Ganapati

We had a lovely feast of food inspired by Southern India at Ganapati on Easter Sunday evening. It has been a couple of years since I last had the pleasure of eating here and I'm pleased to be able to report that the standard of food and service are both still excellent.

We booked a week or so in advance of our visit as this is a very popular local restaurant and on our arrival at 9pm we were shown to one of the long sharing tables, which seat 8 people in comfort, at the front of the restaurant. There are a few smaller tables available if you don't like sharing and there is a lovely outside terrace for when the weather is a little warmer in the evening or if you don’t mind wrapping up well.

The decor is simple but effective. Lots of light wood, very fetching light green walls, with the odd one in red, and a view into the bustling kitchen makes this a charming, chilled space in which to enjoy your supper.

We started with a few poppadoms with some of the excellent home-made sauces and chutney while we tried to make our choice from the very appealing menu. Plenty of tasty options for vegetarians and some interesting fish dishes.

We started by sharing a portion of the tasty street snacks which went down very well, although I seem to remember having a larger selection of snacks on previous visits. B moved onto the Chennai Kozhi Curry which came with a very rich almost sticky sauce. She teamed this up with a portion of the curd rice which was pretty divine and was in danger of bringing on a bad case of the food envy. However, as I tucked into my crispy masala dosa which came on a metal serving tray with separate sections for its various, very flavoursome, condiments I decided I was more than happy with my selection.

We washed this down with plenty of tap water which came in a lovely metal jug for you to help yourself and was drunk from beautiful hand crafted "cups" made by a local potter (these were available to buy/order via the restaurant). We also ordered a bottle of the Sibarita Selection Riesling 2010 from Chile which was a great wine; a big mouthful with lots of rich fruit but a very dry finish. We liked that bottle a lot and it was a great compliment to the food.

We shared some home-made vanilla and cardamom ice cream to finish which was expertly made with a delicate flavour and a fine texture.

By now it was well gone 11pm and the restaurant was empty bar for ourselves but we didn't feel in any way rushed to leave by the very friendly, laid back staff.

If you don't live in the area Ganapati is a special little place which is well worth making a trip across town to visit.
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Nunhead Neil
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, May 06, 2011

I've eaten in many Asian restaurants over the years, but this place really did take my breath away. They do two sittings on an evening, around 6pm and 9pm. My girfriend an I went for the late one on a Saturday -- and the food was just amazing! From starters to mains, and even the service -- top stuff. We ate the duck and the chicken mains, with beetfoot and flat bread side. My, my, my! It's such a cosy place, with the staff standing to chat with you, explain the dishes and history of the place. This is how Indian food should be -- homely and delicious. We will be going back again .. and again!
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MungoJerrysBeard77
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Monday, November 15, 2010

I'm lucky enough to live around the corner from Ganapati, so I'm a frequent visitor. My dad, however, has started making excuses to visit from Manchester solely to eat at Ganapati - it really is THAT good. The food is unlike any South Indian or Keralan food I've ever eaten - everything I've ever sampled at Ganapati tastes vibrant, alive, punchy and fresh. I've tried most dishes and can absolutely vouch that there are no wrong choices at Ganapati, but my staples are the prawn chaliyar, curd rice, and the flakiest paratha you'll ever encounter. Even the poppadoms are incredible - non-greasy and crisp, with homemade chutneys stunningly packed with herbs and flavour. I've noticed a few people dissatisfied by the service but I've never found them to be anything other than utterly lovely - I far prefer their relaxed, friendly service to sycophantic silver service!

I realise I'm gushing, but it really is a rare, rare place indeed. Go. Now.

(This review is also posted at Open Table too, but seriously, i love this restaurant!)
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clare
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, July 08, 2010

I live nearby the restaurant and it has become the #1 choice for me and the majority of my local friends. This is not Indian food as you probably know it, their take on South Indian cuisine is quite different to that served by any other Indian restaurant I have eaten at.

The decor and friendly service make for a cosy, welcoming atmosphere.
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9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Ganapati is indeed a very interesting south Indian restaurant The interior is pretty rustic and dining atmosphere is very casual with tables arranged in dining hall type layout.

