At the end of the road that is Lewisham High Street, behind the Lewisham Shopping Centre, there is a must visit restaurant called Sparrow. It is food that is different, delicious, and worth the trip.
Me and a friend went for a Saturday brunch meal on what was one of the hottest days of the year. We immediately ordered cool drinks. I had the delicious pineapple, mellon and grapefruit drink that hit the spot. It was sweet and colorful and yummy – and only £3.50. My friend had a smoothie that was very milky and white, with coconut, condensed milk and raspberries thrown in, a bit too heavy for my tastes but he enjoyed it and drank it within minutes.
I had seen a photo online of their pancakes so I knew this is what I was going to have. They were coconut pancakes with peanut caramel and pineapple salsa, with a dollop of sour cream on top, and they were superbly delicious – like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. It’s the bits of pineapple with small bits of peanuts scattered about that gave this dish the wow factor – and at only £8 I would definitely order it again. My companion enjoyed his chicken and curry pastry. It was like a pie only smaller, and he said that the crust was nice and light, and that it was delicious, and a deal at £8 (it’s not alway on the menu, Sparrow does tend to mix up their offerings from day to day with daily specials).
We would’ve been remiss if we didn’t try out the typical Sri Lankan dish Appam. It’s a type of pancake made with fermented rice and coconut milk, and comes shaped like a bowl. While I had a plain one, it is recommended that ingredients be put into it as this is a very typical Sri Lanka dish, and Sparrow does offer up various combinations of eggs and other ingredients to include, and not costing more than £6.
Sparrow also has quite a unique dinner menu. From fried rabbit (£7.5), fennel and blood orange salad (£7), roast pork belly with harissa (£12) and then the malt duck with chilli jam (£13.50) all of which will probably knock your socks off. Along with Sparrow’s nice selection of drinks, Sparrow is perhaps one of the only reasons to go to Lewisham, unless you live there, and if you do indeed live there, you must pay a visit to Sparrow. And if you don’t live there, pay a visit to Sparrow. It delivers delicious unique food at the right price.
http://sparrowlondon.co.uk
Phone; 0203 318 6941
Dinner: Tue-Sat 6-10pm
Brunch Sat-Sun 10-5pm
Photos from Sparrow
Review by Tim Baros