Lewisham in south-east London is a bit of a desert when it comes to destination restaurants, but that is about to change with the arrival of Sparrow, set on Rennell Street a short walk from the station, and overlooking the busy A20. The duo behind this neighbourhood venture is husband and wife team Terry Blake and Yohini Nandakumar, who met at the Michelin-starred kitchen of St John in Clerkenwell. Their resumé also jointly includes other prestigious restaurants such as Bao, Merchant's Tavern, Pollen Street Social and The Square.

The couple chose the name Sparrow to reflect the kind of food they enjoy creating, as like a Sparrow their cuisine is not specific to a place or country. A light and airy venue with a floor to ceiling glass frontage, inside it has a pared back décor with industrial style light fittings, simple antique wooden tables and chairs and teal-coloured V & A tiles. An open kitchen takes centre stage and a blackboard shows the daily specials.

Menus change regularly with the seasons and dishes are designed for sharing along the lines of bruschettas of mushroom and butternut squash or fried rabbit with satay sauce. Other options worth considering are house cured salmon, lemon and fennel seeds or roast pork belly and harissa. Desserts conjure up things like baked lemon cheesecake with rhubarb or a dark chocolate and caramel tart.

A concise wine list keeps its prices in check and there's also cocktails, beers from Hackney based brewers Five Points, alongside a selection of East London gin and tonics.

Sparrow is also featured in: Hardens

Rate this Restaurant

Eclectic

Terry Blake and Yohini Nandakumar

Breakfast: 10.00am - 3.00pm Sat & Sun
Lunch: 12.00 - 3.00pm Wed-Fri
Dinner: 6.00 - 10.00pm Tue-Sat

Visa, Master Card

Nearest tube station: Lewisham