Menu:

Angels and Gypsies
29-33 Camberwell Church Street SE5 8TR
Tel: 0207 703 5984

Angels and Gypsies, nestling below the incongruously chic Camberwell Church Street Hotel, has been three years in the making. When it was finally unveiled in December 2009, we were some of the first customers through the door. On entering, we immediately felt we had stepped into an oasis, a little enclave of Spain in SE5. From the exposed brickwork to the wooden floorboards, to the stained glass décor, Spanish tiles adorning the bar, cured ham hanging from the ceiling, and an ingenious airlock style entrance that keeps out the drafts, we felt transported to another world. Our greeting was friendly and a slightly excessive number of staff stood to attention as we were shown to our table. The wine list was thoughtful and pleasing, and their house red, at a very reasonable £13, went down a treat. On to the food. The menu is entirely composed of tapas, and they have a good selection. We opted to share the bread basket with oil, which was very pleasant, followed by some standard tapas dishes (the tortilla was creamy and delicious; the patatas bravas less enjoyable, due to an odd decision to turn the dish into ‘chips bravas), and some more unusual choices (the roast pumpkin was tasty and well cooked, butterbeans in tomato sauce a burst of textures, and beetroot and goats cheese salad a subtle delight of flavours). To finish we had a cheeseboard, which was good value and tasty, though their serving it with flavoursome olive bread a tad misjudged (though they were happy to provide additional plain bread when asked), and tried their chocolate mousse cake, which was rich and chocolatey and very pleasing. The ambiance is modern, buzzy and cosy, and Angels and Gypsies would work equally well as a romantic dining experience, or as a sociable meal with a group of friends. The service was great on our first visit, though less attentive on our second. Which we might not have even noticed, had not the standard been so initially high. This may be Camberwell’s first real destination restaurant. It could hold its own anywhere in London. At the moment, we don’t really want to eat anywhere else!


Food: 5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Ambience: 5/5

Gay friendliness: 4/5