Angels & Gypsies at the Church Street Hotel

Christopher J. ( 30s, Male, London )

As a Cambewell resident some four years ago, I had four primary dining choices, PIzza at The Grove, a gawdy yet perfectly acceptable Curry house, Nandos on a busy intersection and a quiet gem, Viva Espana beneath a sixty pounds a night hotel. Three years later it appears the culinary landscape has not altered a great deal in SE5 although the Tapas bar and adjoining hotel have been transformed into ‘Angels and Gypsies’, a shrine to the religious and supernatural and maybe Gipsy Hill ?, the restaurant has been spruced and the once hostel is now a funky boutique hotel. Unsurpisigly, it seems the current residents of Camberwell have descended upon this restaurant like Muscovites queuing for their first Big Mac twenty years ago. Unfortunately I think this was part of the problem, as the restaurant was full (at 7pm), we were pushed upstairs into the hotel bar, our orders were produced from the kitchen at an alarming pace, but sadly some were tepid and already past their best. Not badly enough to complain to the lovely staff but just enough to dissapoint in the mouth. Fortunately the menu is varied enough to warrant a revisit – probably early on a Monday night as I do prefer my dinner cooked to order or at least under a decent spot of the hot lamp.