FM mangal is a really friendly and welcoming Turkish restaurant, kebab joint and take-away venue nestling in the heart of Camberwell's resto-street.
I enjoyed a great late Sunday lunch (after a strenuous pingpong championships on Camberwell Green!) with two friends and we sat up in the high gallery and treated ourselves to cool, refreshing, post-pingpong pints of Efes beer.
'Mangal' is, apparently, 'grill' in Turkish and the 'FM' refers to the initials of the head chef, who prepared a delicious aubergine and minced lamb dish, complete with a vast range of salad selections.
Not being a cheapskate, but what really won us over was the hospitality and all the complimentary items!
While we were perusing the menu, the friendly waitress brought us some amazing, smoky barbecue-flavoured flat bread and fresh, sweet lilac onions marinaded in a divine balsamic vinegar mix. After the meal, we were presented with slices of pineapple - although, strangely, no plates or cutlery to devour it with!
Finally, we were offered tiny shot glasses filled with a selection of three liqueurs: banana, coffee and tangy cherry.
What a great way to round off a great afternoon!

54 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8QZ
+44 207 701 6677
Getting there: buses 12, 36, 171, 345, 436 to Camberwell Green
Google map: bit.ly/oSDdwX

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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Elephant offers authentic Pakistani street food in a modest setting in the uber-cool Brixton Village market. Meat curries, naan breads, daals, salads, rice dishes and divine samosas are served up by owner Imran Bashir using his mum's secret spice concoctions and the price is very reasonable.

55 Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PS
+44 7590 389684
www.elephantcafe.co.uk
Google map: bit.ly/mQpVAk

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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The Crooked Well opened recently in Camberwell as the brainchild of some serious foodies who love British cuisine but the inventive and inspired menu also incorporates elements of the Mediterranean and tastes of sunshine. The venue is just beautiful, with gorgeous blue tiles behind the bar, giving the ambience of a Portuguese bar - more Coimbra than Camberwell! - and indeed, there are several bottles of excellent port to accompany the dishes or to sip while the sun goes down.

thecrookedwell.com
16 Grove Lane, Camberwell, London SE5 8SY
+44 207 252 7798
Google map: bit.ly/q4oKka

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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The Flask is a pub in Hampstead which was built in 1874 on the site of the Thatched House, which used to bottle spring water and sell it to taverns and coffee shops in London.
A beautiful Victorian gem, after you've had a blustery weekend walk from Highgate over Hampstead Heath, this is definitely the place you want to go to. The food is top notch, you can get a venison burger there if you so wish, and with a range of ales on tap and a warm dark wood interior that has plenty of little corners in to sit this is the place to go to warm up and relax.

www.theflaskhampstead.co.uk
14 Flask Walk, Hampstead, London, NW3 1HE
+44(0)20 7435 4580
Google map: bit.ly/nqf7x2

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This Japanese noodle bar is a real find. It's not in the uber-cool Brixton Village so you stand a better chance of getting a table!
Delicious spring rolls, sushi, sashimi, bento boxes, big bowls of ramen, pan-fried noodles and rice dishes all under one small, modest roof, tucked away in a back street off Railton Road. Charming service and a good wine list. Highly recommended.

www.newfujiyama.com
5-7 Vining Street, Brixton SW9 8QA
+44 207 737 6583
Getting there: Victoria line underground to Brixton, buses 3, 35, 45, 133, 159, 345
Google map: bit.ly/oyluos

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Pasha claims to be London's only Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan restaurant, hiding at the back of an exterior that seems straight out of a scene from Borat.
Pasha also hosts a hotel and a sauna and hammam (Turkish steam bath) on the premises. Quite an unusual venue and a great, if somewhat wacky, night out.

www.hotelpasha.com
158 Camberwell Road, SE5 0EE
+44 207 277 2228
Buses 12, 171 to Camberwell Road
Google map: bit.ly/nWrFaj

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A delightful mixture of a Spanish tapas bar and a Mexican cantina. Great tapas, using organic and free-range produce. Guests can enjoy divine Iberico hams washed down with fine Spanish wines. There's even a hotel on the premises, if you become 'tired and emotional' ...

www.churchstreethotel.com
29-33 Camberwell Church Street, SE5
+44 207 703 5984
Buses 12, 36, 171, 436 to Camberwell Green
Google map: bit.ly/nkjNAM

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Johanssons looks like a tiny deli and sandwich bar from the front but behind it stretches out into a Tardis of wonderfulness. There is a small bistro behind with a lovely garden where you can enjoy a quality bottle of plonk and some olives. The Mediterranean/Swedish menu has sea bass, wild boar, home-cured salmon and scrummy pork belly plus there are plenty of veggie options.

