Peckham in South London has in recent years become well established as a food destination, and the choice and quality continues to multiply for both residents and visitors.
Anderson & Co opened in Peckham as far back as 2010, building a reputation as being one of South London’s leading independent cafes. Now, and building on this success, they have taken the further major step of launching themselves as an all-day restaurant. H&C News was pleased to visit and find out more.
The restaurant is located in Bellenden Road which, only a few years ago was part of a route to elsewhere but is now, thanks to Anderson & Co and others, a thriving community in its own right, though only a few yards from Peckham itself.
What’s changed?
The most important change in the new Anderson & Co is the introduction of the evening menu. There are a variety of dishes on offer that range from accomplished traditional fare to more modern, developed plates. Also, with this menu changing every 2 weeks to reflect the seasons, it’s giving chef Teemu Tovainen, previously at The Soho Hotel, the opportunity to flex his creative muscles.
The evening menu is not the only change that is taking place at Anderson & Co. The entire site has had a full refit including all new lighting, furniture and new garden conservatory. There is also a brand new, dedicated, bar with its own particular menu – and already being enjoyed as a place to enjoy a light bite and a glass of wine, and escape the rush hour. These changes have transformed Anderson & Co into a place to relax and enjoy their offering morning, noon and night.
The Menu
Offers customers an interesting range of choice, with every course able to tempt most palates.
We started with Crab cakes with chilli and spring onion, caper mayo, and Deep fried artichokes with aioli – good choices, sensible portions for healthy appetites (!), and full of flavour.
For our mains, we were tempted by the Peckhamburger which would surely have proved a favourite with the Trotters of Peckham fame – but succumbed to the Red wine braised lamb shank, mashed potato, spinach and blackcurrant jus. The lamb was moist and delicious – no fighting to get it off the bone – and the jus avoided the trap of being too sweet, adding flavour and depth to each mouthful.
My companion enjoyed the Roast black bream fillet, crushed celeriac, sun-dried tomato and rosemary butter. The bream proved moist and delicate, and he was even persuaded to enjoy the skin which had been crisped to exactly the right point.
And – if you’re visiting, check out the Triple cooked frites: who could resist!
The Puddings were a real temptation, and our choice came down to Cardamom panacotta with strong espresso syrup – delicious, though the espresso made the cardamom struggle to make its presence felt – and the Traditional baked vanilla cheesecake with fresh berries, which was light in texture and with the vanilla just right, not overwhelming but enhancing the berries.
Drinks
Anderson & Co places a flat mark up on all wines, making them very good value compared to many restaurants, and states that it is proud of its ‘superior house wines’. The Sauvignon de Touraine that we drank certainly supported this, complementing rather than overwhelming the food, unlike some of the Sauvignons on the market!
And we suspect that the ‘small amount of interesting wines’ that Anderson & Co plan to buy in, regularly changing the wine list, will be worth watching – and tasting.
Peckham Pils, as well as Kernel IPA, are available for the discerning beer drinkers amongst the clientele.
Welcoming and friendly
Owner Lisa Anderson comments, “In the 5 years since we opened I have seen the business develop and evolve in tune with the area, so this seems like a natural progression. Our main objective is to keep our reputation as a welcoming and friendly environment serving excellent seasonal food.”
In our view, the main objective is delivered, and there’s no doubt that Anderson & Co ticks a lot of boxes: it’s welcoming and friendly, with time taken to chat with guests, advising helpfully on the menu and choice of drinks; the food is good, generous and with plenty of choice; the drink also is not only reasonably priced but with a good range; and you can sit in the bar area (pictured), or watch the chefs at work, and there’s also the conservatory.
Overall, it has something of the feel of a good quality, neighbourhood brasserie and will certainly prove popular with the locals who have been supporting Anderson & Co for some years, as well as attract visitors from further afield.
Anderson & Co, 139 Bellenden Rd, London, SE15 4DH
Restaurant News is Sponsored by Artis
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