Taking up place as your next local neighbourhood spot, Sylva is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired restaurant, tucked away in the heart of Deptford.
The small team behind Sylva begins with Shuli, who began her chef career in Tel Aviv restaurants before moving to the River Cafe in London for five years. The further two members of the trio are Joe and Nick, brothers who have worked in the industry from a young age who are driven by a simple purpose - to have “the best people supplying the best product with the best service at the right price to customers who value these attributes in a supplier”.
This cool and casual restaurant is all about bringing the local community together, in a space where they can enjoy dishes inspired by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern home cooking. The team shares a passion and love for nature, and uses second-class produce from their partners at Smith & Brock, along with proudly upcycling most of their interiors.
Breakfast is simple and delicious. Begin your day with fresh bread, butter and a jam of the day, a morning bun with cinnamon, tahini and raisins, or a goat cheese sandwich with chutney, basil and rocket. Other breakfast dishes include parmesan scrambled eggs on toast, Sylva's breakfast with herb chickpea farinata, garden salad, yoghurt and olives, and oat porridge with fruit preserve. If all you need to tide you over is a little sweet snack, try the date maamoul, chocolate chip cookies or lemon and polenta cake.
At lunch the menu takes a turn, and includes heartier bowls like the roasted aubergine and slow cooked chickpeas with spinach, coriander, parsley and preserved lemon, and rump steak with mids potatoes, sage, rosemary and rocket. The schnitzel can be either chicken breast or cauliflower and comes in a sandwich or on a plate. For dessert, the bakes and cakes are the same as those that feature in the morning.