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Best restaurants in Borough Market and beyond, from London Bridge to Bermondsey

• Lucy Roxburgh

Published: August 4, 2026 at 11:09 AM

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From Michelin-starred Greek dining to viral pasta spots, fresh seafood and fiery Sri Lankan cuisine - these are the best restaurants in Borough Market

Are you looking for the best restaurants in Borough Market? This area of London is filled with some of London's best places to eat and drink. As well as the popular stalls of the market itself, Borough Market is surrounded by top restaurants. Whether you go for Michelin-starred Greek plates at Oma, grab a bun from Bao or join the pasta queue at Padella, you're spoilt for choice for a great meal. Read on for our tried-and-tested reviews for the best restaurants in Borough Market.

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For more London restaurant recommendations across the capital, check out our guides to the best restaurants in Soho, best restaurants in Covent Garden or best restaurants in Clerkenwell.

Best places to eat and drink in and around Borough Market

Oma, Bedale Street – for Michelin-starred Greek small plates

Restaurateur David Carter — who already claims an impressive portfolio that includes acclaimed restaurants Smokestak and Manteca — has furthered his London restaurant empire and opened the doors to Oma and its more casual sibling Agora. The restaurant, split across two floors (Oma upstairs and Agora downstairs), draws inspiration from the lively street markets and restaurants of Athens and the wider Mediterranean, with décor and food and drink offerings that evoke its relaxed yet refined energy. In 2025, Oma won its first Michelin-star.

We sent our pro reviewer KS Tong to check it out, here are his thoughts: "Oma's menu begins with a sneaky hero in the form of the wood-fired laffa flatbreads and açma verde (akin to a wild garlic-twisted bagel). These are made on-site in the basement bakery using wild-farmed British grains to go with a selection of house spreads, such as a salt cod XO labneh that was pure heaven. I could’ve easily just stopped here, via a few samples from the 23-page-strong wine list featuring 450-plus predominantly Greek producers, and left content. But to miss the crudo menu would be criminal (the name Oma is derived from the Greek word for ‘raw’ after all) – and yellowfin tuna with zesty clementine ponzu and crispy garlic certainly delivered. Small plates of skewers of dry-aged Cornish lamb chop (from renowned high-quality, high-welfare supplier The Cornwall Project), and lobster bisque börek and spanakopita gratin were a sensory slam dunk, each purposefully executed and thoughtfully curated. The real centrepieces however are the bigger clay pots, and the oxtail giouvetsi served with bone marrow and beef fat pangrattato was a worthy dish – rich, heavy and a striking contrast to the rest of the menu, which is a great deal fresher and lighter. It’s the perfect plate to set you up for dessert, where the sticky date pudding is not to be missed and pairs pleasingly with an Oma negroni." oma.london

Kismet, Bedale Street – for Turkish-Cypriot cuisine

Dishes come in waves at Kismet, starting with creamy dips, moving through halloumi, bitter chard and smoky meats before landing on crispy, sweet baklava.

Kismet is a meyhane, a Turkish-Cypriot tavern built around meze and raki, Turkey's anise-based drink. It's a residency above The Globe Tavern in Borough Market, from restaurateur Dom Hamdy (Crispin, Bistro Freddie) and chef Keiran Mustafa.

The set menu is £48 a head, with a £4 cover charge for water, bread and Turkish tea. Inside, it's candlelit and intimate: two rooms decorated with family photographs, with tables so perfectly positioned you don't brush elbows with your neighbours.

Dips are designed for swiping and sharing with chunks of honeydew melon, cucumber and fluffy ekmek (bread). The highlight was atom: strained yoghurt with a pool of chilli butter at its core. And hibeş, whipped tahini with citrus, was so velvety you could make pyjamas with it. Köfte (beef and lamb meatballs) and tavuk şiş (chicken thigh) came off the mangal (charcoal grill), both smoky, both succulent. The Cypriot fried potatoes that accompanied them were some of the best chips I've ever tried.

We had a bottle of minerally, dry Zambartas, a white from Cyprus, a perfect pairing for the smoky dishes. kismet.london Reviewed by Keith Kendrick

Padella, Southwark Street – for pasta

Padella’s short menu features handmade, fresh pasta dishes that have become cult classics across London. With a laidback atmosphere and reasonable prices, Padella is the perfect place to escape the tourists at Borough Market (although word has got out about the excellent pasta here, so expect to queue).

