Dear South Indian food lovers, we do not serve takeaway meals from Ganapati Restaurant.
We operate a completely separate takeaway collection and delivery service from Ganapati Takeaway Kitchen at 4 Maxted Road, SE15 4LL. see the menu at ganapatitakeaway.com
- Most Indian restaurants in London usually limit the spices used in favour of people with low tolerance for spicy food. However, the chefs here have adhered to make authentic food which entailed in making the chicken liver fry impeccable. This dry dish is strongly flavoured with spices and has the right amount of pepper powder. The meat is also soft, tender and well sautéed in onions, green chilli, garlic, curry leaves among other spices. It is a must-try at this restaurant.
- The well layered crispy Malabar paratha can be enjoyed with Enathi chicken curry made in coconut oil with tomatoes, finely chopped onions and spices such as star anise, roasted fennel and Garam masala. The amalgamation of all these ingredients is the perfect Enathi (Chettinad) chicken curry served here.
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I love Indian food. In particular the Norh Indian and Punjabi delicacies, a taste both acquired from family dinner outs and a visit to Rajasthan. However snd sadly, I have had less enjoyable experiences with south Indian cuisine. Ganapati was supposed to be my 2nd chance to clear my impressions and, while it doesnt stand next to the northern counterpart, it redeemed itself.
Ganapati is located in a lovely area of Peckam, near 2 peaceful gardens. The place is simple and evocative of a Keralan village by the water, with simple wooden chairs and tables, under the gaze of a inviting Ganesh, the elephant god. I cannot produce the names of what we ate, so I will not attempt it. We had a starter qhich comprised of a salty crispy doughnut-alike covered in yogurt and wih some tamarind in/on it. It was weird at first, but the more you ate it, th more interesting it got. One of the most complex starters the waitress told us, and she may be right. We had then a dish with squid, that was a bit of a let down, as it didn't have that much taste; a chicken dish with a very thick sauce that was great; and a (tarror?) lamb curry that was probably my favourite. All washed down with delicious mango lassi. The Indian sweets were really good and closed the lunch on a high note.
We went here for lunch and got the Lunch Dosa Special and the Kerala Fish Curry.
I wouldn't say it is authentic as I have lived in South India in the past. But it is definitely worth checking this place out.
My favourite would be the Kerala Paratha roti, it rivals the roti from Malaysia big time!
Service, taste and serving size was decent.
Excellent for lunch. I've n.... Excellent for lunch.
I've never been disappointed.
Delicate flavours.
A local gem.
Highly recommended.
Fantastic south Indian cuisine, plus some interesting Indian wines on offer. Enjoyed the thalis (full meals) and the service staff were helpful and informative and friendly. Food seemed fairly spicy, but delicious.
Superb food way above any other Indian restaurant I have been to in central London very relaxed atmosphere
A wide variety of delicious food and thirst-quenching drinks in a colouful, friendly enviroment. Whether you have more plain or more adventurous taste, this restaurant will give what you want, when you want it!!! 5 stars
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Indian Summer. This might just might have nudged its way into being my new favourite local restaurant. Managed to get a late table in the very pleasant little outdoor courtyard at the back, towered over by monster bamboo. Extremely friendly service.
Crab Thoran to start for me, accompanied by a yoghurt sauce. Fragrant and extremely moreish, so I didn't do as much swapping as I should have with bloke's Vegetarian Street Snacks, but then again they seemed to disappear quickly too.
Was tempted by the Banana Leaf Thali but in the end went for the Nellu Chicken, which was a huge and very succulent free range chicken leg in a rich and aromatic sauce of black pepper, cardamon, onion and garam masala, lovely mopping up with the buttery and flaky paratha that comes with it, and a side of curd rice, as yummy as previous reviews suggest, with its textural contrast of creaminess and crunchy curry leaves, mustard seeds and chilli.
Bloke had a Nagore Lamb Kurma served with coconut rice, which didn't look all that, but tasted fab, and much more interesting than standard curry house kormas, more of a meaty gravy and less sweet.
Masala tea to close, which was also lovely, and instantly replaced for free when knocked over...too much wine, us?!
We will be back. Oh yes.
