menu,’ he adds). There’s four unique martinis, too, and a particularly well-valued mid-week set menu that’ll leave you stuffed – the ultimate lunch spot in the area.
Address: 157 Lordship Lane, SE22 8HX.
BOOK: victoryrestaurant-bar.co.uk
Kokum
Having opened in 2023 on the site of a former pub, Kokum is a relaxed Indian restaurant from ex-Gymkhana chef Sanjay Gour as well as Simeron Lily Patel (‘Who grew up locally,’ adds Jamie). Top dishes include the Kashmiri-chilli lamb cutlet and the Amritsari fish, and an inventive drinks menu adds spice to classic cocktail recipes. It boasts a locally-loved Sunday roast, as well as regular cookery classes.
Address: 58-60 East Dulwich Road, SE22 9AX.
BOOK: kokumlondon.com
Kix Bar
An independent Mexican-Asian restaurant and cocktail bar on Lordship Lane, Kix has – as Jamie mentioned – an extensive margarita list, including a classic, picante with chilli, and tequila-led version. For nibbles, pick your favourite among exceptional tacos, bao buns and sharers including chimichurri steaks.
Address: 57 Lordship Lane, SE22 8EP.
BOOK: kixbarkitchen.co.uk
Evi’s
This Cretan restaurant stopped doing evening service in November this year but will be running as a daytime café – meaning the souvlaki and gyros Jamie mentions might still be on the menu (although it’s yet to be fully announced).
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Address: 18 North Cross Road, SE22 9EU.
BOOK: evisrestaurant.com
La Cave de Bruno
A ‘very chilled’ local wine shop and bar on Lordship Lane, La Cave de Bruno is run by, naturally, Bruno, a Frenchman who sources his tipples from independent vineyards. Enjoy a glass alongside a little plate of charcuterie and cheeses in the cute spot and its buzzy outside terrace, or take a bottle home. (Or… both.)
Address: 143 Lordship Lane, SE22 8HX.
BOOK: lacavedebruno.com
Photography of The Victory by Nic Crilly-Hargrave.
