Top 10 budget restaurants in Greenwich, south-east London
Black Vanilla
Photograph: Jamie Hughes
Continuing the Italian theme, make sure you visit this gelateria … whatever the weather. With its monochrome colour scheme, high stools and glass counters, it is a narrow, minimalist slice of Milan in SE10. Sorbets and ice-creams are treated with suitable reverence. Made fresh each day, on site, Black Vanilla's gelato is created with milk, not cream, which means that, whilst luxuriously thick, it is still relatively healthy. Flavours are clear and true. A scoop of salted caramel was an obvious slam-dunk, the Earl Grey remarkably clean and fragrant. The staff happily dole out samples and enthusiastically recommend flavours. Black Vanilla also serves its own cakes, sandwiches and a daily soup and stew (£4.25-£4.95).
• Ice-creams £1-£4.95. 5 College Approach SE10, 020-8858 3283, black-vanilla.com
• Ice-creams £1-£4.95. 5 College Approach SE10, 020-8858 3283, black-vanilla.com
Handmade Foods, Blackheath
Handmade Food, Blackheath, London
While Greenwich has its share of credible budget venues, there are also several outstanding options in the surrounding area, if you're willing to walk a little. A pleasant stroll across the eponymous heath into Blackheath Village will bring you to Handmade Foods: a deli-cafe of real foodist rigour. Seasonal ingredients are sourced from the most serious producers, to create a small selection of hot dishes that you can eat-in or takeaway (for instance, spiced squash or white bean and rosemary soup; organic salt beef, braised red cabbage and turnips; organic shepherd's pie), as well as a revolving array of pies, beautiful salads, tarts and cakes.
A sample pot of braised chickpea, preserved lemon and chard salad (£3.71) was every bit as vibrant as that sounds. At £4.95, a minced beef and swede pie may sound expensive, but this was a doozy, the chunky filling long on well-seasoned, slow-cooked flavour. The pastry was done to a T, too.
• Takeaway prices: breakfast £2-£4.52, meals £3.95-£6.95. 40 Tranquil Vale, SE3, 020-8297 9966, handmadefood.com
• Takeaway prices: breakfast £2-£4.52, meals £3.95-£6.95. 40 Tranquil Vale, SE3, 020-8297 9966, handmadefood.com
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