Reviews Peckham Bazaar

Zomato
Bert Conibear
+4.5
This place is cool. Very busy but really well managed - need to try a few of the dishes and as service ain't the quickest, this works perfectly. Plates delivered as they're ready and all delicious. Great mix of meat and veg so should suit any requirements and leave all pleased with their selections.
Mar 20, 2016
Zomato
KS_Ate_Here
+4
Peckham isn't the first place that comes to mind when it comes to fine dining - well no for me anyway. In fact I don't come to Peckham for much at all with previous visit having been for the Kerb streetfood market popup and Forzawin. That may all change though now that I've discovered this gem known as Peckham Bazaar.

With its daily changing menu of Balkan inspired dishes cooked over charcoal, Peckham Bazaar is your prototypical destination restaurant in that there is literally nothing else to do around it to the point that arriving early is not advised unless you like standing around aimlessly. You are here for one reason and one only. So with all this pressure, the food has to be something special and thankfully I'm pleased to say it is.

On this night we started with the courgette fritters with kohlrabi & tarator and the grilled squid, orzo pasta, orange and white cabbage salad which were both fantastic and had a delicious smoky coating which can only be achieved with charcoal cooking.

For mains we turned to the specials board which I also recommend you do because what's on offer there is truly special even if on the face of it, it looks uninspiring (you see, Peckham Bazaar are very good at underselling their dishes so even something which sounds ordinary is probably amazing). The dish of braised lamb shoulder and leg was heavenly with meat literally falling off bone with little effort. What they don't advertise is that the dish is served with a tasty provolone cheese and chard gratin which, with the lamb, makes for a formidable dish.
Expanding our horizons, the grilled marinated quail served with game pilaff, harissa and green beans was also ordered and again was a winner. The bird was cooked to perfection, oozing flavour and juices, that I found it necessary to naw at the carcass until I had picked it clean; an embarrassing sight but one I doubt regret.

Full after mains, we thought dessert was unnecessary but made the mistake of looking at the menu where the baklava, yogurt and rosewater ice cream looked too good to pass on. This thought was confirmed with the first bite and the dish didn't last many more after that.

It's hard for me now to think of Peckham and not immediately associate it with the Peckham Bazaar. A fantastic place in the middle of suburb with a menu which is as unassuming as its surroundings yet with flavour that will rival anyone, anywhere. Definite yes.

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Jan 02, 2015
Zomato
Matt The List
+4
Despite having only eaten a couple of hours before, I was ready for another meal, and walked for about 10 minutes to a very quiet part of Peckham to reach Peckham Bazaar. People have been raving about it so I was only too happy to book when Lee & Jane suggested going there for supper. It wasn't busy when we arrived just after 6pm, but it was fully booked later on so make sure you reserve a table. It is open Thu-Fri 6-11pm and Sat-Sun 12.30-11pm.

There is nothing else anywhere near Peckham Bazaar so head towards the lights when you get to the top of Heaton Road. The first thing you will see is head chef John Gionleka cooking up a storm over an open fire on the terrace outside. It is incredible what he achieves in such a small space! It must be lovely to eat al fresco in the summer in front of the kitchen, but indoors is a delightful, cosy space - perfect for a chilly November evening.

Peckham Bazaar only took off a couple of months ago as John was previously running it as a daytime deli. There wasn't much passing trade so he concocted some more adventurous dishes and opened the restaurant as a popup - I believe it is now permanent, correct me if I am wrong! John is Albanian, and the food is described as Pan-Balkan. Rather than making difficult decisions, we decided to trust them and order pretty much everything on the menu with the Mediterranean Red Mullet from the specials board as there were 5 fish and 5 of us! To drink, we ordered a Bulgarian red wine and some bottles of Efes.

It worked well as a sharing meal, although it was hard to watch 4 other people taking my delicious food away. I felt that the starters were almost stronger than the mains, and not much smaller. The Fish Souvlaki was superb, as was the Kibbeh Nayyeh (lamb tartare). From our excellent 5 main courses, the Pheasant (with braised chestnut and quince, barberry and saffron pilaf) stood out for me, along with the Grilled Rabbit which was cooked to perfection. Every dish deserve its place on the menu, and I would order exactly the same way next time. The menu changes regularly so don't be disappointed if you can't get your fix of creamed borlotti beans - I'm sure everything will be mouth watering.