Showcasing classic Italian techniques, the simple menu is built around slow-cooked sauces and ragus from the owners’ travels around Italy. Traditional pici cacio e pepe, a simple, yet brilliantly executed dish of parmesan, lemon and black pepper is an example of how confident the team are in their products. Padella’s signature dish though, is pappardelle with eight-hour Dexter shin beef ragu, and it’s easy to see why. The succulent flavour of the slow cooked, fall-apart beef combined with the fresh tomatoes and just the right amount of garlic makes the sauce the real hero here. With traditional Italian flavours at the heart of the menu, from Dexter beef carpaccio to bruschetta with baked borlotti beans, there’s plenty to please. Finish off with an espresso, the only coffee Padella serve, or add a shot of grappa or sambuca for a caffe corretto, in true Italian style. padella.co/

Agora, Bedale Street – for a taste of a Greek taverna

Agora means 'market' in Greek, which reflects the buzzy, casual style of David Carter's ground-floor restaurant below his Michelin-starred Oma. Punters can soak up the buzz of Borough Market at window perches or sit inside the modern space that provides a layer of Greek taverna warmth thanks to the handmade rotisserie’s open flames.

Make a beeline for the frozen margarita or paloma pepped up with lemongrass syrup while perusing the Mediterranean food menu. Flame-grilled bread, slicked with garlic butter, is perfect dipping material for fermented chilli erzu-topped tahini and silky hummus laden with hot crisp shards. The spanakopita with a flatbread twist is a must-order, it's graviera cheese combined with buttery, dill-flecked spinach and finished with paprika crisps and grated parmesan. Sardines are served simply with za'atar and a squeeze of lemon, while mushrooms skewers are given an umami makeover with spring onion, soy and mirin. Turkish chilli and crispy capers brings texture to braised fava beans and a crunchy cucumber and radish salad is livened with sumac and lemon vinaigrette. Rotisserie highlights include chicharron-style pork belly served with vibrant green herb, cornichon and pickled chilli sauce. There's only one dessert – a tiramisu that holds its own served with a plum and mezcal margarita. agora.london

Bancone, Borough Yards – for elegant pasta

Popular pasta joint Bancone opened its third restaurant in buzzy Borough Yards. It's a buzzy, lively restaurant with a small but well executed menu and a great selection of drinks. The renovated railway arch allows lots of light to shine through onto diners, while the open kitchen and bar add a familiar but unobtrusive clatter of pasta tossing and cocktail shaking to the buzz.

Kick off with a negroni – classic, white or floral orange blossom. There is something for everyone – good range of antipasti to start, the creamy burrata and confit tomatoes are rich and sumptuous. The crispy fried oysters are excellent but a small portion for £16. The silk handkerchief pasta is the most celebrated dish here and for a good reason. Salty, umami, perfectly al dente pasta with the crunch of walnuts is a definite winner. The mafalde with 'nduja was well seasoned and a generous portion, but the pasta was perhaps a touch undercooked. New on the menu is the borlotti bean ravioli with chicken butter – it is beautiful to look at and is a tasty plate of pasta. Come to Bancone for a reliable and speedy meal with efficient and polite service – get a seat by the kitchen if you enjoy watching the kitchen at work. bancone.co.uk

Rambutan, Stoney Street – for Sri Lankan cuisine

Flames leap from clay pots, woks clatter over white-hot embers and the deeply satisfying aroma of coals and spice perfumes the air. This is mesmerising theatre from a counter seat at Rambutan where you watch the brigade of chefs turn out dishes that balance heat, sweetness and sharp aromatics with clockwork precision.

Set over two floors, the buzzing restaurant on Stoney Street is the creation of Cynthia Shanmugalingam, a British-born daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants from Jaffna who left before the civil war. Her menu is simply structured but the dishes are surprising and thrilling. Start with citrus wedges sprinkled with a lip-tingling, salty-sour punch of achuru, before moving on to gundu dosas, fluffy crisp balls for soaking up fresh, bright coriander sambol. Hotel Nippon beef and bone marrow rolls, crunchy with panko breadcrumbs encasing unctuous meat are essential.

