Lulu's

London can never have too many great wine bars and Lulu's is a cosy hybrid that gets our heart beating. It's just outside Herne Hill station, on a little cul-de-sac where lights hang from the trees and people skip into the pub for a pint and meaningful conversation. It is Richard Curtis levels of quaintness around here and Lulu’s is no different. Ostensibly a shop and deli, but really a dinky candlelit bar serving warming food—Lulu’s goes to show that stringent definitions are a thing best left in the past. The space is so small that you’re just in it. A little pile of salted shoestring fries is wordlessly brought to everyone who sits down. It’s a touch of class that belies our exit from the EU. In fact, everything here is. From a snack of crispy hasselback potatoes topped with trout roe in herby crème fraîche, to an exquisite salad of courgettes, fennel, and asparagus smothered in a sumptuous crab dressing. Don’t worry about what Lulu’s is and when the best time is to go. Just enjoy it.

photo credit: Matt Russell