After an extensive restoration, the Recreation Ground makes a quietly impressive and pleasurable arrival to the Camberwell pub scene. There is little jostling or hubbub to the place and, as with many neighbourhood joints, date-night cheer and old-pal warmth abound.

The Venue
When it’s busy and difficult outside, you want something welcoming and tranquil. You want an unassuming hug of a place. The Recreation Ground fits the bill. The artfully simple decor shows the kind of modern urban minimalism that you might expect in a contemporary pub. The walls are high, art-deco chandeliers hang from the ceiling and the broad, tall front window provides a screen playing a slow-motion real-life movie of a typically vibrant Camberwell Church Street outside. The pub also plays host to a first floor bar with a capacity for between 40 and 100 people, ideal for private parties with there being no hire cost or minimum spend at the bar.

The Atmosphere
Behind the windows is an impressively varied clientele that is perfectly Camberwell: old and young, white and black, workers in suites, young couples in love, arty types reading the Indy and, heavens, even a groups of lads, albeit quiet ones, out on the lash. They talk about football and architecture, iPads, music and the latest exhibition at Camberwell Arts College. And the beauty of all this is that on a Friday night, when the rest of the world struggles speaking over a bedlam of after work crowds, they can actually be heard.

The Food
A warm flush comes to your face with the happy fact that here, in this inconspicuous spot, you can enjoy impressive culinary delights like braised ham hock with fried duck egg, grilled goat’s cheese with bourbon and honey and slow cooked Spanish chorizo and pork loin cooked with saffron and paprika. The menu changes daily, depending on the chef’s store cupboard, and it’s all the better for it. On this particular occasion the braised lamb and barley soup with confit onion bread (£6.45) is like a warm stroke on the head. The beguiling, sweet aroma of the mango salsa flavours the moist and spicy jerk chicken thighs on a perfect stack of sweet potato, squash and spinach (£10.95) really well. To finish, a slightly bland dessert of granola topped apple and mango crumble (£3.50) is brought back to life with velvety, rich custard.

The Drink
A fair and balanced worldly wine list, with an emphasis on affordability is backed up by a good range of bitters and speciality cocktails. The subtle oak tones and balanced crisp acidity of the Australian Tin Roof chardonnay is a smooth accompaniment with dinner, whilst cocktails including the intoxicating mix of zesty caipirinha (£6.50) comes perfectly unified, thanks to the friendly Brazilian bar tender who blends it.

The Last Word
A quiet and friendly nook with ambition and quality, the Recreation Ground is a pleasant example of how ambitious food can be made in a humble room that is near - and feels like - home.

View®  Card offers venue information venue map view london review user reviews (2) image gallery (4) book a table