The staff were friendly and informative. They were amused that I tweeted a picture of their toilets before anything about the food - it was a funky design! The housing pattern on the walls of the main room was also eye catching. I can't recommend this place highly enough, it is truly one of London's hidden gems (a phrase that has been overused this year!) - book now! P.S. Cash only.
Apr 12, 2014
Zomato
Cheese And Biscuits
+4.5
With few notable exceptions, if you want to eat great, cheap food in London, you need to travel. Where rents are lower, it makes sense that restaurants can offer better food for less, and any time I've had a sub-£15 meal recently worth shouting about it's been somewhere like Whitechapel, Tooting or Camberwell - Zones 2 and above. Yes, they take a bit longer to get to, but if a handful of extra stops on the tube is all that's stopping you from experiencing the wonder that is a meal at Apollo Banana Leaf, or Silk Road, then you don't deserve to be happy.

And so, ten minutes walk from Peckham Rye overground station, through a quiet housing estate, over the road from a primary school, basically - if we're being honest - in the middle of bloody nowhere, stands Peckham Bazaar, the latest reason to charge up a couple of extra quid on your Oystercard. John Gionleka, who you'll find lost in clouds of charcoal smoke behind the grills, has spent time in the kitchens of two-Michelin-starred the Square, in Mayfair, but has left the fine dining world to cook up food inspired by his native Albania, while making use of the eclectic markets of Peckham (poke your head into Khan's on Peckham Rye if you have time - it's an Aladdin's Cave of unusual foodstuffs, and tat).

In the interests of full disclosure, the team behind Peckham Bazaar are mates of mine, but I'm not doing them a favour with this post. I honestly believe that had I just stumbled upon the place (however unlikely that sounds given the location) I would still be raving about it, so exciting is what's on offer. Take a look at the menu, for one thing:

Is there anything on that blackboard that doesn't scream "eat me!"? And look at the prices too; these aren't starter-sized portions, or small tapas-y sharing plates - you really do get a whole lot of Balkan bang for your buck. We ordered the lot.

Cured egg is John's take on the Chinese century egg, and is gorgeous, well seasoned and gently vinegary with a great soft yolk. White taramasalata is impressive, too, with a more rustic texture and packing far more flavour than anything you might find at your local Greek taverna. But the vegetables weren't sidelined either - nice firm artichokes, carrots and radishes were all seasoned and oiled and treated with the utmost respect. It's a mark of all the Peckham Bazaar dishes, in fact, that sides aren't ever an afterthought - every element is lavished with attention, each vegetable dressed properly. There's no filler.

The menu at Peckham Bazaar reflects largely what meat and veg they've managed to get their hands on at that particular moment in time, and with that in mind it probably doesn't make sense to go into exhaustive detail about how great the octopus was, for example (by golly it was good, seasoned with paprika and crispy from the grill), or how utterly addictive the pomegranate and orange glaze on the quail was (crunchy and sweet, encasing superbly moist bird), because there's every chance that by the time you visit - and you obviously should visit - it may all be different.

Or perhaps it's even a waste of everyone's time to talk about the lamb adana - a huge, grilled chunk of minced lamb meat and spices - resting on a bed of buttery gigante beans, or the inch-thick steak of pork, slow-smoked then finished over coals, so good we ordered a second once the first had disappeared. On the one hand, I feel sorry for you if you go to Peckham Bazaar and any of the above are unavailable. But then, there's every chance they will just be replaced by something equally as stunning.

And in the end, one of the joys of visiting a place like this is not knowing exactly what you'll be eating - there's no signature dish, no laminated menu, no burger or triple-cooked-chips or crowd-pleasing high-profit-margin stalwarts to keep the accountants happy. John is cooking the kind of food he likes to eat, and as has been proved time and time again, this is the one surefire way of making the kind of food other people want to eat too. Trust them, and trust me - this is food that's worth travelling for.

