Two years before he punched a farmer who nailed him with an egg, John ‘Two-Jabs’ Prescott unveiled the extension of the Docklands Light Railway to include Lewisham. As a resident, I’m likely biased, but even the DLR knows it’s a special place – with its automated announcements referring to it as The Lewisham.
But it’s not just me who will happily bang on about living there; everybody’s wanted a piece of it over the centuries. King Alfred liked it enough to make himself Lord of its Manor, at a time when the Vikings were demonstrably annoyed to discover that we’d given up worshipping trees. Even Kent insisted Lewisham was theirs until 1889.
Then, in 1997, The Battle of Lewisham saw the National Front and their police escort sent packing, outnumbered as they were, eight-to-one. As a Bristolian, these instances are cringingly familiar, but so too is the dogged assertion of cultures via food—on which Lewisham is not short.
Everest Curry King
Run by the Sivarajah family for over twenty years, Everest Curry King is a Sri Lankan stalwart in Lewisham. Over the last few years, the restaurant’s popularity has escalated to the point that they can take over the site next door. The original is a cafe setup, with a glass-cased array of dishes cooked that day to have in or takeaway, along with great value set meals: mutton curry bobs with whole spices; vast dosas with all the bits; ruby chunks of chilli-laden paneer and aubergines, cooked down into shreds of caramelised vinyl. Meanwhile, its restaurant brings a more experimental edge, with jaffna devilled mutton, oaded fries, squid roti and rose milk sarbath-glazed doughnuts. Great cocktails, too.
24 Loampit Hill, SE13 7SW, everest-curry-king-restaurant-london.goto-where.com
The Rising Sun
The term “proper boozer” has been diluted, typically by those who think Guinness is a plaything. As a broad-shouldered bald man who wears work boots without cause, I worry about deceiving the regulars, from whom I typically receive a knowing nod. It’s got Guinness and Guinness extra cold, the latter reassuringly undersold. There’s a nook for darts, sports always showing and unintrusive volumes and a vast beer garden. There are no ales or artisanal faff here. The best bit about this proper boozer is St Patrick’s Day, where a vat of lamb stew is plonked on a table, along with stacks of bread and butter, for free. Slàinte! 120 Loampit Vale, SE13 7SN
Kiki & Miumiu Market
A recent addition to the glacial development of Lewisham, Kiki and Miumiu Market, on face value, is a pan-Asian labyrinth of snacks, noodles, condiments, frozen dumplings, baked goods and vegetables. However, follow the butcher's counter and you’ll find their Cantonese meat stall, serving glass-skinned duck by the whole or half, or sticky-sweet char siu, poached chicken, or slabs of siu yuk, with bobbled Quaver-like fat, served by the kilo or portioned with rice. Find a bench and inhale without mercy.
Brick Kiln, One Station Rd, SE13 5FP
Levante
Levante is a place where your name doesn’t even matter, because the owner never forgets a face. As you might’ve twigged, it’s ostensibly a mangal where the extraction fan might be military-grade, the constant vortex of fat-imbued smoke swirling constantly upward from the coals. Without fail, the grill master wears a white shirt, as if to indicate just how deft his hands are, firing buck shots of sea salt onto all the proteins. Expect whole sea bass cooked in clamped cages – gnarled skin giving way to yielding, pearly flakes; generous platters that remind you that sharing is, in fact, caring; viscerally satisfying za’atar lamb ribs; ezme salad that resembles a mishap of precious stones at the smelter, to be scooped with mottled lavash; textbook lamacun and phenomenal baklava, washed down with black tea.
11 Lewis Grove, SE13 6BG, levantelewisham.uk
Antonio’s
Run by husband and wife Antonio and Priscilla, Antonio’s at first glance has the hodge-podge clutter of a jumble store – its space demanding a “just find a place for it” approach, where panettone and pandoros hang overhead and Antonio himself effusively greets everyone from behind his deli counter at the back, his head almost butting the dangling scamorza and hoofed prosciutto. Italian’s natter around the coffee machine, connolo in hand; the queue snaking around an island of inevitable impulse-buys, adjacent to a chiller of fresh pasta and the lesser-known ‘nduja. Next door is their restaurant/cafe, where Priscilla runs the show, delivering heaped plates of clams with chilli and pesto; oozing wedges of her signature lasagne, sweetened with grated apple and deep bowls of lentil soup. A glass case display is crammed with arancini al ragù; sfogliatelle bursting with cream, and focaccia sandwiches.
25 Lewis Grove, SE13 6BG, antoniocafe.uk
Kłos Deli
Among the reams of Polish goods, Kłos deli isn’t just kitted out with a butcher’s counter and an admirable array of sausages, including kaszanka – the Polish answer to black pudding. You can also find zapiekanka: warm kiełbasa plunged into a hollowed-out baguette, slicked with ketchup and mustard. For something sweet, there’s a counter filled with desserts, sold in the only way that makes sense – by the kilo. Hulking cubes of apple cake exhibit a cross-section of chunks suspended in cinnamon-spiked paste, topped with granulated sugar. Giant eclairs wear a thick skirt of cream, and opium cube cake might not be actual contraband, but it’s extremely close.
33-35 Lewis Grove, SE13 6BG
Something Fishy
Despite the name, this Lewisham institution doesn’t explicitly serve fish and arouses intrigue rather than suspicion. Part chippy, part greasy spoon, part pie and mash shop, Something Fishy has been family-run since 1975 and has become a stalwart communal hub, open 9am-5pm. Relentlessly utilitarian, Something Fishy also offer stick toffee pudding and apple pie – with custard or ice cream – alongside tipples from Stella to pinot.
117-119 Lewisham High St, SE13 6AT, somethingfishylewisham.co.uk
Wilson’s
While not technically Lewisham proper, Wilson’s in Ladywell, with its Just William-grade sense of quaintness, deserves a mention. Owned by husband and wife, Joel and Alina Falconer, where Henry Freestone is the head chef, who previously shook the pans at Peckham Cellars, Tila and Bambi. A staunch Francophile, you only need to look at Freetstone’s now-famous master stock, taking weeks to make, to see how closely he regards classic cooking and its techniques. You’ll regularly find exemplary moules marinières and steak frites, pasta on Wednesdays, and Sunday roasts, which make you doubt your nan’s abilities, mainly through the liberal use of that master stock.
77 Ladywell Rd, SE13 7JA, wilsonslondon.co.uk
Maggie’s
This Irish institution is famed for its “create your own” breakfasts, starting at £6.25 for three items, all the way to £13.95 for twenty. Maggie’s is unabashedly utilitarian, featuring smashed avocado alongside eggs Florentine, home comforts of bangers and mash, spaghetti bolognese and a gourmet burger. Determined to nurture a “home away from home” atmosphere.
320-322 Lewisham Road, SE13 7PA, maggiesrestaurant.co.uk
