Zeret Kitchen

This was a last minute find on a stormy night that my parents paid a visit - it was a well-reviewed restaurant within dashing distance so we popped our umbrellas and made a go of it. 

It's a very low-key and cute spot, we were able to nab a table with no reservation and the smiling staff even turned up the lights when they spotted my dad hunched over the menu with his phone torch on 😂 We went for the recommended Kategna (spicy bread) to start and Zeret Surprise for the whole table. The main is a mixture of meat, vegeable and lentil stews all of varying spice and colourful and served on a huge Injera (sourdough pancake) that perfectly fits the platter it is atop. The stews are spooned out on each quarter so that you have a perfect portion right in front of you and you are expected to dive right in, no cutlery is provided unless you request it. It's a total contrast to any dining experience I've had in London before and the flavours are also very bold and distinct. I must admit that for the inexperienced it can be a bit frustrating getting so messy and feeling like you're struggling to scoop up the best of it and if you aren't someone who's good at handling spice then it should probably be outright avoided!

It's inexpensive and not something I think I'd ever do justice of if trying to recreate at home so I'm sure to be back soon to try again!

Date night, night out with the gals, bring your parents - Zeret Kitchen is perfect for any occasion really. This food is really delicious, filling and very affordable. Also, let's just all admit how much fun it is to eat with our hands, and how rarely we get to do this in London's overtly swanky restaurants. 

The staff are incredibly lovely as well, making jokes and conversation, but also not hovering too much. 

The venue itself is delightful. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside is soft and intimate, dimly light with twinkly lights (love twinkly lights). Despite it filling up quite quickly after we were seated, it wasn't noisy at all - which I'll admit is atop my list of making a bar/restaurant my least favourite place. Really fantastic place. 

The only negative is the bathroom with the door that wouldn't lock and toliet that wouldn't flush. Yeah, that made for some interesting convos in the bathroom... 

On the day after I visited Zeret Kitchen it was rated #5 out of almost 18 thousand restaurants in London. I don't believe that Zeret Kitchen is actually in the 10 ten best restaurants in London but I have yet to find a bad review of it.

Zeret Kitchen is a little restaurant in Camberwell and the staff couldn't be more welcoming and friendly.

We went for a Zeret special which is a selection of different meats and lentils served on a sour pancake called an enjara. There's no cutlery so you just get stuck in with your hands.

The food is tasty and cheap and certainly makes for a different eating experience. I've heard good things about the coffee and popcorn ceremony and I didn't get a chance to try the deserts so I'll be back for both of those.