LDNReview
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Eat Vietnam Bar-B-Grill
Included In
London isn’t exactly lacking in Vietnamese restaurants and while Dalston’s phở mile is often talked about, in Deptford there’s a reduced quantity that bring a much higher quality. Eat Vietnam Bar-B-Grill is the go-to. This bustling low-key restaurant makes everything from bánh xèo to phở that is a cut above pretty much any other Vietnamese restaurant in the city.
Nothing about this place is particularly flash or brash. It’s on a noisy stretch with a guy named Papa John for a neighbour. But on the weekend friends and families line up outside for a wooden table and an opportunity to attack Eat Vietnam’s lengthy menu. Given its neighbourhood location, midweek lunches are fairly relaxed affairs, but from Thursday onwards you’ll want to book for dinner because this is a restaurant that SE8 locals, and those from further afield, know and love. Birthdays are celebrated with baby back ribs painted in Eat Vietnam’s house sauce—a finger-licking creation that’s equal parts aromatic as it is rootin’ and tootin’. And Friday night catch-ups over crisp beers and crunchy pancakes are regular occurrences.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
While Eat Vietnam’s menu is vast, the quality is consistent. The Bar-B-Grill in their name refers to the caramelised bits of the menu—like lemongrass-marinated quail or grilled pork skewers with peanut dip—and you’ll more than likely smell these bits before you see them. Most notable on the walls, aside from the colourful lanterns and moonlit illustrations of Vietnam, are the vegan options. They aren’t cursory inclusions. Instead, like everything here, they’re careful ones. Eat Vietnam Bar-B-Grill is a restaurant that knows to put quality first, because the crowds will follow.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Gỏi Cuốn
Bánh Khọt
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Bánh Cuốn
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Nem Nướng Nha Trang
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Bánh Xèo Tôm Thįt
Sườn Heo Nướng