Best restaurants in South London
South London’s restaurant scene is diverse and innovative and I adore exploring what it has to offer. For all occasions, a mid-week catch-up with pals, Saturday date night, or a quick grab-and-go lunch; South London restaurants do it all.
But before getting into this specific list of the best restaurants in South London, I have to admit my biases: I think small plates and sharing is the most enjoyable way to eat together, I love a bit of fusion and new takes on dishes, and I wholly believe that a cocktail menu can make or break a meal.
This leads me to the top five places that encompass all my favourite things about dining in South London. These are the places I go back to, again and again…
AGORA
As you approach this restaurant, you will first notice the huge windows thrown open so you can see chefs cooking on the woodfires as you queue for this walk-in-only spot. London Bridge’s AGORA serves up Greek souvla dishes that transport you to sun-washed coastlines.
The menu is divided into sections, with spreads, skewers, salátas, braises, fiery wood-oven flatbreads and wood-burning rotisserie plates.
The restaurant has an earthy feel, whether that’s the tonal décor or flaming cooking stations, be ready to take a pew and eat well. I fell in love with the hummus dish the first time I visited, mostly because it’s served with homemade spicy crisps for dipping.
Except for AGORA’s kiwi sour, the flatbreads steal the show here. The spanakopita, graviera and crispy potato flatbread is a perfect marriage of the Greek flavours of spinach and feta atop the fluffiest bread you can imagine, with the crunch from the ‘tatoes. Sumptuous. And its spicy pork sausage, spit roast pineapple and hot honey flatbread is a delight.
If you're looking for one more thing to try, the slow-cooked chickpeas with green zhoug – a fresh and herby sauce – are moreish and soupy, perfect for mopping up with yet more flatbread.
London Bridge, SE1 | agora.london
Mr Bao
At Mr Bao, you fill your own order sheet. I love taking my little pencil and crossing off how many fluffy bao the table wants to order. It’s like a multiple choice exam where you know the answer is going to be delicious dishes.
This South London spot slings Taiwanese steamed buns, Asian favourites and some signature twists from the chefs thrown in for good measure.
Every time I dine at Mr Bao, I order the sticky BBQ corn ribs, ginger and garlic edamame, and the pork belly bao, which uses free-range pork and is topped with house pickles and roasted peanuts.
It also has a regularly changing, seasonal cocktail special. For summer, I discovered newfound love with its Hot Girl Summer Special. It was as if an Aperol and a spicy margarita had a baby and I’ve been making them ever since, no matter the season.
In soft drinks, the Mr Bao Nogroni Spagliato is a refreshing take for a sober eve or try the Taiwanese root beer or selection of teas.
Peckham, SE15 | mrbao.co.uk
Forza Win
There is a reason the Forzas have become South London institutions. In my eyes, each site offers a near-flawless dining experience.
Forza Win embraces the Italian way of grazing over multiple courses, only uses produce that is available in each season, and it’s a way of eating I can fully get on board with.
Past visits here have been for birthday celebrations, but it has a low-key confidence that makes it as perfect for mid-week lunch as it does for your 30th. It is cosy in its vibe but special in its dining.
For autumn, you’ll find parmesan beans and sage, basically begging you to dip a chunk of garlic toast straight into the bowl. Then it’s time to devour a plate of Forza Win’s fresh homemade pasta – on this occasion, it’s sauced with a sausage ragu.
And if the tiramisu is on the menu, it’s an unsaid rule that you have to order it.
Camberwell, SE5 | forzawin.com
Taca Tacos
For the best tacos in South London, it has to be Deptford’s Taca Tacos. No fuss, no frills, just Mexican dishes inspired by the California taco scene.
It specialises in beef birria tacos, Mexican beef slow-cooked for six hours in a blend of rich chillies and spices. Served with a pot of beef birria broth for dunking the taco into, this is as messy as it is delicious. Just remember to tuck in your sleeves.
You’ll also find a monthly special that will keep you coming back for more. The Taca team approaches tacos with experimental excitement, like the lahmacun taco. This playful spin on the Turkish pizza had smashed grilled minced beef, topped with a zingy salad, garlic yoghurt, salsa and a whole chilli.
It shows that pretty much anything goes on a taco, but not without doing the basics right first.
Deptford, SE8 | tacatacos.co.uk
The Alma
One of the meals I go out for the most in South London is a roast dinner. When that Sunday call comes in, you have to answer it.
The Alma is a quintessential South London pub, it has a huge wine list offering plenty of by-the-glass delights, the beer garden is heated, and they cater for everyone – from groups to pairs.
Sundays see veggie haggis plates placed on tables, forks diving into Cotswold Hubbard free-range chicken breasts, and diners cutting into Saltmarsh lamb leg in a mouthwatering few hours of service.
But with a roast, everyone knows it’s all about the sides and The Alma offers some of the best. Each plate comes with seasonal veggies, a Yorkshire pudding, roasties and gravy and if you're not adding every extra, then what are you doing?
I want my Sunday roast to be overflowing like Christmas day plates, so yes, I will be ordering the cauli cheese, pigs in blankets and hispi cabbage for the table. Zero questions asked. Roll us out of there like the stuffed Christmas turkey.
Crystal Palace, SE19 | thealmapub.com
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