Isn’t my new years resolution to blog more going well, hey?! This week we’re back in Camberwell, where I’m continuing my efforts to discover the best establishments my local area has to offer.
The Crooked Well describes itself as a spacious neighbourhood gastropub with a modern-vintage vibe. I absolutely loved reading John Walsh’s review in the Independent, published when The Crooked Well opened in January 2012. Rumour has it, a lot of nonsense circulated about the fact that a middle-class restaurant was opening in hard-as-nails Camberwell. If you fancy a little giggle to, you can read the review here.
If you did just choose to skim the article in the Independent then I hope I manage to get back your attention by tell you that it’s not all that bad!! We arrived at 1 for our Sunday lunch booking. After ordering a bottle of red for the table, we put all our concentration into reading the menu.
Our waitress brought a basket of warm white and brown bread over to our table. We all chose a slice of the hazelnut and fruit loaf which was delicious matched with salted butter. Awkwardly we had to ask for side plates after having taken a piece of bread each, side plates weren’t on any of the tables though so maybe that isn’t something they do.
Three of us opted for the Roast Beef which was a real delight. Served with roast potatoes, a huge yorkshire pudding and smothered in gravy.
There was plenty of roast beef which was pink and perfectly chewy. The roast spuds were on point, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I’m not a big yorkshire pudding fan so I feel as though I don’t have enough yorkshire pud experience to fairly compare it, but it was yum.
The roast pork served with crackling and apple sauce was also a real treat. The pork was served in thick slices which was meaty and fatty. The crackling was a little disappointing as it wasn’t very fatty or crisp.
We were served a portion of fancy veg to share. The chantannay carrots were sweet and crunchy and the savoy cabbage was fresh and flavoursome. There could have been a bit more veg to go around as we all politely took small portions. 
We all enjoyed the roast at The Crooked Well, although there were things that could have been improved. Throwing in some extra vegetables for the table and a jug of gravy on the side would have helped. We did plan to stay for pud but by the time we’d chatted and considered getting a £3 dessert from the Co-op on the way home…
The bill was delivered with homemade chocolate & nut fudge which was a nice touch. The Crooked Well is worth a visit, especially if you’re a local – it’s cheerful, warm and puts on a good roast.
Details
ADDRESS: 16 Grove Lane, London SE5 8SY
CONTACT: 020 7252 7798
OPENING HOURS: 12.30pm – 10pm Monday to Saturday and 12.30pm – 11pm Sundays
WEBSITE: www.thecrookedwell.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crooked-Well
TWITTER: @CrookedWell
Just another London foodie 
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