FULHAM KITCHEN
Just a short walk from the Fulham Broadway station you will be able to find this hearty restaurant. Fulham Kitchen is one of my newest discoveries, and they really are worth checking out.
The owners, Robert and Zeljko, opened the restaurant back in 2015, with no intention, at first, to have any Balkan influence. It was initially just another cosy restaurant in the neighbourhood that people could get a bite from. This particular area of London has a quite big Balkan community, and a lot of people happened to stumble upon Fulham Kitchen, not realising that the owners were from the Balkans.
There was a lot of requests about adding Balkan food to the menu, and so Robert and Zeljko listened to their customers. They firstly added just pasulj, but now they offer over 13 delicious dishes in their ‘My mom’s recipes’ section. If you still want to visit them but are not in the mood for any Balkan food, they offer many other dishes from around the world.
The atmosphere of the restaurant itself is very welcoming and casual, which makes it for a perfect ‘local’ spot where you can just unwind with some good food and drinks. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to Robert, and he was more than open to the idea of answering any questions I had and was very generous with his time and on-the-house pancakes. The staff working there was also very welcoming and just contagiously polite and happy.
If you are in a need of a venue for a birthday party or just a gathering of any sort, they do have the option to rent out the space. They have an area outside where you can sit out-front, as well as around 10 tables inside and a large siting area in their ‘football room’, fully fitted with jerseys and a large TV so you don’t miss any action.
When I asked Robert what he would recommend from the menu, Balkan or not, he mentioned Gurmanska pljeskavica, Spagetti Carbonara and their steak. The restaurant itself is open every day of the week, and they offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, so if you are ever in the neighbourhood, give them a visit and thank me later.
For more information, please visit their website
or follow them on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/fulhamkitchen/
PERPERICON
If you happen to find yourself in South of London, Streatham in particular, you will be able to get a taste of Bulgaria in this lovely small establishment, Perpericon.
When I visited them, there wasn’t anyone available to speak to me a bit more about the history of the restaurant, and why they chose to open it there. Even though there wasn’t anyone to help me out with those questions, I did stay to have a meal and decide for myself if it is worth the trip.
The waitress that served me was very nice and she was the only one out of all the staff that spoke good English. The restaurant itself is kind of a fusion between Italian and Balkan food, which I think is a good combination to try and reach different audiences.
They have two different menus, just for the previously mentioned reason. You would be able to order a traditional Balkan dish, such as Tripe soup, as well as a Margarita pizza. They also offer three different beers on draft.
The restaurant itself has two parts, inside and ‘closed off’ outside. If sitting outside you will be able to smoke, as it is not allowed to do so inside. The décor is simple, yet very welcoming and the seating is comfortable (which I am fussy about quite a bit).
If it is not convenient for you to go and visit them, their menu is available on JustEat, and they do deliveries every day from 11:30am to 11pm. The prices for the amount of food that you end up getting are more than reasonable.
They are very accommodating when it comes to food allergies and intolerances. If you are someone who needs a dish to be modified, they are more than happy to help. From what I’ve seen whilst I ate my lunch (Yes, I did eavesdrop in order to figure out which language the people might be speaking, don’t judge me) there are people from all over the world coming to eat here, and not only Balkans.
If you are interested in visiting them or finding out more information about the food, please go to 16 Greyhound Lane or call them on 020 8696 6663
Alternatively, visit the JustEat website
https://www.just-eat.co.uk/restaurants-perpericon
Caffè Bonego
Along the Goldhawk Road, amongst many different restaurants and shops, you will be able to find this gem! Caffè Bonego is a place where everyone is welcome, and you will be able to find many different foods.
They were open just a few years ago, in 2017, and since have been making a positive impact on the Balkan community and anyone who is willing to give it a shot. Snezana, the owner of it, has had the idea of opening a restaurant of some kind for a while now. Once the opportunity arose with this particular space being vacant, she embraced it and decided to make something great out of it.
Everyone working there is very welcoming and they are approaching their customers with a great attitude and nothing but smiles. I’ve personally tried some of the food today, and was left with a full belly and the thought: ‘What day should I come back for more?’
They offer classic British Breakfast foods, as well as traditional Balkan options, like Burek with yogurt. Their lunch menu is filled with foods from all over the Balkans, from Moussaka to Pasulj and all of the salads us Balkans like to have with our meals, such as Shopska or Fresh cabbage.
Snezana has also added: ‘We have our standard meals and options, but we also change the menu depending on the season and what people would like to try next. Having many options never hurt nobody.’ They also have the traditional drink Rakija, which we were all, at some point of our lives, given with the sentence: ‘Just try a tiny sip, you’ll like it.’
If you are looking for just a nice desert and coffee, they will not disappoint either. They make all of their cakes and deserts from scratch and they offer a large range of coffees, to go or to sit in with.
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday they have live music. On Sundays they start a bit earlier, around 4pm, and don’t finish till late. Like their customers, who vary from Serbs, Lithuanians, Russians, Macedonians, Bosnians and many more, the music played does as well depending on the night.
If any of this sounds appealing to you, and it reallyyyyyy should, please visit their FB page for more information.
Balkan in London 