Ganapati has an endearing 'make do and mend' style design that runs from the charmingly quirky light fixtures and decoration made from found objects, presumably bought in Kerala
What a difference 24 hours can make. After a very disappointing night at a tourist Indonesian restaurant in Central London, we end up at a great little South India joint in Peckham. I've never been to Peckham before, well only on a Saturday night when Del Boy would find his way on to my teatime tele viewing. I was a young lad way back in the early 80's. To be honest I never contemplated going to Peckham, but after a recommendation to try Ganapati, we just had to go. So a venture south of the river was set up. As you walk into Ganapati you get a hit of the spices being used in the kitchen. It's a good one, and really did, just for a moment, transport me back to India. This was going to be good. We had been warned that the place was small, and yes it is. We took a chance by just turning up, as I'm reliable informed you need to book for dinner. Thankfully it was mildly full when we turned up for some lunch on probably the last good weekend of the year. I like the feel of the place, with i
Ganapati serves South Indian home-style and street food, the likes of which you would find being dished up in the homes or served on the stalls by the side of the roads in Southern India.
The South Indian food at Ganapati is really good. I won't use the word 'authentic' as I think that it really means nothing. ..let's just say that as an Indian I was very happy with the Indian food that I ate and leave it at that.
Its been some time since I last ate at Ganapati. ..I think a few of the dishes have changed. ..
Do try the vegetarian street snacks and the ginger beer. The prawn curry was as good as anything I have eaten at Trishna or Mahesh Lunch Home in Mumbai. End with the assorted mithai or the carrot halwa served with creme fraiche if they still have it. The creme fraiche beautifully cuts the richness and sweetness of the halwa.
Ganapati is a painful trek from the centre, but if you want to try something different, another kind of Indian food in London, make the effort and go there... you will be well rewarded..
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Continuing my love affair with Peckham I went for a lunch for two, we spent £15 in total, we were full and I had a beer. OH and the food was by far the the tastiest Indian food I've had since being in London (3 years), in terms of value for flavour, this is the pound for pound king. Zomato is an indian company and I have no doubt they this south Indian cuisine could go head to head with one or two of their front runners. Vegetarians take note.
I will be returning for dinners and to try the desserts however for lunch I had the vegetable curry Thakkali Masala. A simple tomato masala, these ingredients must be so fresh to taste this good, generally I am a carnivore however I try and avoid meat and fish on Mondays when dining out an old habit instilled by Kitchen Confidential. When cooking curry nothing must overpower anything, it is creating a beautiful harmony between all the spices providing nutrition and curing any ailments along the way. They achieved this absolutely.
A great restaurant. You will hear people talk about this restaurant a lot at the moment so make sure you book a table, and it really is worth travelling for.
Great little restaurant serving amazing authentic south Indian dishes. Would recommend for any fan of Indian food as they have a brilliant menu that would suit vegetarians and meat fans alike.
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Perhaps the best reason to trek to Peckham, (whether you drive or take the overground, it’s quite the schlep from Central London), Ganapati is one of my favourite Indians in London – and I can count those on one hand – we’re short on authenticity and proper magnificence in our Indian restaurants here. Ganapati is not run by an Indian, but the chefs, are 100% homegrown, and honestly I shouldn’t really care, but I really do admire the care and attention detail lavished on this restaurant – it’s a warm, inviting little slice of South India, in a very individual style. Pop prints of the Meenakshi temple and Chennai roadsides on the wall, a beautiful little glassed/covered outdoor area to sit, random Tamil music, a lovely family, neighbourhood restaurant – in Peckham(!!), it’s weird, but it works, so hats off to the woman who started it! The menu takes on South India in style – a very varied region, but quite distinct from the North/East/West of India – think pepper, coconut, tamarind, rice, and NOT as so many people tend to think (thanks to the ubiquitousness of Saravana Bhavans and every second Tam-Brahm you meet) vegetarian. Non-vegetarian South Indian food isn’t even well known enough in India, it’s amazing that this little Peckhamese joint does it so well. A selection of standard starters - I had the thayir vada last time I was there, perfectly gingered. A mini thali or the Mahatma thali (vegetarian) – they looked good but I wasn't really interested. Proper Chettinad chicken curry, prawn curry, lamb korma, with all the thorans and pickles, and pachadis you could desire – this is what I was there for, with a dosa on the side. And I’ve returned and returned multiple times, to this warm, colourful, friendly little restaurant. Perhaps it’s not as fiery as it could be back home, but it’s the closest to real that I’ve found in London.
