Gay Camberwell

by Layla

Dining in Clerkenwell on Wednesday, I met someone from Camberwell. Not gay, he told me he jumps on the tube at Oval every time he wants to go out. Having lived in SE5 for two years, he claims to have tried but has yet to discover the delights of Camberwell. He became quite excited by the prospect of Gay Camberwell’s bar and restaurant reviews. Having seen them, he is even considering venturing out in his own neighbourhood. That is one of the fun things about Camberwell: it’s not always obvious where the best places are to be found, so you have to explore a little, and when you do find them, you feel extra smug. 

That was how we felt last night at JJ Caterers. This Indian restaurant on Southampton Way was previously just a takeaway but due to popular demand has added a few tables so you can dine there too. Somewhat off the beaten restaurant track in SE5, but with a growing reputation, JJ’s food is so excellent that upon tasting it, you have to scoff at those Clerkenwell suckers paying four times the price for food a quarter as good. 

On the other hand, JJ's did lose points on ambience. Fortunately other Camberwell restaurants excel on this front. I won’t go on again about the delights of the Wishing Well aka Thai @ Seymour’s, where I went yet again for dinner on Friday night, but I must highlight (in anticipation of a new website section reviewing Camberwell’s cafes), two excellent coffee/lunch options we sampled this weekend on Camberwell Church Street. House feels as though it has been transplanted from a posher neighbourhood. With its art gallery below, and bright, stylish cafe above, not to mention its free Wifi and board games, it’s a fantastic place to while away an afternoon. The tea, coffee and cakes are amazing, the breakfasts are delicious and the sandwiches at lunch are to die for. Roz and I went there on Saturday to play dominoes and meet with a comedienne with a view to starting up regular Camberwell comedy nights in SE5.
 
When it comes to lunch in this part of town, another worthy contender is Caravaggio. You might think of it as a restaurant, but the front part is a cafe by day and makes some of the finest, best-value sandwiches and baked potatoes in Camberwell. Also a fine place for a cup of tea or Italian coffee... 

And so we take a deep breath, having consumed enough food to give us the necessary energy, and brace ourselves for what will be the busiest week in Gay Camberwell launch month: gay book group tonight, Prick Up Your Ears screening at the Sun and Doves tomorrow, the grand Launch Party on Wednesday at 7pm (now, thanks to the lovely Winston at the Castle, featuring some free drinks and nibbles... not to mention a guest list of all the gays in London), Gay Camberwell theatre night at the Oval House Theatre on Thursday, and Club Wotever at Redstar on Saturday. We may need more of JJ’s amazing Indian food to sustain us...

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