Aside

Décor and Vibe

If you want to eat out in Peckham but you aren’t in the mood for squished-in counter dining, burgers and beers, or dealing with the queues at Frank’s, Aside is the place to go. The interior is concise and minimal: all whitewashed walls and light wood, with custom-made tables conceal your napkin and knife and fork, and the space has a very light, airy feel.

Food

Expect to see a fairly different menu each time you visit Aside, because the focus here is on using seasonal ingredients to create modern British plates. There’s no division between starters and mains, it’s just small plates – so we’d recommend questioning the staff about how much to order, and about exactly what each dish is, as the menu is intentionally vague.

Drinks

Don’t skip the cocktails here – we chatted with the front of house about what we liked and they recommended a bespoke drink for us, which tasted like palma violets! If you haven’t got a sweet tooth, the wine list is full of modern classics – we especially liked the Grüner.

Top tip

If it’s on the menu, order the chopped beef and charcoal (which does seem to be everywhere overnight – this time it comes in the form of charcoal oil) – it’s tartare, but not as you know it.

Highlight

The service. The owner is usually on hand, and will happily take you through the menu and ingredients – his passion is pretty infectious.