Situated in a railway arch in what, until very recently, was a particularly quiet area of Bermondsey, 40 Maltby Street’s spartan, no-nonsense space is an oasis for lovers of real wine and product-driven cooking.
The food of chef Steve Williams is firmly rooted in Britain and its seasons, and is some of the best in town. Game, when it is around, is particularly good here and owner Raef Hodgson always has something great open to wash it all down, whether it’s a nimble, thirst-slaking gamay from Vincent Tricot or the wonderful Slovenian wines of Aleks Klinec. And on a cold winter’s night don’t leave leave without a glass of “fire water”—a wonderful eau de vie from Alsatian producer Christian Binner served from a demi-john behind the bar.