Saawaros' Thai Residency above The Albert Arms, SE1

 

Saawaros, run by Thai chef-founder Ice, is popping up Wednesdays to Sundays in the upstairs room at The Albert Arms, SE1, serving superior Thai food.  

Saawaros means 'passionfruit', and this is Ice's passion project, which he started while working as a chef at Fallow, and has now been successfully running since late 2025.

The menu offers a good mix of dishes, including Thai takes on oysters and wings, salads, and the most popular dish, a slow-cooked beef short rib curry, which is a work of art.

It's my favourite from all the ones I've visited regularly.  It is serving Wednesday to Sunday evening (plus Saturday lunch) in a small, smart dining above the pub; book your table now!

When - Wednesday to Sunday evenings, and Saturday lunchtime.

Where - Above The Albert Arms, 1 Gladstone St, Elephant and Castle, London SE1 6EY

Booking - Book by DM on Saawaros' Instagram account

Map

Saawaros London on Instagram

The Albert Arms SE1 on Instagram

Tracks Pizza at The Hand of Glory, Lower Clapton, E8

Tracks Pizza - Millie & Charlie - have started a new residency at The Hand of Glory pub in Amhurst Road, E8, serving their thin & crispy pizzas Tuesdays to Saturdays.  

Tracks pizza started a couple of years ago, trading at markets, then had a big residency at a brewery in Herne Hill last summer, and a pub on the Kingsland Road most recently, perfecting their flavours and technique along the way.  

Great pizzas - join the queue! 

When - Tues-Sat - evenings + all day on Saturday

Where - The Hand of Glory, 240 Amhurst Rd, Lower Clapton, E8 2BS

Booking - via JaguarShoes

Map 

Tracks Pizza on Instagram

The Hand of Glory pub on Instagram 

Lagom at The 3 Compasses, Dalston

Lagom is chef Elliot Cunningham, who has been popping up around London for several years, and is now serving burgers, buns and more at 3 Compasses in Dalston, E8, Tuesdays to Sundays.

Elliot is a big fan of fire cooking, and his  burgers and buns are really worth the visit (I came all the way from SW4).  I had the lamb burger, with Greek spices and even a dash of yogurt, which was spectacularly good.  I need to nip back to try some more; he also does a smash burger, a chicken bun, and a fried celeriac bun.

& don't forget to order a portion of the triple-fried potatoes - these are seriously addictive.

When - Tuesdays - Sundays

Where - The 3 Compasses, 99 Dalston Lane, London E8 1NH

Bookings - via 3 Compasses' website

Map

Lagom on Instagram

3 Compasses on Instagram

Rice Paddy's Thai Residency at The White Horse in Peckham

Rice Paddy - Irish chef Paul Asher - has taken over the kitchen at The White Horse pub in Peckham, serving his Northern Thai dishes on Tuesdays to Sundays.

Paul has worked in some great restaurants both in the UK and Thailand, and has a great love and understanding of the cuisine.  

I have eaten his food many times over several residencies around South London, and I'm delighted to see him in his most ambitions residency yet.  His food is so good, especially his curries, and he is also doing both his take on Sunday Roasts and sharing platters on Sundays and a festive set menu designed for groups in the run up to Christmas.

It's always a joy to visit Paul, and see what is new on the menu.  When I first visited him at The White Horse I had his chicken wings which were so hot I had to go running back to the bar for more drinks!

When - Tuesdays to Sundays 

Where - The White Horse, 20-22 Peckham Rye, London SE15 4JR

Book via - The White Horse

Rice Paddy on Instagram

The White Horse on Instagram

Out Back at The Hawke, Victoria Park Village, E9

Out Back is a project from chef Lewis Simmons - aka Simmo - who has moved his smoker in to the back yard of the Hawke pub in Victoria Park Road, E9, and is cooking up lots of treats in the kitchen.

Simmo has been cooking around London for several years, working for other BBQ outfits, and this is his first proper solo residency.  Expect lots of slow cooked meats - the smoked pork belly rib is insanely good - and his is also doing Sunday Roasts.  Booking strongly recommended.

