Happy days as Peckham Cellars re-opens its restaurant

BY PALOMA LACY

Much-loved neighbourhood restaurant Peckham Cellars may have closed the restaurant element of its operation during lockdown but it kept people well watered with the contents of its wine cellar, offering same-day and next-day local delivery.

Working with C Free to help reduce carbon emissions, it plants a new tree for every wine delivery made from the bottle shop.

More than 5,000 trees have been planted by the restaurant so far.

Wine sustained many during this past year but its loyal following missed the food tremendously and particularly the talented touch of head chef, Henry Freestone.

So much so that you could almost hear the cheers as the restaurant reopened following the lifting of in-dining restrictions last month.

Few can forget a menu under his stewardship – whipped Marmite butter was one of many items that keeps the restaurant long in the memory.

Freestone joined the team at Peckham Cellars as head chef in June 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. He rose to the challenge in the kitchen, helping the team achieve a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide in its 2020 honours’ list, for his “laid back and unfussy” menu.

The kitchen came back strongly with a new weekend brunch menu, terrace dining and a 100-strong wine menu to complement the food.

The re-opening dinner menu offers dishes such as salt beef sando, house pickles, mustard and Swiss cheese and torched mackerel, rhubarb, fennel and thyme oil.

The young chef explains the inclusion of such dishes as “just the kind of food I want to eat.”

The brunch menu has been warmly received with dishes such as sausage or roasted portobello mushroom breakfast burrito, with egg and hash brown, and Henry’s signature filo-wrapped asparagus, dippy duck egg and anchovy aioli has becoming something of a signature dish of Freestone’s.

All brunch dishes are under a tenner, and include the satisfyingly sweet peanut butter French toast, macerated strawberries, and vanilla ice cream.

Peckham Cellars launched a new wine club, Club Del Vino, delivering delicious bottles of joy direct to the door.

Billed as the perfect option for busy people, who want to leave selection to an expert, and have a monthly order delivered to their door, club members get 10 per cent off orders online and at the bar.

125 Queens Road, London SE15 2ND

So many restaurants have interesting names with a quirky back story but this one is so obviously simple.

Newly opened 081 Pizzeria, Peckham Levels, is offering up some of the best pizza in South London, and little wonder, given that 081 is the telephone code for the home of pizza, Naples, home of owner Andrea Ascuiti.

When it comes to pizza, in Ascuiti we trust, as co-founder of Streatham pizza place, Bravi Ragazzi.

Pizza is serious business and 081 Pizzeria’s electric oven has been approved by the Napolitan Pizza Association.

Could there be a greater authority? We doubt it. But before you try the pizza, check out the Napoli-style tapas dishes – the arancina and aubergine parmigiana is sublime.

Go to www.081pizzeria.com

Brixton Village has a new restaurant resident, Temaki, specialising in hand rolled sushi.

The menu is executed under the watchful eye of executive and Japanese rice specialist, Shaulan Steenson.

At the heart of every hand-rolled piece, is uruchimai rice, designed after years of Steenson’s experience in the sushi hot spots of Hakkoku and Sushijin, as well as a top-tier London restaurant background.

Temaki’s signature white and brown crabmeat, egg yolk and white soy; and tuna, fresh wasabi and Nikiri soy; as well as Japanese small plates such as salmon skin crisps with chilli and salt are already pleasing diners.

Wine, sand Japanese beer, alongside expertly-prepared bottled cocktails with a Japanese twist, created specially by Fire Water Workshop, are whetting diners’ whistles nicely.

Koshary Kitchen at Boxpark Croydon is feeding football fans before, during and after games throughout the UEFA Euros 2020 tournament.

Already known for its healthy bowl food concept, showcasing Egypt’s national dish – koshary – a new Euros menu has been launched.

A range of wraps mean fans can choose snacks that can be eaten with one hand, while standing, leaving the other hand free for the serious business of cheering their team on.

Egyptian pitta bread, filled with pickles, red onion, salad, tahini sauce, yoghurt sauce, mint and a touch of harrisa mayonnaise.

Just choose a protein filling and you’re good to go.

This royal line-up includes King Tut’s beef shawarma, Queen Cleo’s chicken shawarma and Rameses shrimp – juicy shrimps, cooked in panko breadcrumbs.

www.kosharykitchen.com