The charcoal grill delivers smoky sensations (go for leeks and mango chutney) but the curries and clay stove dishes steal the show – saffron chicken pongal rice, like a smoky chicken risotto; not-for-the-faint-hearted red pineapple and mustard seed curry; and unmissable lamb kottu roti with spring greens and wild garlic. Butter rotis, delicate and flaky, puff before your eyes, ready to mop up every morsel of intensely flavoured sauce. Cool your tongue with tart, creamy blood orange curd ice cream. There’s a lot to love, so box up the rest and come back for more. rambutanlondon.com

Akara, Stoney Street – for West African dishes

We sent food writer Toyo Odetunde to check it out. Here are her thoughts: "Speaking to the intertwined culinary histories of West Africa and Brazil, dishes at Akara are joyfully vibrant. There is, of course, the signature akara, the soft fried black-eyed bean cakes the restaurant is named after, brought to Brazil by enslaved West Africans. These blend the characteristically bouncy Nigerian akara osu with fillings inspired by Brazilian acarajé – such as the tiger prawn, my top pick. You’ll also find suya in the form of a juicy steak served with a nutty and spicy yaji crumb, and a coconut-scented rice dish brimming with bisque-like flavour, from the Efik community of southern Nigeria and western Cameroon. As the menu draws from across West Africa, you’ll also find dishes like lamb fataya, another one of my favourites here. These golden Senegalese patties are served with a glossy onyx-black squid ink yassa sauce.

The spacious and stylish blond wooden interiors brightened by rainbow-hued artworks invite a lively buzz – also facilitated no doubt by the tropical cocktails such as the Akojo, with pineapple and almond." akaralondon.co.uk

Plaza Khao Gaeng, Stoney Street – for southern Thai cooking

Set under the railway arches that flank Borough Market, this fun spot brings the energy of a raan khao gaeng – the informal canteens that pop up on street corners and markets across Thailand. The high-ceilinged room is breezy and buzzy with a quirky, eclectic style: stainless steel tables, zingy pops of colour, retro Thai movie posters and restaurant signs all add to the atmosphere.

A Paricha margarita eased us into the heat zone – mango infused tequila and kumquat liquor with a kick of fresh Thai chilli served alongside an appetiser plate of miang pla: betel leaves to be wrapped around spicy sausage, dried fish and crunchy galangal floss to make a herbal, tangy mouthful. The yam strawberry salad was a refreshing sweet/salty surprise – strawberries in a punchy dressing, topped with a sprinkling of the tiniest translucent fish and coconut.

From the curries, the gaeng massaman neua was deeply comforting – big chunks of beef, slow cooked in a rich spiced coconut sauce with hunks of potato to soak up all of that fragrant curry. Gung pad prik gaeng sator (tiger prawns stir-fried in red curry paste) brought some of that notorious heat but balanced it well with coconut cream.

We kept the heat at bay with a icy glass of Singha beer, served in a chunky frozen glass tankard. Or if you’re in a crowd there’s the option to order a three-litre beer tower with your own tap – a fun playful touch for a very fun spot. plazakhaogaeng.com

Pyro, Southwark Street – for open-flame Greek cuisine

Pyro is a light-filled, open-kitchen spot where smoke and fire do the heavy lifting. Headed up by Yiannis Mexis, formerly of Hide, the Greek menu leans into open-flame cooking with balance and control. Potato pita is essential: pillowy, dotted with onion seeds and perfect for scooping up cooling tzatziki or smoky aubergine topped with walnuts and pomegranate. A pork pluma skewer is rich, roasted and herb-packed, expertly balanced with sour apple. Sea bream crudo, by contrast, is light and bright – green olive and caper leaf add savoury lift, while precisely diced chillies lend occasional, welcome heat.

The octopus is soft and lightly charred, paired with a spiced red wine sauce and silky yellow split pea. Lamb, cooked over alder wood, is standout – tender, subtly sweet, served with lamb-fat flatbreads and an anchovy-spiked yogurt. Sides more than pull their weight: crisp layered potatoes with garlicky skordalia and a confidently simple lettuce salad. Portokalopita, soaked with citrus syrup and served with a perfumed citrus leaf ice cream, ends things on a bright note. pyrorestaurant.co.uk

Brindisa, Southwark Street – for tapas

Brindisa sits in a prime corner spot with a wraparound terrace and open windows that are perfect for grabbing a sunny post-work drink or weekend bite after exploring the market. Channel a classic taste of Spain with a glass (or jug) of sangria or seasonal spritz. The Green Garden Cooler with Seedlip, elderflower cordial and apple and cardamom syrup is an excellent alcohol-free option.