Out Back is serving at The Hawke on Wednesdays to Sundays, including from lunchtime at the weekends.

 When - Wednesdays to Sundays 

Where - The Hawke Pub, 235 Victoria Park Rd, E9 7HD

Booking - via The Hawke Pub

Map

Out Back on Instagram

The Hawke Pub on Instagram

Melanie Blatt's Full Fillings Food at The Londesborough, N16

Full Fillings Food is a new(ish) burger pop-up from former All Saints star Melanie Blatt, now serving at The Londesborough pub in N16, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  

The concept is big filled buns, and there are currently 3 on the menu: Mexican-inspired beef birria,  Caribbean-inspired chicken, and a veggie mac n cheese one (a genius idea!).  I had the beef birria, which came with a really good gravy; a vital part of the experience.

The Londesborough is a big corner pub, with seating inside and out, so you should have no trouble getting served (but it's always safest to book (link - The Londesborough) and you may also get to meet Mel!

When - Tuesday and Thursday evenings (& on Uber Eats & Just Eat)

Where - The Londesborough, 36 Barbauld Rd, London N16 0SS

Bookings - via The Londesborough

Map

Full Fillings Food on Instagram

The Londesborough on Instagram

Sho Foo Doh's Japanese Residency at Filly Brook in Leytonstone

 

Prawn & squid okonomiyaki by Sho Foo Doh

Sho Foo Doh - led by Japanese chef & DJ Fumio Tanga - has taken over the kitchen at the Filly Brook bar in Leytonstone, E11, cooking Japanese '(un)classics' and his very popular okonomiyaki, Wednesdays to Sundays.

Fumio is one of the originals from the London street food and pop-up scene - I remember eating his food in a coffee shop in 2011 - and it is always good to see a new residency.  The menu is pretty extensive, with about ten of the (un)classics (including a tuna tostada, and tonkatsu, a deep fried pork cutlet), plus three okonomiyaki (pork, kimchi & cheddar, prawn and squid, and braised shiitake & mozzarella (vegetarian, can be made vegan).

I hope that this is a long-running one - great food, great bar.

When - Wednesdays to Sundays from May 2025

Where - Filly Brook, 392 Grove Green Rd, Leytonstone, London E11 4AP

Map

Book a space - on their site here

Sho Foo Doh on Instagram

Filly Brook on Instagram

Tracks Pizza at Bird House Brewery Taproom in Herne Hill

 

Tracks pizza is now serving Fridays and Saturdays at the Bird House Brewery in Herne Hill, with a choice of their own sour dough pizzas cooked to order.  

Tracks was set up by Millie and Charlie following an idea they had when they were on holiday.  When they got home they bought their first pizza oven, and started trading at weekend markets last year.  This is their first 'proper' residency.

The pizzas are great - they make their own own dough, and use a creative combination of toppings.  I had the Hot Pep, which has tomato, nduja, and hot honey among it's toppings, providing a mix of sweetness and heat.

Go and catch a rising star!

When - Fridays from 4pm and Saturdays from 1pm - until June 2025 or so

Where - Bird House Brewery, Arch 1127, Bath Factory Estate, 41 Norwood Rd, London SE24 9AJ

Map

Tracks Pizza on Instagram

Bird House Brewery Taproom on Instagram

Seouls of Mischief's Burgers at the Pretty Decent Beer Co taproom near Victoria Park

 

Seouls of Mischief is a new burger co now serving Weds-Sun at the Pretty Decent Beer Co taproom in Bow Wharf, E3, just minutes from Victoria Park.  It's a big, double patty aged-beef burger, very creatively presented (maybe this was just the day I was there, but I doubt it!).  

Seouls of Mischief is a sister company to Mexican Seoul, the restaurant next door to the taproom, which fuses Mexican and Korean cuisine in very inventive and tasty ways.

Elsewhere on the menu are other buns - chicken, fish, and vegan, plus a lot of sides including these hash browns, which are served with a dipping gravy.

It's a great addition to the taproom, which seems to be busier every time I go, and stocks a very good range of Pretty Decent's craft beers.

