Weekly Review: Kudu Grill
Restaurants lift neighbourhoods.
Quick hit: Meat and fish and other goodies over an open flame, with a South African accent.
Details: Booking advised. Nunhead / Peckham. ££.
Restaurant website. More on Instagram and from the Michelin Guide.
Find it on Google Maps. 57 Nunhead Ln, SE15 3TR.
The full picture: It’s been famously observed that London is a city of villages — a truism that still resonates with me after 16 years as a Londoner.
Each “village” has its own character, even high streets that have been swallowed into the larger whole. The Kings Road in Chelsea and Upper Street in Islington may both play host to national and global brands, but they are each reflections of local character and their own respective histories.
Restaurants play a big role in defining that local character. And that effect has become more pronounced as our changing shopping habits have chipped away at locally-owned retail and turned even thriving high streets into assortments of coffee shops and hair cutting establishments.
Put more simply: The locally-owned restaurant is vital community asset.
And there are few better examples than Kudu in Peckham. The journey started with a single establishment offering South African fine dining — not exactly a common theme — on Queen’s Road. It was the perfect local spot: a special occasion place that was also great for a weeknight dinner. Tasty enough to attract customers from a much wider cross section of London, but never losing site of its Peckham roots.
Over the years, Kudu has expanded. There’s now a wine bar next door to the original, and a private events space, and, latterly, Kudu Grill.
The Grill opened in a former Truman’s pub in Nunhead — a small “village” near Peckham and Brockley — just up the street from the original outpost. True to its South African roots, it features a sophisticated take on the traditional Braai: Assorted meats and fish grilled over open coals.
A Professional Dinner with a friend and former colleague who lives in Peckham gave me an excuse to try it, and, given past experienced with other Kudu outposts, I was eagerly anticipating the experience.
Happily, Kudu Grill delivered.
Homemade Biltong was fabulous. Chicken liver parfait was rich and smooth. Grilled prawns with Peri Peri sauce were a pleasant, spicy surprise. Burrata with peaches was a perfectly balanced expression of summer in a bowl.
And then the main event: Grilled meat. My Barnsley chop was wonderfully done over the open flame. Pork chop was similarly excellent.
And the wine list was a wonderful mix of modern and classic with an assortment of outstanding South African wines (and a few others) at very reasonable prices.
Service was comfortable, welcoming, and friendly with a warm wit and a wonderful “there are no problems here” attitude.
It was easy to see why Kudu has become such a vital part of the thriving Peckham dining scene, and, indeed, such a pillar of its local community.
It’s also a good reminder that when we discover excellent local places, we should do our best to provide support. They are essential gems that define our communities.
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