We've dined at this place on two occasions, and both times, our main attraction was their exquisite masala dosa. It's one of the finest in London. The dosa is substantial, wonderfully crispy, and the potato filling is bursting with flavour. To top it off, their sambar is fresh and delicious. I'd give it a perfect score of 10/10. Also, I recommend trying the ginger-infused masala chai, it hits the spot.
During our initial visit, we decided to explore various items on the menu. We tried the prawn curry, which regrettably fell short of capturing the true essence of Indian cuisine. The mung dhal salad was pleasant, although not extraordinary, and the chicken thigh starter was a hearty choice if you have a big appetite. The paratha was also great. However, on our subsequent visit, we decided to stick to what we knew was exceptional – the dosa :)
One of the best South Indian flavoured food. Good environment and friendly staff. All items from menu look appealing… will come again to taste some more
Love the food here, good vibes and good food. Great place to have a nice dinner with friends and family. Friendly atmosphere and staff service. Recommend the poppadom and king prawns for starters, the sea bass curry with their famous flaky bread is also a must. My partner also had the spicy chicken curry which tasted great also. The curry here doesn’t feel heavy but rather light but still flavourful which is something I really like in Indian food. Price was around £20-30 per person which increases to £40-50 per person if wine et al. was ordered.
I had the potato dossa, the potato curry needed a little more chili and the orange creamy sauce is a bit different to what I’m used to but it was a good meal, all in all.
Deon Pillay The independent foodie!
+5
Now I a very fussy when it comes to Indian food. This place really surprised me. Fantastic ambiance and food - loved the Parathas, some of the best I have had. The chicken starter cooked in banana leaf, was spicy and filled with flavour! My prawn curry was great too but could have did with another prawn. Service was also very good, with attentive staff who where knowledgable.
Really tasty grub. Authentic in taste, and as it is southern Indian food it didn’t have that heavy oily taste that some Indian food can have. The beetroot lamb curry was superb, as was the coconut rice. Reasonably priced and friendly staff. I will return!
I’m South Indian, this was one of the the most authentic Indian meals I’ve had and has real homely vibe to it. The dosa was excellent and all taste was spot on. Highly recommend will be back again.
Good food and ambience, Location could have been better but well, great taste is all that matters :)
Heard a lot of good things about Ganapati and decided to come. We were lucky to get a table around 18:30 without booking on a Friday night - would definitely make a reservation next time!! Lovely interior, and delicious food in generous portions! We ordered a poppadom (the garlic might be my favourite!) as a starter, two currys with plain rice and paratha for main, two lassi’s and a cardamom chocolate cake to finish. A bit too much between two people to be honest. The cake was nice but a bit pricey for what it is at £6.75 so maybe we won’t get that if we are getting lassis next time. Definitely coming back soon for more.
A delicious crispy, slightly sour, huge masala dosa for lunch is one of the best things i can do to treat myself. It was delicious!
Food is always great but we were sat at a very small table with a tap sticking out of wall so made it even more uncomfortable. I raised the issue of this but staff did not seem to care. The annoying thing was the tables that were empty when we arrived, were still that when we left, so could have been made more comfortable.
Amazing food, really fresh tasting curries. I got the prawn curry and it was delicious. Staff was nice and efficient
Loved this restaurant! Good quality, delicious food in a cosy setting. We came here after trying Mambow (recently featured in the Sunday times) round the corner and not being overly impressed. The aubergine curry here blew us away.
Wow the paratha here is so buttery and soft and delicious. Might be the best ice had yet. Curries are a bit on the spicy side despite being called mild. However overall a really nice restaurant with welcoming customer service!
This was my first time at Ganapati and prior to visiting I have heard about it many times. The food was delicious and the starter which was some kind of savoury doughnut was an amazing surprise and something I’ve never eaten before. I also wanted to note how kind and friendly the staff are, bringing such warmth and relaxedness to our experience whilst being very professional too. Thank you!
Good golly gosh, Ganapati is gorgeous.
This has to be the most tasty currys I have ever eaten in my life. I ordered the nilakkal fish curry, which was sensationally delicate and packed heaps of flavours which all balanced together in a perfect manor. With each mouthful I could not believe how unbelievably delicious this tasty treat was. My partner had the vayalar aubergine masala which was equally delicious and delicate in flavour. Not only was the food fantastic but the customer service also was incredible, Giada was very informative and recommended some of her favourites on the menu which did not disappoint.
All in all this place is not to be missed, but should be celebrated.
10/10
P.S get the flatbread
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