Traditional tapas favourites are all found here: crisp jamón croquettes are the perfect sangria partner, while chorizo on toast has a crisp char and tangy chimichurri dressing. Seasonal and house specials join the menu, too. The monte enebro – creamy fried goat’s cheese with orange blossom honey – will be a welcome addition to your table. Patatas bravas are crispy but the aïoli is surprisingly light on garlic. Chargrilled vegetables come served whole with a refreshing green gazpacho. Skip the large plates but save room for creamy burnt cheesecake.

If you don't have time for a whole meal, head to the Brindisa market stall to pick up a chorizo roll stuffed with plenty of crispy chorizo, piquillo peppers and rocket. brindisatapas.com

Applebee's, Borough Market – for seafood

Applebee’s, a family-run Borough Market institution for 25 years, has recently relaunched with a new design and menu showcasing seasonal, sustainable British seafood. In summer, bag a table in the outside area at the front for watching the bustle of the market go by, while, inside, the open kitchen and bar all down one side of the winding room add to the buzzy atmosphere. Take a look at the fridge holding that day’s catch and watch chefs cooking over the tall barbecue grills.

Kick off with cocktails – a delicate rhubarb sour had an almost creamy texture. The drinks list includes a good range of wines by the glass, including interesting English bottles. If you can resist the opening snacks (crab croquettes, oysters, taramasalata), head straight to starters. Scallops are served in the shells with three different butters to tour through – lemony garlic, spicy sobrassada and salmon roe. A wedge of brown crab rarebit is cheesy and filling, topped with samphire and shrimp.

The mains showcase classic fish cookery paired with a range of culinary influences – grilled monkfish tail with chorizo jam, hake with beurre blanc, whole stuffed sea bream with spiced potatoes and curry sauce. A skillet of fish pie is soft and comforting. While Applebee’s may be predominantly all about the fish, make sure you save room for dessert – the sticky toffee pavlova with warm toffee sauce served tableside is not to be missed. applebeesfish.com

Elliot’s, Stoney Street – for a gourmet wine bar

Elliot’s has focussed on working with small-scale producers for both its drinks and produce since opening in 2011, and much of it is sourced from the market itself. The bar incorporated an all-natural or low-intervention wine list early on and has worked with Master of Wine Isabelle Legeron on its wine list.

All the producers share the same mindful approach to wine-making as chef-owner Brett Redman does to cooking simple dishes including cauliflower caponata and flaked almonds, or grilled sweet and sour squash with chicory and Tunworth cheese. Elliot’s also makes its own seasonal infused spirits and soft drinks. elliots.london/borough-market

Porteña Empanadas, Stoney Street – for hot empanadas

There’s something eternally appealing about this Borough Market institution's hot empanada counter (traditional Argentinian pasties), partly thanks to the way the word ‘Porteña’ is stamped into the crimped crust of the freshly baked pastry. Try the ‘Chorizo Empanada’, which is their most delicious – with a heavenly slick of spicy porky oil that drips onto your hands. Their ‘provolone and onion’ is also very good - almost jammy sweet and extremely cheesy. Order extra chimichurri sauce to smother on top for an extra flavour kick. portena.co.uk

Bao, Stoney Street – for bao buns

There's almost always a line outside take-away kiosk Bao in Borough Market – and for good reason! The entire takeaway menu is astonishingly tasty, and a bargain price at that. The Fried Chicken Bao with golden kimchi and hot sauce – served in a playful sesame ‘burger bao’ – is a delightful combination of tender, crunchy, tangy, pillowy, and spicy tastes. Or order the ‘Fried Horlick Ice-Cream’ for a deliciously nostalgic treat. You can also click and collect if you want to beat the queues. baolondon.com

Mallow, Borough Market – for elevated plant-based dining

From the team behind Mildreds comes another fully vegan restaurant in London Bridge. Seasonal and sustainable ingredients are the threads that brings the menu together, which draws from a diversity of influences across the globe.

The Taste of Mallow tasting menu is front-loaded with small plates which shine brightest, starting with a flatbread with tempered curry leaf oil to dunk into a smoky sweet potato pepper mojo and creamy white bean and confit garlic hummus. Aromatic pickled seasonal vegetables and a charred fennel and citrus salad add welcome balance and crunch. These are followed by innovative root chop croquettes and a charcoal brioche, while the main to share is a creamy tomato and potato masala with a crisp pakora, dhal tarka and fluffy pea-studded pilau rice. The chocolate cherry truffles complete the meal when all you can manage is one last bite.

