It must have come as a shock to many in 1851 when Britain decided that all time began in Greenwich.
But lo, it was so, and SE10 became, in some ways at least, the centre of everything. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a scenic window into London’s past with museums, markets and cobbled streets to explore, it’s a great place to visit for a dose of history.
Time travel’s exhausting work, though, so you’ll want somewhere to stock up on slop. We’ve got you covered with this: a run-down of the best restaurants in Greenwich.
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Champagne + Fromage
A classic combo and, if we’re honest, two things in which the French have really excelled themselves. During Greenwich’s heyday we tended to be at war with our chums across the Channel, but now we can relax, safe in the knowledge that they’re unlikely to withhold their delicious produce from us ever again (give or take a couple of Brexit-induced delays). This laid-back spot on a corner of Greenwich Market allows you to indulge in duck confit, baked camembert, raclette, and their signature cheese and charcuterie sharing boards. It would be remiss not to wash everything down with a glass or two of fizz, and their selection is both vast and reasonably priced.
Details: 34 Greenwich Church Street, Greenwich Peninsula, SE10 9BL | Book here
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Goddards at Greenwich
At home amongst the tall ships and cobbled streets of Greenwich is a suitably traditional English treat – Pie & Mash. Most of London’s authentic pie shops have been consigned to the compost bin of modern history, but a few stalwarts stand strong against the tide of sharing plates and brunch. Goddards is one such place.
Not a lot has changed about this legendary Greenwich restaurant since it opened in 1890. Back then, their handmade pies would have been stuffed with eels from the Thames. Mince meat is now the standard filling of choice (probably for the best), but Goddards does offer chicken, lamb, and veggie options as well. All pies come with the obligatory dollop of mash and a healthy lug of liquor (a savoury parsley sauce), though gravy may be subbed in. The dining hall holds over 120, and enthusiastically puts the green in Greenwich – though you can also take your pie away for an even greener patch in Greenwich Park.
Details: 22 King William Walk, Greenwich Peninsula, SE10 9HU | No bookings
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Heap’s Sausage Cafe
With just a couple of seats available, this sausage deli opposite The Greenwich Theatre deserves a mention as you’ll be guaranteed some serious bang for your – well, bangers. All of Heap’s sausages are made fresh onsite – you can even catch a glimpse of the small butchery and kitchen at the back of the shop. There’s a fantastic variety of meats and spices shoved into stomach lining and each one cuts the mustard (which is also local, and available as a side with mash, beetroot and cabbage, swede and parsnip, and, for the millennials out there, plenty of avocado). A great spot for breakfast, or a hearty lunch to take to the park, Heap’s has the feel of Old Greenwich about it, and you won’t be disappointed with the grub.
Details: 8 Nevada Street, Greenwich Peninsula, London, SE10 9JL | No bookings
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Wandercrust
Pub residencies are usually just a nice bonus to your pint, but this is a pop-up you’ll want to travel for. Award-winning pizza outfit Wandercrust has appeared at a couple of Greenwich pubs over the years, and now you’ll find them firing up the ovens at the one-of-a-kind Pelton Arms. Their sourdough is slow-fermented and topped with quality ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes and Roquito peppers, nailing the balance between puffy, blistered crusts and slightly soupy centres. And on Mondays, their pizzas are 2-4-1.
Details: The Pelton Arms, 23-25 Pelton Road, SE10 9PQ | Book on 02088580572
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Hut Negril
You’ll likely smell Hut Negril before you see it, being a teeny takeaway shack tucked inside a churchyard on Trafalgar Road. Chef Gino’s brought his Jamaican street food to the crowds of Notting Hill Carnival and Whitstable Oyster Festival, but it’s here in this unassuming spot that he plies his trade most days. Jerk chicken’s cooked up the traditional way in a drum barbecue, served with rice & peas as standard, and you can also pick up a couple of roti, goat curry, or ackee & salt-fish.
Details: Christchurch Way, London SE10 9EQ
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Sticks ‘N’ Sushi
Sticks ‘N’ Sushi Greenwich is a lot like eating high grade cuisine in an Ikea showroom, and we mean that in the best possible way. With their love of fish, design and minimalist philosophies, Scandinavian and Japanese cultures have a lot in common – and for brothers Jens and Kim Rahbek it’s even more accurate, for they share half Japanese/half Danish ancestry. Putting that to work, they created Sticks ‘N’ Sushi, which offers up top notch sushi and yakitori in a thoroughly Scandinavian setting.
The exposed bulbs, light wood, and open skylight in their Greenwich restaurant create a deconstructed log cabin feel, which is a perfectly understated backdrop for the food that will arrive on your plate. The sushi menu has everything you’d want, but the sticks section is where things really take off, including goat’s cheese with dried ham, chicken & squid sausage, duck heart, and scallops with bacon. There’s plenty of sake too. Kanpai – or should we say, skål.
Details: 1 Nelson Road, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 9JB | Book here
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Greenwich Grind
Industrial styling alongside velvet upholstery and concrete walls gives this Greenwich restaurant a modern, but welcoming, feel. As the name suggests, coffee is the mainstay here, but Grind has expanded its plot to include breakfast, cocktails, and all-day food. The menu’s fairly commonplace for this sort of establishment; there’s smashed avo, burrata to share, salt and pepper squid; whilst the mains include flat iron steak, cheeseburgers, and a fried chicken sando. The breakfast menu is right on the money though (with eggs many different ways), and the cocktails are a steal at £7.
Details: 17-19 Nelson Road, Greenwich Peninsula, London, SE10 9JB | Book here
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The Gipsy Moth
A navy’s lost without its port… ale, and rum – and as expected, the pubs in Greenwich are very strong. If you’re going to couple your pint with a sit down meal as well, then The Gipsy Moth is where you should head. A grade I listed building right by the Thames, it offers up an impressive menu with staples like fish & chips, full Sunday roasts with all the trimmings, and slow-cooked pork belly – but also crispy duck salads, pan-fried sea bass, and lamb koftas. Plus, there’s a decent-sized beer garden slap bang in view of the Cutty Sark.
Details: 60 Greenwich Church Street, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE10 9BL | Book here
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Greenwich Market
Da Fish Ting
Very much not a restaurant, but with a real treasure trove of options, the market is a great place to grab a bite to eat in Greenwich. The surrounding buildings are Grade II listed and worth a visit on their own – as are the antiques, vintage and handmade craft stalls. But under the market’s glass roof is a whistle-stop tour of world cuisine, essentially giving you a dozen Greenwich restaurants in one. Son of Pampa have been cooking up Churros for years and are likely to greet you on your entry, and exit, to the marketplace, while Da Fish Ting packs seafood – most notably an entire soft shell crab – into charcoal buns.
Naturally the stalls and offerings vary and change day to day, but you’re likely to stumble upon bubbling pans of chorizo, blocks of cheese dripping onto off-cuts of brisket, and plenty of pies, curries, and wraps. And in warmer months you’ll find a further cluster of food stalls spilling onto the promenade leading up to Cutty Sark, Thursday – Sunday.
Details: Greenwich Market, SE10 9HZ
Making a day of it? Tick off these ravishing things to do in Greenwich