10 OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS FOR INTERNATIONAL DINING IN SOUTH EAST LONDON

1 Babur, Forest Hill
Babur celebrates 30 years in 2015, and rightly so – its contemporary representations of India’s many cuisines have drawn praise from Zagat and Hardens. The restaurant has launched a special anniversary menu, String of Pearls, celebrating the cuisines of East Africa, Indian Ocean Islands and the Andaman Sea.
119 Brockley Rise, Forest Hill SE23 1JP; 020 8291 2400; babur.info

2 Le Querce, Forest Hill
Chef Antonello Serra set up Le Querce in Forest Hill in 2006. He had previously worked at a Michelin-star restaurant in Sardinia before moving to London and working at Metrogusto and Assaggi. Antonello’s reworking of traditional Mediterranean and Sardinian cuisine combines great flavours with lightness, like calf’s liver with sage and caramelised onions. Do try the homemade gelatos and sorbets.
66-68 Brockley Rise, Forest Hill SE23 1LN; 020 8690 3761; lequerce.co.uk

Babur serves award-winning contemporary Indian cuisine in Forest Hill

3 Buenos Aires Café, Blackheath & Greenwich
Buenos Aires Café serves up flavoursome, succulent Argentinian beef from free-roaming cattle fed on Pampas grass, in a relaxed environment typical of Argentinian restaurants. Try tackling the Parrillada Mixta Special with rump, sirloin, chorizo, black pudding, chicken, ribs, sweetbread and pork belly!
17 Royal Parade, Blackheath SE3 0TL and 15 Nelson Road, Greenwich SE10 9JB; buenosairescafe.co.uk

Le Querce, Forest Hill, is loved by locals

4 The French House, East Dulwich
Audrey Michel, from Alsace in France, opened The French House in East Dulwich to celebrate classic Alsacian-style food in an environment inspired by the Yé-yé musical era (famous for the likes of Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin). Try the tarte flambée, made from extra thin bread dough topped with crème fraiche and smoked lardon, or the classic escargots à la bourguignonne.
52 Lordship Lane SE22 8HJ; 020 3441 2090; thefrenchhouse.co

Buenos Aires Cafe in Blackheath, and now Greenwich, is known for its excellent steaks and grills

5 Everest Inn, Blackheath
The award-winning Everest Inn in Blackheath offers contemporary, beautifully styled Nepalese and Indian cuisine. The chefs prepare everything on site, using the best, freshest ingredients and unique blends of spices for flavoursome dishes. Try a fish dish like the Machha Modi Khola – marinated white fish cooked in mustard, ginger, fresh herbs and spices and a touch of yoghurt.
41 Montpelier Vale, Blackheath SE3 0TJ; 020 8852 7872; everestinnblackheath.co.uk

6 Yama Momo, East Dulwich
Yama Momo, the new Japanese restaurant and bar on Lordship Lane, has bolstered our suspicion that sushi and cocktails will be a strong contender for 2015’s biggest food trend. The place serves sushi, sashimi, tempura and delicious-sounding dishes like steamed sea bass with soy ponzu, as well as a plentiful list of Far Eastern-influenced cocktails and sake.
72 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich SE22 8HF; 020 8299 1007; yamamomo.co.uk

Everest Inn, Blackheath, has long been regarded the best for Nepalese

7 Saigon Streat, Greenwich & Hither Green
This Vietnamese pop-up has built quite a following at The Plum Tree Café on Greenwich High Road and now you can catch them at Archibald’s Café on Manor Lane and The Café of Good Hope on Hither Green Lane too. Inspired by Saigon’s street food, chef Minh Chu cooks up dishes like Bo Luc Lac (diced rump steak with red onion pickle and jasmine rice), which his followers rave about on Twitter.
saigonstreat.com; @SaigonStreat

Yama Momo is a new Japanese restaurant and bar in East Dulwich

8 Sticks N Sushi, Greenwich
Sticks ‘n’ Sushi does exactly what it says on the tin – serves up food on sticks (known as yakitori) and platters of sushi. Follow the lead of the Japanese and start with a miso soup, then try some sushi followed by a plate of sticks. I can highly recommend the Spicy Tuna Roll and the miso-marinated black cod on a stick.
1 Nelson Road, Greenwich SE10 9JB; 020 3141 8220; sticksnsushi.com

Saigon Streat pops up all over south east London….

9 Bianco43, Blackheath & Greenwich
Bianco43 serves authentic Naples-style pizza with dough made in-house by Neapolitan pizza chefs using a special blend of flours. Toppings range from the classic Margherita to the Romana (anchovies, capers and black gaeta olives) and even Frutti Di Mare (king prawns, calamari, mussels and baby octopus). There are plenty of starters, sides, salads, pastas and meat dishes too.
43 Greenwich Church Street SE10 9BL and 1-3 Lee Road, Blackheath SE3 9RQ; bianco43.com

Can’t decide? Sticks ‘n’ Sushi has set menus to help you out

10 Tamnag Thai, Crystal Palace
Tamnag Thai, known for its good prices and friendly service, is decorated with a fun mix of gold Buddha statues, brightly lacquered furniture and parasols hanging from the ceiling. Most importantly, the food is very well executed – try the Thai green curry with bamboo shoots, aubergines, chilli and basil, or the sizzling chilli crispy duck with lemongrass and grachai sauce.
50-54 Westow Hill, Crystal Palace SE19 1RX; 020 8670 2524

Bianco 43 serves delicious, authentic Nepalese-style pizza

Tamnag Thai, Crystal Palace, is colourful and fun