2 Grove Lane, Camberwell, SE5 8SY
+44 207 701 4944
Buses 12, 36, 171, 436 to Camberwell Green
Google map: bit.ly/p0Vmh0

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When I'm feeling flush, I like to treat myself to a dinner on the eighth floor of the OXO Tower and marvel at the views of the city from the huge summer terrace - summer weather permitting!
The British-Asian fusion cuisine is pretty tasty too.

www.harveynichols.com/oxo-tower-london
OXO Tower Wharf, Barge House Street, London SE1 9PH
+44 207 803 3888
Google map: bit.ly/pc6Yst
Nearest tube: Waterloo, buses 171, 176

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Come early (especially at weekends) to get a seat at one of south London's best Thai cafes.
Located at the open Coldharbour Lane end, the bistro spills out into the sunshine and can stay open after the market traders have long since shut up shop and gone home. Great Thai flavours.

1 Granville Arcade, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PR
+44 207 095 8922
Nearest tube: Victoria line to Brixton, buses 3, 35, 133, 159
Google map: bit.ly/nkW5Dn

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Granville Arcade, the covered part of Brixton's amazing market, used to be a forgotten, dowdy spinster aunt of the younger, more vibrant Electric Avenue section. That all changed a few years ago and now you can't move on a Saturday morning without tripping over yet another new cafe, restaurant or retro clothing stall, jostling for space with the remaining grocers, fishmongers and haberdashers.
La Cabaña is a modest Colombian-Venezuelan eaterie near the Coldharbour Lane entrance. Snacks sell for £3, main dishes for £8-13 and there's a huge selection of interesting fruit juices; lulo, guanabana and the unusual Pony Malta.

1 Granville Arcade, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PR
+44 207 924 0992
Open Sun-Wed 09.00-18.00, Thur-Sat 09.00-21.00
Nearest tube; Victoria Line to Brixton, buses 3, 35, 133, 159
Google map: bit.ly/nkW5Dn

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This delightful Turkish cafe and restaurant has long been a favourite with Camberwell foodies, but it has recently reopened after renovation and is even better. Vast trays of sticky baklava and other tasty pastries, drenched in honey and speckled with pistachio nuts, fill the window and it's virtually impossible to pass by without being tempted inside for a bite. Tadim serves everything from pizza to meze, moussaka to croissants. There are toasted sandwiches, strong, thick coffees and a huge range of vegetarian delicacies. Tadim is a really friendly place, summed up by their motto: 'Love all & serve all'. Sweet.

41 Camberwell Church Street, London SE5 8TR
+44 207 277 2910
Open daily 08.00-23.00
Buses 12, 36, 68, 171, 345, 436, 468 to Camberwell Green
Google map: bit.ly/qVNbNK

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Gallipoli Bazaar offers delicious Lebanese and Turkish dishes in a luxuriously decorated setting. The restaurant is long and thin but crammed to the rafters with shining lamps, mirrors, cushions, exotic paintings and dimly lit to give all diners a flattering hue. The daily specials - I had grilled red mullet - are highly recommended and they do a splendid falafel. Belly dancing is a new feature too ... and shisha pipes for puffing on outside on the pavement terrace.

107 Upper Street, Islington N1 1QP
+44 207 226 5333
cafegallipoli.com/bazaar/index.html
Nearest tube: Northern Line to Angel
Google map: bit.ly/pRqGaI

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Struggling through the hordes of tourists and shoppers in Portobello Road street market can be a pretty exhausting business. The newly renovated Organic Kitchen provides all kinds of healthy dishes and organic wines to aid recovery. It's a little haven of calm, decorated in tasteful shades of brown, with swift service, the best pizzas north of the Thames and the kindest, friendliest waitresses around. The Italian-inspired menu has salads, bruschetta, antipasti and soups for starters, then some favourites such as shepherd's pie, salmon and haddock fish cakes or braised pork belly with Savoy cabbage. Leave room for the apple and rhubarb crumble too.

