Food & Drink

Wahaca has become a family favourite – including with mine – because it’s ideal for the whole family. Little ones are greeted warmly with drawing materials, the food’s cracking and the cocktail list pretty unbeatable.

The UK has already seen one heatwave this year with Europe recording its second warmest June on record, and with another one expected for the end of this month it is safe to say summer is officially here. Now that the lifting of Covid restrictions is also finally within reach, it is the perfect time to get your friends and family together for a barbecue.

Streatham dwellers were pleased to welcome neighbourhood restaurant SW16 Bar & Kitchen last autumn. Further lockdowns and on-going restrictions saw tough times, surviving on a takeaway collection service of fresh pasta, which thankfully proved popular.

I didn’t expect to find this. On a recommendation I set out to find The Cricketers, only discover that there is not one but three pubs of that name nearby.

I grew up near a pub that is just over the county line and, due to a different by-law, closed an hour later than the others. Apparently, drinkers would rush in another hour of drinking after the other pubs had closed. It was a fascinating, almost mythical pub (there was once a famous murder there) and has long been demolished.

London is experiencing a boom in new hotels, coinciding nicely with the easing of restrictions, this is perhaps further evidence that we’re finally in for a bumper summer of fun. NYX Holborn Hotel is already making its mark, attracting Londoners and out-of-towners alike, drawn to this design-led haven, complete with swimming pool, and spa.

News that an extended Streatham Food Festival is back for 2021 will no doubt be music to locals’ ears and a sign of life returning to normal. The 10-day event begins on July 1, giving everyone plenty of opportunity to get back out and support bars, cafes and restaurants.

A blow for pubs this week with the news that restrictions will continue for another month, and perhaps longer. This is such an uncertain period for pubs and every week without full trade hurts.

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.

It is great to see pubs open again and even thriving, as far as they can with some restrictions still in place. This summer is probably the most eagerly-awaited in living memory and pubs will surely enjoy a much-needed boon.