The extensive drinks menu includes cocktails made with Mallow’s own gin, such as the dry vermouth and chilli martini, as well as beers made in collaboration with UnBarred Brewery and Harbour Brewing Co. You won’t miss the booze with a non-alcoholic and utterly delightful citrussy and red chilli-spiced pineapple martini. mallowlondon.com

Tacos Padre, Borough Market – for Mexican street food

Irish-Spanish chef Nick Fitzgerald worked at Pujol in Mexico City before setting up a stall in the hustle of Borough Market to serve tacos, from beef short-rib suadero with aged beef fat to morita salsa, chicken asado and cauliflower al pastor with guajillo adobo. You can also find an increasingly famous salsa macha every day until 6pm. tacospadre.com

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Bala Baya, The Old Union Yard Arches – for Middle Eastern food

Tucked down The Old Union Yard Arches, in a brick-exposed railway arch, Bala Baya is a Tel Aviv-inspired restaurant in Southwark. It’s the first solo venture from Eran Tibi, who cut his teeth at Ottolenghi. Like Eran, who had us ‘sampling’ bitter orange vodka shots on a school night, it’s lively and energetic. balabaya.co.uk

Oudh 1722, Union Street – for Awadhi flavours

Just moments from London Bridge, Oudh 1722 brings Michelin-starred chef Aktar Islam’s refined Awadhi cuisine to a striking three-storey Victorian building. The best seats overlook the open kitchen, where dishes are crafted with theatrical flair.

Standouts include the shorba – spiced lamb tartare finished tableside with an umami-rich broth – and the gilawat kebab, Herdwick lamb ground to a velvet softness in a nod to Nawabi tradition. The malai murgh chicken leg, served dramatically with the claw intact, is a true showstopper, while lasooni jinga pairs giant prawns with raw mango for a bright, punchy bite. The mutanjan dum biryani, oxtail on the bone with aged basmati, is a riot of colour and depth. Among the curries, the Gulnaar – a smoked tomato cream tandoori chicken – sets a new benchmark for butter chicken, while the kara masala ka gosht (confit goat) arrives rich, dense and meltingly tender. Generous chaat and tangy gol guppa round out a menu that balances historical significance with contemporary flair. oudh1722.com

Image credit: Rebecca Dickson

Bar Douro, Flat Iron Square – for Portuguese small plates

This wine bar/restaurant fuses Portuguese cervejaria interiors with industrial features from the railway arches – blue and white tiles line the marble-topped bar, while exposed piping in the curved arch roof becomes part of the decoration. A mezzanine level cleverly utilizes the space at the top of the arch’s curve to showcase the owner Max’s Portuguese wine collection.

Small plates are true to traditions, with a few of chef Tiago’s modern twists – tender grilled octopus tentacle was served with sweet potato as it is in tabernas across Tavira in the Algarve and suckling acorn-fed Bisaro pig was cooked sous-vide then pressed and served, true to tradition, with homemade crisps. Another highlight was a delicate mix of wild mushrooms (king oyster, Portobello, shiitake) served with roast chestnuts on a silky chestnut purée and topped with a delicate tempura spinach leaf.

We had a preview of a super-light olive oil cake, presented with jewel-like pieces of quince and swirls of requesón (a Portuguese ricotta-like cheese). But, go all out with baba de camelo, a bowl of creamy dulce de leche mousse decorated with wafer thin pieces of dark chocolate, or keep it traditional with warm pastel de nata and lightly spiced cinnamon ice cream. bardouro.co.uk

Nine Lives, Holyrood Street – for cocktails

This vibrant subterranean bar brings plenty of tiki-inspired fun and on-point cocktails to London Bridge, just minutes from the station. Hip interiors of rattan lampshades, lush hanging plants and upcycled bamboo furniture, are paired with pulsing beats and feel-good vibes.

