The Red Sea
85 Camberwell Road SE5 0EZ
Tel: 0207 277 4494
The Red Sea could not be described as a bustling restaurant, no matter how friendly the owner, or how large the helpings of food might be. Having peered in through the windows as I passed on the number 12 bus on many occasions, it has never seemed very busy, but its tables are always immaculately laid in anticipation, and its promise of Eritrean food is too intriguing to ignore. On our visit the restaurant was typically quiet, but for a member of staff watching the X Factor on a television installed in the corner of the room, a décor choice that gives an odd is-it-a-bar, is-it-an-uncomfortable-living-room atmosphere to this otherwise quite formal Eritrean eaterie. The hospitality cannot be faulted: the jovial owner was welcoming, told us about Eritrea, and when asked, was delighted to recommend dishes for us. These arrived promptly: vast plates holding giant, thin pancakes for sharing, upon which the owner proceeded to lovingly and artistically lay out the various crushed chick peas, spinach, vegetables, sauce, salad and several types of meat before giving us a special demonstration of how to use the pancake to eat the contents with our hands. The food was good: tasty, with different textures and subtle spices, and appeared to be appreciated by a friendly Eritrean man at the next table who came in at one point in the evening, told us he was from Keren, and chatted to us about it in a very cheerful way. The menu has a selection of Eritrean food, and Italian food, as well as some rice dishes, and also offers a traditional Eritrean coffee ceremony for £10. We did not partake, but we did have some wine, from a rather disappointing list. It is a shame that this restaurant was not busier, because eating food from shared pancakes is a pleasingly sociable practice, and it would have been nice for it to have felt more of a communal experience, as it must do in Eritrea. Since it was a Sunday night, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Food: 3
Service: 4
Ambience: 3
Gay friendliness: 3