Nandine | London, UK

"You probably haven’t tried Kurdish food before...but after a trip to Nandine, you won’t stop talking about it."

In London’s crowded and diverse restaurant scene, it can be hard to stand out. But Nandine is special in a lot of ways. It’s a family affair here: the Mum, Pary, is the Head Chef and she really knows what she’s doing. There’s a variety of classic Kurdish dishes on offer, all of them rich in colour, texture and flavour. But Pary’s menu is also filled with creative takes. Take Baharat fries. Not just any bowl of chips. These are garnished with pomegranate seeds, sesame seeds along with herbs and sauces. It’s probably the most wonderful bowl of fries you’ll ever have.

The story behind Nandine is really unique. Pary and her family have lived through some terrible times in Iraq. But Pary managed to make it an experience that would serve her well. As she escaped Saddam’s brutality by going from village to village, she learnt about the variety of recipes and cooking styles used by Kurdish people. Today, all of her memories, and all of those recipes have inspired her wonderful dishes at Nandine.

The family’s first iteration of Nandine was a kiosk selling Kurdish inspired sandwiches. When that unsurprisingly took off with the locals, the family decided to start a Kurdish cafe. History repeated itself, and the success of the cafe led them to opening a small place in Peckham Levels, as well as the cute, small restaurant called Nandine. London couldn’t be luckier.

Price  Low to Medium
Address  45 Camberwell Church St, Camberwell, London SE5 8TR
Child friendly  No

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