A staple of South East London since 2003, The Garrison is a relaxed neighbourhood pub and restaurant offering up brunch, lunch, dinner and Sunday lunch. Pared-back furniture and decorative plants populate the space, while large windows flood it with natural light through the day. The focus here is locality, with some ingredients travelling mere meters from their origin.
There is a wide selection of local gins, including entries from Peckham, Chelsea and Camden, each paired with Lixir tonic or used in a cocktail. The Garrison spritz, for example, features London dry gin, black raspberry, elderflower, citrus and prosecco. Other house cocktails include the more exotic Palomares, a blend of mezcal, orange, grapefruit and reduced pickle brine. More traditional cocktails are also available on request. There is a reasonably priced, global wine list as well as sparkling, beers and ciders.
The fare here is best described as British-leaning, with some elements reminiscent of pub classics, others more modern and diverse. As such, you might start with pig’s head croquettes, picalilli and crispy pig ears or salt and pepper Brixham squid with fermented red pepper dipping sauce. While the menu changes regularly, diners can be sure to find something they enjoy in each course. Your main course could be a hearty Cornish fish stew, whole baked cauliflower with pine nuts and coriander or 45-day dry-aged Longhorn ribeye with glazed Roscoff onion and bone marrow jus.
The brunch menu, meanwhile, features similar options but with the addition of more morning-style options like avocado on toast with heritage tomatoes, feta, black olive crumb and herb dressing, full English (with a veggie option) and yoghurt and granola with mixed berry compote. Sunday lunch offers a choice of Salt Marsh lamb leg, Hereford sirloin, middle white pork belly, Castlemead chicken and a nut roast for vegans.