When - Wednesdays to Sundays

Where - Unit GF1, Bow Wharf, 221 Grove Rd., Old Ford, London E3 5SN

Map

Booking page

Seouls of Mischief on Instagram

Pretty Decent Beer Co on Instagram

Yagi Izakaya's Japanese Bar Food at The King & Co in Clapham

 

Yagi Izakaya - led by chef Chris Wright - is now in the kitchen at The King & Co in Clapham, serving Japanese-style bar food - the sort you find at izakayasizakayas in the back streets - Mondays to Saturdays until early July (with the pub doing its own roasts on Sundays).  

Chris has a long history with Japanese cooking, including time spent in Japan, and also at restaurants including Nobu.  This is his second time at The King & Co, and he has been innovating with the menu, including adding Snow Crab Milk Buns (see above), and a set of 5 Chicken, Nduja & Shitake Gyoza, which come cooked together in a sort of crispy pancake.

There are also sweet things, including this Black Sesame & Truffle Ice Cream.  As always with this chef the quality is fantastic - and I've already booked by second visit.

When - Mondays-Saturdays until early July 2024

Monday-Friday evenings, Saturday all day from 12pm

Where - The King & Co, 100 Clapham Park Rd, London SW4 7BZ

Bookings - via the The King & Co

Map

Yagi Izakaya on Instagram

The King & Co on Instagram

Patty & Pickle at The Star of Bethnal Green in E2

 

Patty & Pickle are now in the kitchen at The Star of Bethnal Green, serving fine burgers, wings, and fried pickle fritters.  The burgers really are the business - two dry-aged beef patties from butcher HG Walter, with American cheese, pickles, and a special sauce, in a potato bun.  

It works perfectly in the pub - a pretty traditional East London boozer, with a good range of beers and spirits.  

Serving Tuesdays to Sundays - including daytimes at the weekend.

When - Tuesdays to Sundays

Where - The Star of Bethnal Green, 359 Bethnal Grn Rd, E2 6LG

Map

Patty & Pickle on Instagram

The Star of Bethnal Green

Gengelly's at The Earl of Derby in Nunhead, SE14

 

Gengelly's - chefs Larry & George - are in the kitchen at the Earl of Derby pub in Nunhead, serving a classic pub grub menu daily, including a Sunday Roast on Sundays.  The food is great - out of a choice of a burger, fish and chips, a pie and more I went for the sausages (they are keen to stress that you get three) with mash and a jug of gravy - and it was every bit as good as it looks.  

It's a lovely pub too - owned by the same people as the White Horse and the Montpelier, both in Peckham, it has a good selection of beers (Brockley, Gipsy Hill, Five Points), screens for sport, and lots of seating both inside and out.

"Our kitchen, Gengelly’s, is run by chefs George Genn and Laurence Pengelly, formerly of Good as Gold in Brockley and is a real highlight of a visit to the Earl. With a menu focusing on proper pies, chargrilled meats and fish, weekly specials, and tasty Sunday Roasts using fresh & sustainable organic produce, you’re sure to find something tantalising. Whether you’re after a snack with your pint or 3 courses, Gengelly’s dishes are unfussy, elegant and delicious."

When - Daily - with roasts on Sundays 

Where - The Earl of Derby, 87 Dennett's Rd, SE14 5LW

Booking - via the Earl of Derby

Map

Gengelly's on Instagram

Earl of Derby on Instagram

MAMAPEN's Cambodian BBQ at The King & Co in Clapham

 

MAMAPEN - chef Kanada Pen's Cambodian BBQ and comfort food - is now serving at The King & Co pub in Clapham, Mondays to Saturdays until mid April 2024. 

I first ate Kanada's Cambodian food at a pub pio-up in Hackney, and since then he has done supper clubs and other events, and of course been at From The Ashes BBQ at their locations.  It's great BBQ food, with Cambodian spice. The BBQ half chicken comes with a scotch teriyaki glaze & tuk trey koh kong (a 🔥 Cambodian dipping sauce). Perfect for the pub!

It's great to see this food going down so well at The King & Co. When I visited Kanada and his colleague were hard at it, sending out plates; the Khymer fried chicken bun is the most popular (& I need to go to have one of them next!)

