Authentic Kurdish Flavours At London’s Nandine

Like most Londoners, I’m on a constant mission to get my taste buds excited. London spoils us ridiculously with never-ending options. Cue my delight at the opportunity to sample Kurdish cuisine in Camberwell. 

Having made Time Out’s ‘Top 50 Restaurants’ list, the family-run Nandine (meaning ‘kitchen’ in Kurdish) instantly sounded promising. It was Tuesday, the sun was shining and we were the first guests to arrive in the cosy restaurant.

A simple interior of predominantly light wood, visible brick walls, plenty of warm hues and the natural light was immediately inviting. As were the young, smiling waiters in black T-shirts bearing the special font print of ‘Nandine – Kurdish Food’ on them. 

We had the attention of the waiters all to ourselves and used the chance to pick their brains about the top choices and their own  recommendations from the menu. Cocktails with a Kurdish twist first, of course!

My guest went for a classic Negroni and this version had cardamom black tea syrup, Martini Rosso, Campari and Beefeater gin.  I was seduced by something called ‘Sharezoor Tea Punch’ and experienced a new-to-me combination of flavours including wildflower tea, cinnamon, lemon, clarified milk and Havana Club rum. 

Immersed in conversation with my guest, I failed to notice how quickly the restaurant filled up. I imagined Tuesdays are usually quiet for restaurants in general, but not this one. Nandine clearly seems to be a favourite spot, pleasantly buzzing with all sorts of local food enthusiasts who are even happy to wait or queue in the hope that a table becomes available.

Suddenly, our table started looking very colourful thanks to the array of the dishes we ordered. Nandine is based largely on sharing plates and dishes that perfectly balance rich Kurdish flavours and the fresh herbs which are always integral to each dish.

The restaurant recommends two to three dishes per person and the menu has three sections, from smaller plate choices at the top, through to medium-sized options, down to the largest plates at the bottom. 

We couldn’t resist ordering Beharat fries as they guaranteed an unexplored flavour for us: ‘Julienne fries rolled in zaatar, topped with tamarind sauce, pink yoghurt, mint, pomegranate and sesame’. Our second choice of a smaller plate was Kurdish pickled veg. Pickle is my middle name, I can’t stop myself.

The medium-sized plate came with three nicely arranged Kurdish dumplings (vegetarian and meat versions) and the medium-sized bowl dish, ‘Qibuli Raash’, was a combination of smoked rice, spiced mutton chunks, mixed nuts and raisins and was topped with fried leeks.

The Kurdish dumpling dish was the winner for me out of these two. There are all kinds of dumplings out there in the wide world of cuisine but these were totally different to what I had tasted so far: A cute shape, with a crispy texture but not dry, and both versions, veggie and meaty, were equally scrumptious.

The clever portioning ensured that we weren’t huffing and puffing overstuffed, when the biggest of the plates of 7-spice chicken shish arrived. This visual feast served on a rectangular plate was brimming with colours and textures and we attacked it at once. Pieces of mouth-watering chicken were accompanied by grilled tomatoes, onion, pepper, zaatar flatbread, herb salad and garnished by a ‘labneh ambeh’ dip.

Shockingly, we even tackled dessert. OK, we shared it but it still counts as a victory. Belatchuk, a firm favourite of the locals, is made up of candied butternut squash and a tahini ice cream. This was also a first for us, flavour-wise. It exceeded my expectations, as I don’t exactly associate butternut squash with a dessert.

Nandine’s menus have been inspired by Pary Baban’s travels around Kurdistan after her displacement from her home under the rule of Saddam Hussein in the 90s. Founded by her in 2016, Nandine has become a mecca for those looking for authentic, Kurdish food in London.

Apart from the cocktail menu, the restaurant has decent wine options. The small plates start from £4.50 and the large plates are mainly £14 each. For more information visit https://nandine.co.uk/