The Begging Bowl Thai Restaurant Bellenden Road, London SE15, is where you can enjoy a series of small plates with friends and family. Expect your taste buds to be given a regional tour of Thailand as you savour the tantalising ingredients and unique creations. If you’re looking for the best Thai restaurants in London, places to eat on Bellenden Road or Peckham, you’ll fall in love with The Begging Bowl.
“Chef Jane Alty creates beautiful Thai small plates at The Begging Bowl; every mouthful is a journey taking you through the exotic flavours of Thailand. It’s a restaurant that you’ll want to return to again and again,” Homegirl London.
The Begging Bowl Lunch Menu
My partner and I had a memorable lunch at The Begging Bowl and thought it was incredible. The Begging Bowl is now ten years old, and they are still going strong, which is a testament to how many customers appreciate the fantastic food. It’s all about sharing small plates with your friends and family; the more people at your party, the more dishes you get to try! The lunch menu is served from Friday to Sunday.
We shared mainly vegetarian and vegan dishes and if that’s what you want to do, tell the server, and they can make slight modifications to accommodate. I can highly recommend everything we tried, which was a lot! The Chive Cakes with Chilli and Dark Soy Dip were the first to arrive at our table. The Chive Cakes were crunchy on the outside yet fluffy inside and full of flavour. Wow, what a great start to our meal.
One of my favourite dishes was the Betel Leaf containing a crunchy mix of Ginger, Peanuts, Shallots, Coconut, Galangal and Palm Sugar. The Betel Leaf was gone in a flash, and there were only two (one each), which left me wanting more, but there were other dishes on the way, so I didn’t mind.
On to the Pickled Cauliflower with Gherkin, Baby Corn, Chilli and Sesame. I admired the presentation, and the sharp acidic taste, although it wasn’t as memorable as the other dishes.
After sharing the above, we had our own larger plate. I chose wisely because the Charcoal Grilled Celeriac with Peanut Curry and Pickled Ginger was one of the best curries I’ve ever tasted. It was more of a textured paste smothered over the Celeriac. I’d order it again; I can’t stop thinking about it!!
Meanwhile, my partner tucked into his Hake Dumplings in a Green Curry with Thai Aubergines, Long Beans and Krachai. He needed a serviette to wipe his sweaty brow because the curry was hot in Chilli heat. He also needed a couple of glasses of water to calm down his mouth, but he said it was worth it!
Prices range from £4.50 to £21 per dish. The higher prices are for the Charcoal Grilled Bavette Steak and Deep-Fried Whole Sea Bass. We were too full for dessert but looked at the menu and saw they had Coconut Pana Cotta with Poached Kumquats, Affogato made with Vietnamese Espresso and Green Mango with Lychee and Pear in a Pandan Syrup. You can order wine by the glass, exciting cocktails with Thai ingredients and great soft drinks like the Thai lemonade I tried.
Watch The Begging Bowl Video
Helpful Information About The Begging Bowl
To find out more, visit The Begging Bowl Website. The address is 168 Bellenden Road, London SE15 4BW. The nearest station is Peckham Rye. They are only open for lunch from Friday to Sunday and dinner from Tuesday until Saturday. Check the website for current opening times.
The restaurant is quite large thanks to the prominent conservatory on the front. Inside, the interiors are contemporary and relaxed.
While you’re in the area, you may be interested in reading this article:
Ten Reasons To Visit Bellenden Road
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London. I only write about restaurants where I had a good experience. I recommend you further research as restaurant standards fluctuate, as do opinions. Please check if the restaurant is still in business and the opening times before you go. If you discover this restaurant has closed, contact me to remove it from my blog.