I have tried so many south Indian restaurants before, but have never come across one that served fresh unfrozen fish. I am very pleased by it as seeing only fresh ingredients on the main dishes are very a rarity. I ordered steamed fish in banana leaf and I must say it scored almost 10/10 in every aspect and made the visit worthwhile.

On the negative side, the ‘thoran’ (fried vegetables) they served on the side was cooked days before and came directly from the refrigerator. The Parattas (flaky bread) tasted same like a product that you get to buy from most Asian stores. Overall, the la-carte menu is a bit on the pricey side and less usual items that you would find on a typical curry house.

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone contemplating Ganapati just for once the uniqueness it offers.
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S Madhavan - View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Thursday, March 04, 2010

The crunchy little Parippu Vadai fried patties were very nice with hot and cold dips of chilli and coconut. We also liked the stuffed squid even though the whack of black pepper prevented the other ingredients from delivering their flavours. The Pepper Chicken came with a gutsy, fresh garam masala sauce and was good but nothing more. The fish portion was very small and was no more than the sum of the parts, at £11.50 a pop these mains are slightly overpriced if not over-rated. The highlight of the meal was the griddle-crunchy paratha which was fantastic and great value at £2.50.

There was one waitress around when we arrived who was busy in an adjacent area, doing things that were more important than serving customers. She deigned to come over when she was ready rather than when we were. Someone else arrived later bringing wine through the door and a cold breeze with each new delivery. She then also disappeared into the important adjacent area. After I'd ordered dessert, the waitress returned a couple of minutes later to tell me that my choice wasn't available and then tried to make a joke of it by saying 'I promise I didn't eat it all'. She popped the menus back on the table then vanished again.

A £4.80 (12.5%) tip was added to our bill without consultation. The total bill without alcohol was £43. I'm tempted to give this place a second go, but I don't think I will.
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5 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Sunday, February 14, 2010

Ganapati tries to be a bit different from your usual Indian restaurant. There are plenty of South Indian influences and the decor is part art-house, part contemporary. Mostly, it succeeds.

The starters we tried were all very good, with particular recommendations going to the excellent dosa and varied array of tasty home-made pickles. I felt the "normal" main courses (Goan fish, Keralan chicken) were much better than the thali, where the accompanying curries were rather insipid, with the exception of the dhal. The parathas were very good though.

Desserts, never a speciality in Indian restaurants, tried hard, but I found the combination of flavours in the kulfi too strong. Meantime beers are always a bonus and the charming and relaxed service was pretty much spot on.

An interesting and good local Indian restaurant. I don't live in Peckham, but would visit here more often if I did. If you live elsewhere, you may wish to stick to your own local, if it's any good. Otherwise, Ganapati is worth a go.
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Matt - View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Thursday, August 13, 2009

Fantastic! What a wonderful meal. Everything here is obviously prepared with such care and attention to detail. Me, my wife and our two boys went for dinner this evening and everything was pretty much perfect. The boys had delicious lassis and we had a bottle of rosé Shiraz. With our drinks we were brought papadoms and astonishingly tasty chutneys. For starters we had the street snacks and the stuffed baby squid. Delightful. All the mains were splendid and the variety and balance of the flavours was exceptional. We had a crack at a few desserts, but we were soooo full. The boys had kulfi and sweets, we tried the malabar(?) coffee. This coffee is worth a visit on its own. Tart, sweet, liquorishy... I had two double espressos. Amazing. We left full, happy and with a couple of jars of garlic relish. I wish they sold their coffee, too.

This place is a real treat. I understand they're quite hot on clearing you out for the next service but while we were there service was friendly, relaxed and informative. This is a brilliant restaurant.
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Boz
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, May 15, 2009

I am very happy to report that we enjoyed a fantastic meal at Ganapati last night.

We found the staff to be enthusiastic, freindly and helpful and the food was delicious.

I had 2 generous fillets of completely boneless Sea Bass in a beautiful, authentic sauce and could have licked the plate clean. My brother had Sea Bream with beetroot and spiced rice. This too was an amazing mix of wonderful flavours.

I never have desert normally but had to try the Chocolate, Chilli and Cardamon cake which came out hot and with generous dollop of creme fraiche - just delicious!

Despite having read mixed reviews, I was determined to see for myself and glad I did - the experience was a real pleasure!
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, February 25, 2009