United Kingdom

London

Nigerian

Food

Below the river in South London you will find some of the city’s most delicious restaurants, pop ups and street food stalls. Naz is the cofounder of soul food fusion concept, Bando Belly. Over lockdown she and her co founder Alex Sintunayake were inspired by London’s fusion of culture which you can find across all corners of the city but especially in the South. As a proud South Londoner, Naz has put together a list of a few of her favourite spots to check out when next you're in the ends.

Note : Sadly Bando Belly burned down in May due to an electrical fire. Visit their 

 to help out and support Bando Belly in getting up and running again.

This year, I went on a mission to create a soul food fusion concept, Bando Belly with co-founder Alex Sintunayake. London is the world’s biggest melting pot and living in the capital means fusion is everywhere - food, music and of course the people. How many places in the world would an English, Turkish and Indian man all know the appropriate response to wagwan?!!
Bando Belly is about taking that exact energy and putting it on a plate; I have created a menu to highlight a diverse selection of flavours from all around the globe to reimagine London’s soul food.

A cute cafe serving classic Vietnamese dishes, they know me here as the woman who orders a table full of food. Don't miss the BÁNH XÈO Crêpe filled with pork or chicken, prawns, onion, bean sprouts and salad. CÁNH GÀ CHIÊN BƠ chicken wings with garlic butter and lemongrass. All their Pho are delicious or BÚN TÔM XÀO king prawns on rice. 

A Filipino food truck station outside Peckham library. They have been serving banging tender beef in adobo and marinated grilled chicken over rice with green and spicy sauces. You can grab a large box for £7 I always grab two one for now one for me and brother to fight over later.

Two Nigerian sisters with food as bold as they are. Their spin on Nigerian classics will have your mouth watering and belly full. My go to is the beef suya and prawn fried rice but grab a mixed plate for a taste of everything. 

A family run business with warm friendly service. Serving an array of South American food from tacos to arepas. I always get the beef chachapa, a sweet corn pancake with shredded beef and soft cheese.

A Mediterranean fusion kitchen inside a new bar that has a banging playlist full of amapiano bangers. Their portions never leave you hungry, there’s a tapas style menu and some great mains. I’ve had the thick sea bass fillet several times but I’m dying to try the confit duck and bean puree.

A traditional Eritrean restaurant serving vegan/ veggie delights tasty fish dishes and my favourite kulwa, which is lamb fried in ghee, onion and green chilli. Everything comes with Injera, a teff flour sourdough pancake. For first timers I suggest the combos based on how many people you're with, selections picked by the chef made for sharing. Great for date nights or group visits, make a night of it by trying the traditional honey wine and end with the authentic coffee ceremony.

Huge Peruvian restaurant with great outdoor seating for a spot of people watching. The cocktails are strong, and food packed with flavour. I have unashamedly ordered the same thing every time, grilled beef heart in aji amarillo and cod ceviche. The softness and deep flavour of the beef heart is unforgettable.

Master Chefs 2011 winner’s Japanese fusion restaurant serves great Japanese classics with sprinkles of Caribbean flavours. My go to is the Leopard ramen, a super thick creamy pork broth with parmesan and scotch bonnet or the extraordinary lazy goat ramen boneless curry goat with noodles, that one is a spice girl for sure!

This hole in the wall in Brixton a mother and daughter serving Colombian street food. Seeing a girl walking down Brixton high street with a massive snow cone piled with fruit and I had to stop her to ask where I could get one. Think fruit salad in fruit juice covered with a mountain of shaved ice and condensed milk and syrup. There's a lot going on but oh my there's a lot more to love. A super sweet summer treat. If its a hot day be ready to wait up to 30 mins.

A great fun Korean BBQ restaurant, a huge menu to choose from. This place you can take anyone, and they will enjoy. Don't go too crazy with the starters the wings and beef short ribs are my favourite or you'll have to come back twice like me to try the BBQ. Always order a bottle of soju and a pot of makgeolli, the milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine, get a cab home you will need it!

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The Best Food in South London with Naz

The Flag Twins

Peckham-raised twins Kevin and Karlon Bonsu are multi-faceted creatives working across several disciplines.

The two British-Ghanaian twins DJ, as well as run 

 and their own creative agency. They've modelled for the likes of Gucci and appeared in 

Community, representation and diversity are key values at the core of their work, and play a large role in their editorial content in their magazine. Aside from their work, the two brothers are known for their boisterous, warm personalities on screen and online.

They've certainly carved out a path for themselves in the creative industries, and are well-versed in the best spots in London's southeast district Peckham. The area has become a cultural hotspot, and here, the Flag Twins highlight where you can find the best Nigerian food and experience the creative scene.

This is new on the Peckham scene. It's been open for about a year now. It feels mad safe and when you're out you obviously want to make sure that the vibes are correct, so it gives you that level of homeyness. Having a place where you can turn up, feel cosy, get mashed and have fun with your friends is a vibe!

Being in the heart of Peckham you do really feel its pulse. You feel its energy every Friday when there's a queue stretching down to the police station. You have to recognise what's going on in the area, it's becoming fully gentrified. Prince of Peckham is changing the narrative for modern day British pubs and it's one of the last pubs that's recognised as a place for the community and for people that identify as ethnic minorities.

Before you talk about The Flygerians you need to talk about the founders, twins Jess and Joel. They have a lot of Nigerian takes on classic dishes so for people that don't have an introduction to Nigerian food, its a bit of a more palatable way and a nice introduction into getting a taste of those Nigerian flavours.

The Flygerians

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