Rock-8 Tapas Bar

Written by Peter | Filed under Eating & Drinking, General, Places

Monday night is not usually the nuit du jour (eh?) for eating out, but as our monthly wedding celebration was cancelled due to illness, this was the next best opportunity.

Away from central Camberwell, near Denmark Hill station, are two small bars/restaurants. Both look good but one was more of a bar and we wanted more of a restaurant, so we decided on Rock-8, the Tapas bar (119 Grove Lane, SE5 8BG). It was about 8.45pm when we went in and we were the only customers, so forsaking the big leather sofas in the front we went to the conservatory area at the back.

The menu had a good choice of dishes, probably about 40–50, as well as specials on the board. We chose Calamari, Patatas Bravas, Thai Fish Cakes, Wild Mushroom Risotto and Chorizo & Red Onion, with a bottle of white wine to wash it down. It all arrived nice and quickly, as did two other couples so we didn’t feel quite so alone.

I had two slight quibbles; the Thai Fish Cakes were more like English Fish Cakes, and the food wasn’t as hot as it could have been. But those were minor quibbles (I like writing ‘quibbles’, I don’t know why) and the rest was great. The whole bill came to slightly under £40 (including 12% service charge) which is good value considering we ate plenty. The menu recommends two to four dishes per person; I’d say you have to be a fucking hungry person to eat four dishes.

On the way home we saw the Salvation Army headquarters lit up by floodlight. When you see that big underlit cross on that dark red brick looming out on top of the hill, you think Old Testament rather than New.