South London

28-30 Peckham High St, Peckham, London SE15 5DT

Persepolis, a café-cum-shop, should come with a warning –it’s easy to lose yourself for hours amid its shelves stacked high with obscure and otherwise hard-to-find Persian and middle eastern ingredients. The small restaurant out back celebrates these ingredients in their vegetarian menu which can nearly all be made vegan. The fattet with garlicky tahini sauce is stunning.

43 Choumert Rd, Peckham, London SE15 4AR

This Peckham pub’s menu reads too good to be true, given how little it’s shouted about, but the food is consistently brilliant. There’s a focus on seafood, delivered daily from Cornwall and cooked perfectly by head chef Jake Chappel-Kelly, but everything from the meat to the vegetarian options are inspired.

27A Peckham High St, Peckham, London SE15 5EB

Follow your nose to JBs Soulfood as they cook their jerk chicken and pork on a drum barbecue out back. Expect a queue - it’s a Peckham institution - but rest assured it’ll be worth it. Their signature chicken, served with rice and peas and coleslaw, is a must but come back to work your way through the menu, especially the oxtail.

115A Rye Ln, Peckham, London SE15 4ST

Hidden down an alley near Peckham Rye station, this Kurdish restaurant seems to relish being difficult to find, but it’s worth persisting. The kibbeh are to die for and the shawarma is beautifully spiced and delicious – and brilliant value too. Easier to find is the recently-opened secondary outpost on Rye Lane geared towards lunch - their huge mezze plate deal is a steal.

Riverlight Quay, 2 Nine Elms Ln, London SW11 8AW

A five-star luxury hotel makes the leap to London for its first overseas restaurant, with street food downstairs, upmarket dining upstairs, and lots of art - including a giant, 14ft bronze elephant.