Currently serving Mon-Fri evenings, all day Saturday (from noon), and the pub does their own roasts on Sundays.

When - Mondays-Saturdays til 13th April 2024

Monday-Friday evenings, Saturday all day from 12pm

Where - The King & Co, 100 Clapham Park Rd, London SW4 7BZ

Bookings - via the The King & Co

Map

MAMAPEN on Instagram

The King & Co on Instagram

Sayer St Burgers at Feed The Yak in Elephant & Castle, SE17

 

Sayer St Burgers, run by chef Oli, is serving smash burgers every day at Feed The Yak, the sports and craft beer bar in Sayer St, SE17, near to Elephant & Castle.  Oli also ran Buena Onda Tacos, at the same site, and changed the menu (& the brand) at the start of this year.  The burgers are inspired by the LA-style smash burgers - and I had the one with two patties.

Burgers trends always seem to go in waves. The first 'gourmet' burgers about 20 years ago went for 'big and thick', I think partly to distinguish themselves from McDs and BK, whose burgers were always thin. This approach was also followed by Honest, Patty & Bun and the wave that came post 2011.

But now we're obviously going back the other way, with lots of people offering the thin 'smash' burgers, not least the viral guys in Soho, and Honest too, whose own smash burger is their best seller, and will be opening some dedicated 'smash' sites. Smash is the new fried chicken - discuss.

Back to chef Oli's smash burger: I absolutely loved this - full of flavour, made from mince specially formulated by a local South London butcher. The thinness, and the pressing during cooking caramelises the meat, and the greater surface area adds to the flavour. (I am drooling as I write this).

In fact it reminds me of The Bird in Berlin, a place I went to a few years ago - when the 'gourmet' style was all the rage here - thin patties with lots and lots of flavour, making a very tasty, moreish 🍔

When - Daily

Where - Feed The Yak, 2 Sayer St, London SE17 1FG

Map

SayerSt Burgers on Instagram 

Feed The Yak on Instagram

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Wilde's Deli at The Rose & Crown in Kentish Town

 

Wilde's Deli, the brainchild of chef Ollie Gratter, is currently serving Tues-Sun at The Rose & Crown in Kentish Town, with a range of 'Jew(ish)' dishes including salt beef reubens & sandwiches, turkey, latkes, and fried pickles.

Ollie only did his first pop-up in June last year, but since then it feels like he has been everywhere, including weekends in a cafe in Camberwell, and a supper club in Shepherd's Bush.  This is his longest residency to date, and it is proving very popular with the locals, and with other fans  making their way across London to see what all the fuss is about.

It's great food - in very generous portions.  I think I've eaten Ollie's food 4 times in 8 months, and each time has been better than the last.  

Catch a rising star!

When - Tuesdays-Sundays 

Tues-Weds - Evenings 

Thurs & Fri - Lunch & evenings

Sat & Sun - All day

Where - The Rose & Crown, 71-73 Torriano Ave, London NW5 2SG

Map

Wildes Deli on Instagram

The Rose & Crown NW5 on Instagram

Yagi Izakaya's six week residency at The King & Co in Clapham

 

Yagi Izakaya, run by chef Chris Wright (ex SomSaa & others) is currently in the kitchen at The King & Co in Clapham, serving Japanese ]'izakaya' food - essentially bar food popular around Japan - Mondays to Saturdays until the 25th November 2023.  There is lots to love on the menu, including Japanese fried chicken, with dashi mayo and parmesan, corn dogs with mustard & ketchup, double cooked potatoes with miso butter, and dorayaki karaage sando (a chicken sandwich essentially served between two pancakes.)

I have eaten Chris' food several times this year, so I went for the specials - see pics.  I had the pork cheeks with ponzu kosho, and then the chicken cheese tsukune (essentially chicken meatballs w melted cheese in the middle.

Great food - well worth a trip! 