The cocktail menu from award-winning bartender William Campbell-Rowntree (ex-Artesian Guards bar) stays true to Nine Lives’ Tropicalifornication roots with Don Julio Blanco tequila, Grey Goose vodka and fino sherry, mixed with an array of sunshine flavours including watermelon, hibiscus and kiwi. To help pique your interest and inform your decision, each cocktail is expounded with three key tasting notes. The Inner City 75 – a twist on the classic French 75 and topped up with crémant – is "velvet, floral and elegant", while sipping on their Plum 'n' Bass, you can expect to enjoy a "round, ripe and fiery" cocktail made with Martell VS cognac, plum, lemon and ginger beer. No- and low-alcohol options are available, as well as taco and bar food pairings for some of the serves. If you get hungry, impeccably made guacamole and flavoured-packed seasonal seafood tacos – including a vegan no-fish Baja – are available to order from Tigre Tacos' now permanent kitchen. ninelivesbar.com

Sollip, Melior Street – for Korean fine dining

Sollip means ‘pine needle’ in Korean, reflecting the Michelin-starred restaurant’s attention to detail in hospitality. A serene ambience and muted tones (floor-to-ceiling curtains, sweeping banquettes and pale wood tables) allow the food to shine. Korean components are weaved through the seven-course tasting menu with nods to tradition but presented in a contemporary style.

On the menu since launch, the aged gochujang beef tartare buckwheat tartlet is topped with a thin layer of truffle cream, while the signature dish is a collab between husband-and-wife owners – Woongchul Park's savoury edge applied to Bomee Ki’s patisserie skills in a daikon tarte tatin. Extra touches to elevate the experience include a ""magic box"", opening to reveal perilla seeds, to encourage diners to taste the ingredient in its true form before enjoying the chestnut noodles with cold pressed perilla seed oil in a nurungji broth.

After dessert (that might be coconut sorbet with green mandarin meringue and spruce crisps), there's a tea menu to pair with pea and basil madeleines. Cocktails are created with care – think soju and makgeolli fermented rice wine muddled with juniper, mint and orange shrub. The wine pairing includes a few Korean options – that might be rice, wheat and pine liquor soju varieties. sollip.co.uk

Nancy's, Colechurch House – for late-night cocktails

Recently opened in the brutalist Colechurch House, just across from London Bridge station, Nancy's is bringing buzz and retro-futuristic glamour to the area. Boasting impressive views of The Shard and the station's intersecting tracks from its fourth-floor vantage point (through stunning rounded-corner windows), the bar is the epitome of 70s chic, mixing zebra print seating, sparkling chrome, palm plants and a disco ball.

The 'market-to-glass' menu showcases local artisans and Borough Market produce. Our Miloco, a take on a passion fruit martini but with flavours of mango sticky rice, featured sparkling coconut sake distilled down the road at Kanpai; our Superpak old fashioned combined Michter's rye whiskey with raw Lithuanian buckwheat honey by From Field and Flower at Borough Market.

Elsewhere the Anko, inspired by Southeast Asian grocery stall Raya, brought together Toki whisky, gochujang and spiced carrot for a fiery, savoury drink not a million miles away from a bloody mary. Perhaps the standout though was Nancy's Dirty Martini, featuring an “ultimate brine blend” from Borough Olives – it had salinity of course but balanced with buttery, boozy complexity. If you love martinis, this is definitely one to seek out. nancys.co.uk

Image credit: Kay Stanley-Whyte

Shangri-La at The Shard – for a special occasion with city views

If The Shard had toes, they would tickle Borough Market, from where the high-rise hotel sources much of its produce. Initial impressions of main restaurant, TING are magnificent: the lift doors open onto a spectacular panorama of London, dominated at first by St Paul’s Cathedral. Low tables and armchairs are arranged to soak up as much of the view as possible.

The food lives up to the view: Dorset crab, cucumber, mango, passion fruit and tomato to start; organic lamb loin with sake, soy, Erengi mushroom, apple and shiso to follow. Sommelier Anne Lomas is unstuffy and approachable despite the glam surroundings. The ground floor’s Lang sells yuzu cheesecake to eat in or take away.

Don’t leave without visiting Gong, the highest bar in London. Try The Big Smoke, a gin, sherry and vermouth cocktail served in a dramatic, smoked-at-table martini glass.

TING at Shangri-La also does a superbly exotic twist on afternoon tea. If you enjoy Asian food, andwould prefer to gaze across a sparkling city rather than a Victorian dining room, then you can’t get much better.

