Nandine Camberwell Church Street - Review - Camberwell - London - The Infatuation

"Lots of restaurants are run by families, but meals at Kurdish spot Nandine have us Googling legal guardian paperwork. From pomegranate-topped baba ganoush, to wooden DIY shelves crammed with spices and clay jugs, and warm, laid-back service that has Camberwell locals befriending waitstaff, the Baban family have created a neighbourhood staple. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Pause Unmute The Kurdish dishes, mezzes sprinkled with mint and moreish kubba, work best when shared, and each evening, the cheery, narrow dining room is filled with friends ordering second and third rounds of tasty beharat fries. Underneath the orange glow of straw lampshades, and near some foliage or charming knick-knacks, there are no bad seats at Nandine. But if you want something a bit special, one semi-private table can be found at the top of the sort of wooden steps usually reserved for bunk beds. From here you can look out over all the action. Food Rundown Beharat Fries We like all the toppings on these extra skinny, matchstick fries—creamy pink yoghurt (used sparingly to keep things crisp), sour hits of tamarind sauce, and lots of mint and pomegranate seeds bringing freshness. Which is not usually something you can say about fries. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Meat Kubba We’d like the thick coating on these kubba to be crisper. They aren’t unpleasant, but they are a little chewy. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Tirshyat Pickled vegetables are the Robin to dips and bread’s Batman. You should definitely order this plate for some tangy relief. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Aubergine Platter There are dips that are afterthoughts and there are dips that could feasibly be the main event—these are the latter. Our favourite bits on the platter are the smoky, quite chunky baba ganoush and the tomatoey chickpeas. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch 7-Spice Chicken Shish Za’atar naan soaks up all the charred edges and juice escaping from this tender chicken. There’s a scattering of amba pickle and lebneh around the dish too, keeping everything in delicious, harmonious balance. It’s a must-order. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Dried Lime Ice Cream Dried limes are sour but this ice cream, with its intense lime glaze, is verging on being unpleasantly so. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna" - Sinéad Cranna