When - Mondays - Saturdays until 25th November 2023

(& the pub do their own Sunday Roasts on Sundays)

Where - The King & Co, 100 Clapham Park Rd, London SW4 7BZ

Map

The King & Co on Instagram

Yagi Izakaya on Instagram

Afuego Latin Street American Food at the Brick Brewery Taproom in Peckham

 

Afuego Latin American street food are now serving 6 days a week at The Brick Brewery taproom in Peckham, cooking out of the container kitchen in the front yard.  Afuego, led by chef Yassir, serve up excellent burgers and tacos, the former with a Latin American twist (their signature burger has a layer of carnitas).  The tacos also come highly recommended - well filled with generous portions.

All perfect food to go with the brewery's excellent beers!

When - Serving Tues-Sun 

Tues-Thurs: 18:00 to 21:30

Friday: 17:00 to 21:30

Saturday: 12:30 to 21:30

Sunday: 15:00 to 20:00

Where - The Brick Brewery Taproom,  209 Blenheim Grove, SE15 4RX

Map

Afuego Burger on Instagram

Brick Brewery on Instagram

Sho Foo Doh's Japanese Okonomiyaki at the Pretty Decent Beer Co Taproom in Forest Gate, E7

 

Sho Foo Doh, aka chef Fumio Tanga, has been popping up around London for over 10 years, serving his fantastic Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, a sort of Japanese pancake filled with all sorts of goodness including noodles, bean shoots, cheese and kimchi.  He has just taken over the kitchen at The Pretty Decent Beer Co's taproom in Sheridan Road, Forest Gate, E7, serving his Japanese street food, including the okonomiyaki and other smaller plates like sesame panko cauliflower.

It is serving Thursdays to Sundays - evenings on the week nights, and then all day at the weekends.  Highly recommended, especially as the taproom is one of London's best. 

When - Thurs-Sun 

Thurs & Fri evenings, Sat & Sun from lunchtime

Where - The Pretty Decent Beer Co - Forest Gate Taproom, 340 Sheridan Rd, London E7 9EF

Map

Sho Foo Doh on Instagram

Pretty Decent Beer Co on Instagram

The Dragon Flame's 6 Month Residency at The Tavern on The Hill in E17

The Dragon Flame are now in the kitchen at The Tavern on The Hill, the independent pub at 318 Higham Hill Rd, E17, serving their BBQ & fire-cooked food on Tuesdays to Sundays (including a Sunday Roast).

The Dragon Flame was founded in 2021 by chefs Georgi Vlaykov and Diotima Vila who bring their experience and passion for food to create a wonderfully tasty menu.  When I visited I went to see them in the back yard, where they cook over charcoal; when I was there they were spit roasting three big rolls of pork belly.  

The food is fantastic, particularly the meats!  I ordered the BBQ Rotisserie Pork (how could I have anything else, having seen it cooking?), with a side of their home made beef pastrami on beef fat potatoes.  Both were sensationally good, especially the pork!

A shout out as well to the pub:  A big, friendly boozer, with beers from Wild Card brewery, brewed a few hundred meters away, including cask beer for less then £5 a pint.  

When - Tuesdays to Sundays 

Where - The Tavern on the Hill, 318 Higham Hill Rd, London E17 5RG

Reservations - here 

The Dragon Flame on Instagram

The Tavern on the Hill on Instagram

Dough Hands Pizza at The Three Colts Tavern in Bethnal Green

 

Dough Hands Pizza, founded by Hannah Drye, is now cookign at the new Three Colts Tavern, 199 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 0EL, serving Fridays to Sundays (Wednesdays to Sundays from April 2023).  

I've been a fan of Hannah's pizzas since trying them at pop-ups last year.  She would turn up for the night with her portable pizza ovens in her car, and cook.  Now she has got 'proper' pizza ovens, and the pizzas taste even better - try the Flamin' Mo, or the Carbonara-ish - really tasty, imaginative toppings and combinations.

Three Colts is the first pub from Exale Brewing, based on the Blackhorse Beer Mile in E17.  They bring the same beers and the same great hospitality found in their taproom to this large, modern bar, and it works brilliantly.

When - Fridays to Sundays (& Weds-Sun from April)

Where - Three Colts Tavern, 199 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL

Map 

Dough Hands Pizza on Instagram

Three Colts Tavern on Instagram