The Montpelier is one of Peckham’s loveliest boozers: tucked away in the residential backstreets, with a weekly quiz, dancing on weekends and live jazz on a Sunday afternoon.
And in the kitchens? They’ve really gone the full monty.
What started out as a typical pub residency became a year-long fixture for Whole Beast, a live-fire-cooking concept intertwined with nose-to-tail dining. Founders Sam and Alicja Bryant (who also ran the now-closed Coal Rooms in Peckham Rye station) have been grilling their way around London’s pop-up scene for a few years now, testing the waters while filling bellies – and scoring a rave review from Jay Rayner along the way. But sadly, all good things must come to an end – and the WB team have only another 2.5 weeks here before they move to new pastures at the Exale Brewery on the Blackhorse Beer Mile in Walthamstow.
Here at the Monty, though, the Bryants serve up a highly comforting, highly nap-inducing menu where they enhance flavour to its highest degree through flame, smoke, embers and ash, while trying to make as much in-house as possible – including the sausages, the bread, the hot sauces and more. And of course, the nose-to-tail ethos means that every carcass that comes into the kitchen is treated with the utmost respect: every part finds its way – if not onto the grill – then into charcuterie, cooking fats, or preserved for future use in some way.
Frequently hailed as one of the best burgers in London – and newly crowned best in the UK – Whole Beast’s award-winning aged cheeseburger rightfully steals a lot of the limelight. The lacy-edged smashed patty sits between molten cheese and a slick of tangy house-made burger sauce. The construction is simplicity itself, with a depth of flavour that’s intensely satisfying.
But really, you’ll also want to order the confit hash browns with whipped cod’s roe; the burnt leek & smoked garlic tacos; and the outrageous deep-fried pig’s head ‘nduja mac & cheese, which sounds like it was created by a comfort food random generator, and tastes just as good. There’s also Whole Beast’s other signature dish – half a smoked chicken served with a char-boosted peri peri sauce. If it’s a two person party, the wisest course of action would definitely be to order a course each and just halve everything…
To cap off, there’s some real dopamine desserts on offer, including a wine-drenched Basque cheesecake and the ‘Snakebite ripple’ ice cream. And it goes without saying that the smoked Sunday roasts here are next level. Designed for two to share, they come as a platter loaded with half a smoked chicken, bacon cheeseburger sausage; coal-roasted pork neck & smoked shoulder; their signature ‘Peckham Fatboy’ (roasties topped with aged beef fat mayo, bone marrow hot dog onions and raclette); pickles; salad…
…and all that jazz.
NOTE: Whole Beast serves lunch & dinner at The Montpelier from Tues-Sat, plus Sunday lunch (with live music from 3pm). You can find out more, and book a table, on The Montpelier’s website. Whole Beast moves to the Exale taproom on 2nd November – book here.
Whole Beast | The Montpelier, 43 Choumert Rd, London SE15 4AR
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