This vegetarian bistro in Peckham comes from business and real-life partners Tom Heale and Anne Stokes, the former of whom used to be the sous chef at upmarket vegetarian restaurant Vanilla Black in Holborn.
Naif’s is a family affair, with Heale acting as head chef and working alongside his brother Finn. The drink offering meanwhile, is overseen by Heale’s other brother Max, while Stokes (who used to work at Noble Rot) looks after the front of house side of things.
Naif is the French word for naïve but the menu here demonstrates the experience of everyone involved in the project. The menu changes seasonally, but on your visit you might come across dishes such as potato rosti with smoked apple, mustard and cheese, or koji-roasted celeriac with tomato salsa. For dessert, you can expect sweet treats such as an almond and barley ice cream sandwich served with fennel, caramel and blackberries.
To pair with your desserts or to enjoy post-dinner, there is a selection of natural and biodynamic wines, with bottles being brought in from suppliers such as Les Caves de Pyrène, Modal Wine and Gergovie. Diners who aren’t in the mood for wine can choose instead from a selection of ales and lagers, sourced from local Peckham brewer, the Brick Brewery.
Naif’s is the latest in a long line of trendy restaurants to open their doors in Peckham, an area of London that has seen significant regeneration in recent years. Well-known names in the area include rooftop bar Frank’s Café, European small plates restaurant Levan (from the team behind much-loved Salon in Brixton) and casual Thai spot The Begging Bowl.
Naif’s is on the former site of Aside, a casual restaurant which served a seasonally changing menu of sharing plates and closed its doors permanently in the spring of 2019.