Ganapati

When Jonathan suggested starting up some regular local restaurant crawls recently, I was so excited, I stepped up to the challenge of leading the very first crawl around my manor, Peckham. The idea is that our group of five would order a starter in one restaurant, a main in a second followed by dessert in a third and then finally drinks in a bar. This particular crawl was scheduled to take place on a Thursday night and I was worried we might not fit everything in but it turned out my fretting was needless as the evening was a blinder. We’ve divvied up the posts between us and so I’ve inserted write-ups of each place visited below. After meeting in Bar Story (more of that later), we moved onto Ganapati for starters. I’ll hand you over to Lizzie…

“Ganapati is a South Indian restaurant on a leafy street in the heart of Peckham. When we arrived, I was surprised by the interior; bare wooden country home-style tables were well spaced out and it was light and airy, atypical of the generic curry houses that I’m used to. Pretty sprays of flowers made the place look homely, and there was a pleasing waft of curry leaves. We were welcomed to our table warmly and we explained our plans for the evening to our rather bemused server. While perusing the A4 laminated menu, we were brought a jug of tap water to share. Instantly and rather predictably for me, the ‘aubergine bhurta’ appealed – a smoky aubergine salad with chilli and spices. This was delicious, and even the aubergine sceptic of our party loved it. The smoky flesh of the aubergine was both creamy and slightly tart, with a subtle chilli hint. We also had the crab thoran, which was suitably crabby and had delicious chunks of coconut in it. A masala dosa drew gasps of incredulity from the sheer size of it. Given it’s a pancake stuffed with potato, we wondered how much one would struggle if following it with a main course.


Vegetarian street snacks were extremely moreish and I wish we’d ordered two lots of these, and done away with the vegetable achar, which was simply just pickled vegetables. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge pickle fan but these were a little unexciting whereas the street snacks were expertly fried, light and grease-free. We accompanied our starters with a Cobra beer, and I was a touch taken aback when the bill weighed in at a hefty £45, including service. Perhaps I am too used to the ample delights of Tayyabs. Nevertheless, I am still keen to sample their main courses… I spotted a spicy aubergine masala that caught my attention.”

Helen's profile     Other reviews by Helen     Helen likes    

I have recently moved opposite Ganapti restaurant in the Bellenden village, Peckham. Their southern indian food is 100% fresh and you can sense that from the first mouthful. It's an absolute delight to eat there in such a great little place. Prices are average for that type of quality of food served.
I wish they had natural wine there though!

david's profile     Other reviews by david     david likes    

I am a Ganapati regular and have been a loyal customer since it opened a few years back. The food is stunning and truly authentic (my parents were in Kerala last year and confirmed this). The paratha (bread) is probably my favourite thing on the menu; so yum; so simple. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly and always tell you when you've over-ordered which is a welcome change from the 'up-selling' so commonly found in chain restaurants. The lunch menu is brilliant value. Make sure you book for dinner if you're planning a visit at the weekend as it's always packed!

R's profile     Other reviews by R     R likes    

I cannot disagree more with the last comment more ... they obviously went to a different restaurant or have the most exacting standards possible. Put simply the food is superb, the staff are friendly, its well priced. I only wish it was on my doorstep

Max's profile     Other reviews by Max     Max likes    

I have been looking forward to visiting Ganapati for some time now,As a restaurant management consultant and consultant chef i am very open minded and understand the different styles and variances in regional quisine from all around the world.on arrival i was greeted by friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere but unfortunately that was the only thing i found reasonable.The menu was varied and well balanced although limited and the menu well explained. I decided to have the banana leaf thali (chicken option) I was shocked at how bland the food was and how minimal the portions of even the basic dishes of dhal and vegetable curry where, and the only sign of chicken in my chicken thali was one mouthfull in my chicken curry. This was really unacceptable.On arrival of the bill once again i was shocked at the price, well over priced for what i was served and .The concept is great but, food needs much improvement and dishes need re costing. FAR TOO EXPENSIVE