Ten restaurants turning up the culinary heat in Peckham in 2018
Exceptional coffee, awesome roasts, authentic Thai and irresistible South African brai bread: why Peckham is South East London's culinary nirvana
So cool and minimal with barely an indication of its name, this is a supremely confident if low-key Italian restaurant that turns up the heat of foodie Bellenden road and its myriad delis and coffee shops.
Artusi gets its name from Italian food writer Pellegrino Artusi who published his book Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well in 1891. It marked a turning point in Italian cuisine that had previously genuflected to France. This innovative compendium of home-style Italian recipes became the must buy among nonnas of the day and is still in print.
Dishes of the day, always ultra-seasonal are on the blackboard, there's no written menu. Choose between adventurous dishes like gutsy, creamy pig's head with salsa verde and perfectly simple ingredients such as the housemade ricotta and perfectly ripe tomatoes. Pasta is invariably divine: come summer try the pea puree ravioli. Italian vegetables are frequently showcased: aigretti or monk's beard, rather like samphire, is partnered with a whole lemon sole fragrant with citrus.
If the olive oil cake with orange is on the menu, it's a must. The best ever tasted, even better than those in more famous, swanky up-town places.
On Sundays, there is a three course set menu with a couple of choices for £20 a head which is absurdly and deliciously good value. Book well ahead.
Price: £100.00 for two including wine
