The best restaurants in Bermondsey

Scurry under the arches on Maltby Street for a fix of natural wine topped off with some sustainably sourced food. Located inside Gergovie Wines’ warehouse, this no-bookings joint specialises in bottles and by-the-glass selections from boutique European producers, while the blackboard menu summons up modern British dishes with sunny Med overtones.

It may be holed up in a former underground car park, but this food, drink and music venue really does feel like a restaurant – and has the seasonal menu to prove it. The trendy bare-brick ambience is just right, and the cooking throws up some wonderful moments – despite high-ish prices and the odd misfire in the kitchen.

A shot of warm, villagey France in Bermondsey, this genuinely familial eatery works to a daily blackboard menu of boldly chosen, smartly executed bourgeois classics. There are just three choices per course, but the flavours are true and prices are sensible. You can even come here for plates of cheese and charcuterie.   

Have a beer, scoff some food and watch a movie… all under one roof. That’s the deal at this well-liked Bermondsey gastropub – a stylishly designed spot with a little cinema for hire in the basement. The menu picks and mixes at will, touting everything from cured sea bass with tempura seaweed to confit rabbit with pearl barley.  

Spawned from José Pizarro’s namesake restaurant further along Bermondsey Street, this tapas bebé has the genuine feel of rustic Spanish hangout – all plain brick walls, timbers, tiles and stools. Food-wise, expect fantastically fresh renditions of the classics at easy-to-swallow prices. You can’t book, but José’s doors-wide-open attitude is bang-on for the neighbourhood.  

From the folks behind Casse-Croûte, this charming restaurant in a mock-Tudor pavilion on the edge of Tanner Street Park is affably French right down to its untranslated Gallic menu and (sometimes) incomprehensible staff. Flavours are gutsy, rustic and traditional to the core – don’t miss the six-course homage to poulet au Bresse.

Smarter and roomier than his tapas bar (José) up the road, José Pizarro’s eponymous Bermondsey flagship artfully combines old Spanish detailing with a stripped-back new- neighbourhood look. Pizzaro is a master when it comes to revitalising traditional flavours and he cooks with immense care and skill. Well-chosen wines fuel the congenial buzz.    

Don’t expect to be given a menu at Tom Sellers’ Michelin-starred outpost of modernist cuisine. Instead, you’ll be treated to a succession of playfully artistic plates – the self-proclaimed ‘chapters’ in a gripping gastronomic tale that requires your attention for a goodly amount of time. Financially, of course, it’s a seriously weighty tome.  

Channel your inner Louis Smith or Beth Tweddle at this all-day venue done out like an old-fashioned gymnasium – pommel horses and all. The music’s loud, the cocktails are on-point and the food promises satisfaction with a contemporary twist – devilled mushrooms on sourdough, black pudding scotch eggs, Bermondsey meat pie, etc. Good for bottomless brunch too.

Super-cool industrial decor, hipster waitresses, stand-out cocktails and a sophisticated grown-up vibe – Village East ticks all the neighbourhood boxes. It also sports a beautifully lit dining room where you can take your pick from cheffed-up pretty plates, comforting classics and the odd healthy option. Weekend brunch and Sunday roasts please the locals.