• 5
• Consistently excellent

The Calabash of Culture is part café, part gallery, part events space, and part shop, stocking multicultural and ethically-focused books, magazines, crafts, homeware and jewellery. I started eating here at the end of 2013, before I became vegan, and the menu helped open my eyes to just how good plant-based food could be. Now, rarely a week goes by when I don’t pop in for lunch. The food is consistently excellent, with a revolving selection of mains (stews, curries, lasagne) coupled with sides of rice, couscous or quinoa, alongside raw salads and fried plantain, ensuring each plate served is varied and exciting. All appetites are catered for thanks to a choice of portion sizes, myself opting for the large plate (two mains plus all the trimmings), then invariably having to get desert to take away because I’m so full. The dishes take inspiration from across the globe, fusing West African, Caribbean and South Asian flavours into delicate, complimentary combinations. The deserts on offer – generous slices of cake, cupcakes, brownies, crumble with vegan custard or ice cream – are also seriously impressive, practically indistinguishable from vegetarian counterparts. The drinks selection, too, is great – freshly-made juices and creamy, hearty smoothies (the protein-packed Green Earth ‘Soothie’ I tend to go for is both delicious and filling), plus a selection of herbal teas and coffee. More recently, Calabash has also started offering snacks including croissants, wraps and patties, the latter of which I’ve tried and loved. The café is always welcoming, with hosts Raa and Simone and their team attentive and friendly, keen to create a relaxing experience which goes beyond just sitting to eat. This ethos carries through in the regular drum workshops, live music evenings and support groups held on-site. I’m lucky to live only a 10-minute walk from Calabash, but if I moved out of Sydenham I’d still make the journey – no other vegan place I’ve been to yet has come close. Hands down, my favourite place to eat.