207-209 Portobello Road, London W11 1LU
+44 207 792 7999
Open Tue-Sat 12.00-23.00, Sun 12.00-22.00
Nearest tube: Central or Circle Line to Notting Hill Gate
Google map: bit.ly/q0mvTB

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Excellent Indian restaurant serving all the favourites in a stylish yet casual setting. The lamb chops malai and tandoori chicken are particularly tasty. Plenty of vegetarian and seafood options. Take away also available.

22 Camberwell Church Street, London SE5 8QU
+44(0)207 701 6004
hungryhouse.co.uk/safa
Google map: bit.ly/mROqhj

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My family and I went here. The food was nice and well priced in good sized portions and with a friendly atmosphere. Delicious Spanish food, perfect wine and reasonable prices. I highly recommend it.

www.sangriatapasgrill.com/
232 High Road Leyton, E10 5PS
+44(0)203 417 0363
Google map: bit.ly/kWwAVB

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This pop-up community garden has transformed a plot of wasteland in the shadow of the railway arches into a gorgeous green space: a place of healing and learning - with a dose of greenery thrown in for good measure.
Created by a collective of urban gardeners, designers and a team of volunteers, and shaped by a hospital department, the UPG also hosts a series of talks, workshops and film screenings.
The Rambulance restaurant nestles in the corner of the space in an old ambulance and serves up a seasonal menu of homegrown veg and herbs.
This lovely garden provides a space for artists, gardeners and health workers to explore the role of plants in the nation's health.

100 Union Street, London, SE1 0NL
www.physicgarden.org.uk
Open Tuesday to Sunday until 15 August
Google map: bit.ly/kfhFpv
Nearest tube station: Southwark

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Despite the name it's not a cafe, it's a restaurant which overlooks Blackheath and has al fresco tables if you fancy braving the British summer. Bustling and crowded without being claustrophobic, it had a great, vibrant atmosphere. Menu was dominated by steaks but there were also pizza and pasta options for veggies. I had roast lamb fillet with chimichurri sauce and spinach which was delicious. The prices were pretty reasonable for London and for the quality of the food - it came to about £25 a head including wine, starter, main and dessert.
I would definitely recommend this place. It has a lot of soul and ticks a lot of boxes - equally good for a romantic couple or group of friends

17 Royal Parade, Blackheath, London SE3 0TL
+44(0)2083185333
www.buenosairesltd.com
Google map: bit.ly/kCqHom

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The Cambria is one of the best pubs in south London. Located on a quiet back street, it would be easy to miss on a bus ride from Brixton to Camberwell, but it's well worth making a short detour for the fabulous food, live music and magnificent chandeliers.

40 Kemerton Road, Camberwell, London SE5 9AR
+44(0)207 737 3676
www.thecambrialondon.com
Google map: bit.ly/e4L1s8
Getting there: overground rail to Loughborough Junction or Denmark Hill, buses 35, 45, 345

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In my humble opinion, Franco Manca serves the best pizza in London. Situated in a modest venue, on two sides of a corridor through Brixton's covered market - and next to the fragrant fish stall - Franco's (as it used to be called when I first became a regular in the late 1980s) offers six pizzas, for extremely reasonable prices - even the most expensive costs less than £6. The newer name Franco's Missing, is a reference to the previous owner.
The sourdough base is prepared 20 hours ahead of baking and then fired in the 260°C oven for 40 seconds so everything is fresh, crisp and piping hot.
The only drawback is it's open when the market is, so not in the evening. A huge queue forms on Saturday lunchtime, snaking right out of the building and into the market, however the staff are pretty efficient so you shouldn't have to wait too long.

Franco Manca, 4 Market Row, Brixton
London SW9 8LD
+44(0)20 7738 3021
www.francomanca.co.uk
Google map: bit.ly/fkMIoo

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