40 Maltby Street

Located in the warehouse of Gergovie Wines, 40 Maltby Street is a casual, no-bookings dining spot under Bermondsey's rumbling railway arches – a setting that belies the quality of the food emerging from the very small open kitchen. There's strong commitment to seasonality and provenance across the menu – take a dish of raw mackerel, pickled forced rhubarb and horseradish, which one reporter enjoyed so much they had to order it again straight away. On our most recent visit, a chicken and bacon terrine also hit the spot – the rich pork fat judiciously stuffed with hazelnuts to give a welcome crunch. While the model is small plates for sharing, there are a few larger offerings, perhaps confit duck with bitter leaves and potato cake, or crumbed skate with Jerusalem artichokes and pickled chanterelles. Also expect a strong showing of veggie dishes such as roasted pumpkin with chickpeas, crispy broccoli and yoghurt. A short selection of desserts, which always includes at least one sorbet or ice cream, continues the seasonal theme – from a winter offering of marmalade sponge pudding to elderflower jelly with strawberries and a brandy snap in early summer. As for drinks, natural wines from low-intervention producers are the stars of the show, and it's worth hanging out at the bar to peruse what's on offer while you wait for a table. Staff know their stuff and demonstrate an excellent knowledge of the extensive list, especially when it comes to the daily changing selection of by-the-glass sips.  In all, 40 Maltby Street is the kind of no-frills eatery and wine emporium that we would all love to have in our neighbourhood.

Its cool Bermondsey address gives it away: this is no ordinary wine bar. Tucked beneath the arches between London Bridge station and Bermondsey tube station, 40 Maltby Street shares its street name with the much-loved weekend food market that has been running since 2010. Housed within the warehouse of Gergovie Wines, and described as a wine bar with a kitchen, it was opened by Raef Hodgson and his business partner Harry Lester back in 2011. Modest in appearance, with a small open-plan kitchen, exposed brick walls and long, high tables, the restaurant is trendy, quirky and quintessentially London – no reservation options here, it’s a first-come, first-served deal. 40 Maltby Street excels in small plates that use seasonal ingredients in imaginative ways, reflecting seasonality as well as the UK’s proximity to the continent. The menu changes regularly, with around 12 dishes written on a chalkboard each day, but expect some sort of terrine and seasonal vegetable salad alongside heartier meat dishes to feature. For the best experience, come in a small group and order everything. To accompany the food there’s an extensive list of affordable wines sourced by Hodgson from small-scale producers who, in the restaurant’s own words, ‘eschew the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in favour of letting the land and the grape speak’.