The Mondo Sando team have always done great fillings.
And now they’ve got the base to match.
Because alongside their long-running residency at Grove House Tavern in Camberwell, they’ve just unveiled their very own sandwich shop just a short walk down the road. Which means all the blockbuster, door-stopper sandwiches you likely already know and love, in a setting that truly befits the world of Mondo – from the stone museum in the bathroom to the bottle of Malört (once described as “the worst booze ever”) lurking ominously behind the bar.
‘Sandwich shop’ encompasses the aesthetic pretty neatly – it’s a sleeve of a space with real nostalgic caff value. Retro globe lighting, formica counters and a magnetic menu board run the length of the café. There’s a couple of counters where you can perch, and a handful of tables for two, but the hot ticket in summer will be the picnic benches out front (which pretty much triple the capacity of the space). Given Mondo’s popularity, it feels like the smart move to come here prepared to take away – the verdant Lucas Gardens are right next door, as is TOAD Bakery. If that’s not a recipe for a glorious lunchtime, we’re not sure what is.
That said… there is more to this sandwich shop than sandwiches. By day, you can stuff your face with their famous grilled peri peri chicken subs; by night you can stop by for slushy cocktails (the condensed milk coffee & Baileys number should probably be illegal), shorts like Tequila & Verdita, and shots of Fernet Branca. There’s a definite dive bar feel to the place, courtesy of the excellent playlist, and the availability of late-night deep-fried treacle tart pockets.
So, are the sandwiches any good? Well, yeah. They’ve travelled up the road extremely well. You can still get Mondo’s enormous fish finger sarnies, with added punch from sauce gribiche and red leicester. Their muffulette are still an Italian fever dream of cured meats and roasted veg, packed between two bookends of crisp-topped focaccia. The confit pork sub with provolone, ricotta, braised greens and pickled chillies still feels like sandwich aristocracy. They’re all, without fail, enormous, satisfying and deeply filling: these are truly some of the most princely sandwiches available in London.
It’s also worth knowing that Café Mondo sits right opposite the South London Gallery, should you want to make an afternoon of it and add in a dose of culture.
Though obviously, you’ll already have enjoyed a work of art.
NOTE: Cafe Mondo is open Wed-Sun lunchtimes, with bar nights Thurs-Sat. There are no bookings – you can find out more on the Cafe Mondo instagram.
Cafe Mondo | 42 Peckham Road, London SE5 8PX
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