Diners have the choice of a traditional afternoon tea or an ‘Asian-inspired’ afternoon tea… the latter reigns supreme, with moreish steamed prawn dumplings and delicate crab rolls in place of finger sandwiches. Service is spot on – after loudly complimenting our dumplings, we were quickly presented with another piping hot batch to enjoy. shangri-la.com/london/shangrila/

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Dockley Road – for hyper-local seasonal produce in a welcoming setting

With a menu that sources its ingredients from the bumper crop of local producers in Bermondsey, Dockley Road truly earns its stripes as a neighbourhood joint. Just steps away from The Kernel, a key player on the Beer Mile, the rich and hearty beef stew pie is braised with The Kernel’s porter, while the tender beef comes from the Farmer Tom Jones butcher, on the same road as the restaurant.

Staff bring expertise from St John and Rochelle Canteen to the ever-changing menu but there are no pretensions here. An oozy squash gratin with delicate chanterelles is proper comfort food, as are the deep-fried cod bites with a silky mayo. Ask for the green peppercorn mayo with the chips for a punchier dip.

St John wines pepper the drinks list, while the cocktail menu gets inventive: the Dockley tallow gin martini is fat washed with rendered beef fat from Farmer Tom Jones.

Tiramisu with Monmouth coffee is a fitting finish to the ultra-local offering. dockleyroad.co.uk

Lahpet Larder, Bermondsey Street – for an introduction to authentic Burmese flavours

Named from the Burmese for pickled or fermented tea with a nod to the history of Bermondsey, once known as London’s larder, this is the latest addition to Dan Anton and Zaw Mahesh’s growing empire. Adding to existing sites in London’s Shoreditch and West End, the new opening draws influence from the duo’s Burmese heritage and love for Myanmar’s rich produce.

The menu highlights both classic and regional culinary styles, utilising some ingredients imported directly from Myanmar. With a frontage of large sash windows that open onto the buzzing Bermondsey Street and interiors that intertwine sleek modernity against a refined industrial backdrop, it’s a perfect introduction to a cuisine that is as rich in history as it is flavours. lahpet.co.uk

Trivet, Snowsfields – for high quality dishes and wine in an informal setting

Chef Jonny Lake, sommelier Isa Bal and team currently hold two Michelin-stars for Trivet. It’s the combination of creative, superbly cooked dishes and unstuffy ambience that makes this neighbourhood restaurant such a success. The likes of langoustine pici pasta, grilled sweetbread with smoked Maitake mushrooms and braised and roasted celeriac precede seasonally rotating desserts. A 450-plus wine list orders countries based on when they started making wine. trivetrestaurant.co.uk

Casse Croûte, Bermondsey Street – for French bistro vibes

You'll be lucky to bag a table at this tiny French bistro on foodie Bermondsey Street. From the moment of calling up to book, you're greeted with French charm and a friendly "Bonsoir". Bookings are scribbled across white paper covers to save the gingham table cloths beneath from crumbs and butter. Which the chefs at Casse Croûte don't hold back on. A whole sole comes drizzled in the stuff, lamb shoulder with slow-cooked ratatouille has a generous helping, and the mash is whipped up with more butter than potato, just how we like it.

In true neighbourhood bistro style, a short menu of French classics is chalked up on the black board. The selection of three starters may feature refreshing salades nicoise, chunky game terrines and silky salmon rillettes. Mains are simple yet well executed, focusing on the classics – bavette with creamy gratin dauphinois potatoes, hake on a bed of fennel, roast chicken with crunchy green beans – while the indulgent, cream-heavy desserts are worth leaving room for. Try mille feuille, crêpes suzette, apple tart, and luxurious chocolate fondant.

Nestle in to a red leather banquette, sink a carafe of French wine, and give an in-the-know nod of appreciation to your neighbour (you may be touching shoulders, after all). cassecroute.co.uk

José Tapas Bar, Bermondsey Street – for tapas

A sublime, if tiny, tapas bar where compulsive ham croquetas are creamy and full of jamón, this was the first of chef José Pizarro’s growing stable of Spanish restaurants. Find a corner to burrow in and enjoy a glass of sherry and a game of padron pepper roulette (who will find a spicy one?), along with some patatas bravas and tortilla for good measure. The blackboard menu’s daily selection might include rich, boozy chorizo al vino, crisp baby chicken and potatoes with punchy Romesco sauce, and fresh pisto with delicate duck egg. Puddings are excellent – try the creamy rice pudding or the rich, velvety chocolate pot that’s given a savoury finish with olive oil and sea salt. josepizarro.com

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