9/10
Jan 10, 2014
4
Smilynn Zhang
+4
Nice place. Food is alright. Though they state that the plates are designed to be shared, some of the food is not really. A bit difficult to share among more than 3 people.
5
Francesco Esposito
+5
Found this hidden gem and had an amazing time.Very helpful and friendly staff, delicious Mediterranean food.Will go back definitely
5
Guillermo Ysusi
+5
Great restaurant in Peckham/Nunhead area. Very creative food inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. The service was very helpful and friendly. The cocktails could be enhanced, so it’s probably a better idea to go straight for some wine. The octopus is their signature dish, or so we were told; although the texture was slightly chewy, it had very nice spicy flavours. The rest of the plates were superb.
5
Wumi Olukoya
+5
We chose this spot on a Monday as many other restaurants were closed but I was AMAZED! The food was delectable; incredibly yummy 😋 the sea bass was just the perfect mix of flavours, can’t wait to get it again.
5
Tara Biglari
+5
Without a doubt one of the best restaurants in London. Every dish is unique, flavorful and interesting in its own right. The date molasses ice cream and chocolate tart is probably the best dessert dish I've ever had too. Overall 10/10 every time and can't wait to come back again soon
5
Rose Humphrey
+5
Last minute reservation so had no expectations. They found us a table on the terrace which was covered on all sides so warm and very cute and cosy with fairy lights. All the dishes we had were very tasty, particularly the scallop risotto and the lamb. Paid approx £60pp including 2 bottles of wine between 3 of us. The head waiter (didn’t get his name) was very friendly, funny and accommodating. Will definitely be back!
5
Emily Rea
+5
amazing amazing food me and my family were obsessed!!! will deffo be back again! lovely staff too and very pretty interior! thanks :)
5
Laura Brown
+5
Such an hidden gem in Peckham. All the dishes are delicious, it’s hard to chose a favourite. Would highly recommend trying the fritters, hallumi, red mullet, steak kebab and all of the deserts!! Service also excellent, we were so well looked after for my brothers birthday meal. Will definitely be back :)
5
Ciaran Walsh
+5
Amazing little local venue, with delicious food, great atmosphere and a host who truly understands, embraces, and makes a fine art of hospitality. He instantly remembered us after a brief visit a few weeks before when just poking our heads in to see what all the fuss was about and laid on the silver service to a tee. Chef was on point as well, and when not firing up some fine dishes was very friendly and chatty too. Definitely one for special occasions. If only they served coffee I’d be in there full time!!
4
S & J
+4
Very nice vibe on the terrace and staff were attentive. Food was very good, even if the flavours did repeat heavily across dishes. Wine was expensive and that was a downside.
5
Tom T-K
+5
The first thing to praise is the atmosphere, authentic interior and low key music create an immediate buzz. The menu was great, every sharing plate we ordered was delicious and it was reasonably priced to top it off! Highly recommend!!
5
Natasha
+5
Tried to take a picture of the food but we demolished all of it in an instant! Excellent service, the food was SO delicious!! Highly recommend the lamb, chicken thigh, Greek salad and tiger prawns, we’ll definitely be back
5
Gina Lloyd
+5
The food is outstanding! Fresh, quality ingredients and unique dishes. This was a chance discovery, and I highly recommend this place. Truly excellent - you can’t go wrong with any dish.
4
David Watts
+4
I'd been meaning to give Peckham Bazaar a try for a seriously long time, and I'm glad I did. Really nice, relaxed vibe and I was well looked after by their friendly and efficient team. Food was good, wine list ok. Worth a repeat visit, for sure.
5
Merwin Fernandes
+5
I had my wedding here at Peckham Bazaar. It was such a lovely experience thanks to Luis. We came back for dinner again and we were treated as VIP'S. Thank you Luis for making our evening very special. Highly recommended
4
Sian Deakin
+4
Hidden gem with a laid back but buzzy vibe. Everything we ate was delicious. Service started well but dropped off as the restaurant got busier. Nothing to complain about though - the food more than made up for it!
5
Tim Ngwena
+5
Great service and atmosphere here. Food was really good. Nice portions designed for sharing. Good drinks and desert menu too. Little gem in Peckham.
4
Andrew Marsh
+4
Lovely place, a hidden gem. Delicious food, excellent service, really welcoming vibe. Good in every way.
5
Sam Bowman
+5
One of my favourite restaurants - the food is flavoursome and adventurous, with amazingly good ingredients and not too pricey (about £30/head including drinks).
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