The Rosemary in Lewisham

Very nice cosy restaurant serving authentic homemade Hungarian food. The goulash is highly recommended. The Hungarian lager was also very nice. Also note that the owner runs pottery classes at the back, which was how we found out about the place. Very recommended.

Absolutely stellar experience at the only Hungarian restaurant in London! The gulyas soup was an absolute delight, reminiscent of homemade goodness straight from Hungary. Every dish surpassed expectations, offering a true taste of authentic Hungarian cuisine. Five stars without a doubt!

service was really quick and friendly. food was delicious and authentic as you can get. very pretty pottery on display.

I went on my birthday yesterday with my girlfriend and it was amazing. The food and atmosphere was great. Also they have a pottery workshop what I found very nice. Definitely I will come back again. Thank you

Dining at The Rosemary brought back many nostalgic memories of grandmas hungarian kitchen, with beautifully executed traditional hungarian dishes made with so much warmth and love! I highly recommend the paprikás csirke galuskával (with the perfectly cooked chicken and a sauce from heaven!). Not to mention all the food is served on lovely ceramic tableware made by the owner himself. This is simply a charming and quaint hungarian restaurant with a cozy atmosphere that is definitely worth the visit!

The Rosemary Organic Hungarian Restaurant is a unique place in London. You can rarely find a Hungarian restaurant in the city but Rosemary has something extra that you will only realise when you visit the place. The food is organic and the Hungarian chefs make an excellent job bringing the flavours from their country. The owner is passionate about food and he is always around making sure everything is perfect! I highly recommend it.

Definitely a great restaurant to try! We went with some Hungarian friends which were able explain a bit more about the dishes on the menu, which are all traditional in the Hungarian cuisine. The Rosemary pride themselves for the organic and locally sourced ingredients. That probably nicely reflects on the taste of the food. I have opted for the beef stew with the traditional noodles and it was delicious!! Absolutely loved it! Overall the restaurant is very nice and cozy, with a lot of wood furniture and plants. There is a lot of space for creativity here as the owner (I think) exhibits a lot of pottery creations which are on sale too - and i believe some of the dishes are actually served on the handmade plates/cups.

Went there with two friends last night. The service was excellent and the food was a treat. Beautifully set out restaurant where a great deal of effort and attention has gone into the decor. Can definitely see how this place got 4.7 stars on Google. Bill came to £130 for 3 of us including service charge, very reasonable in consideration of the quality. Highly recommended.

Absolutely gorgeous food and service. Lovely vegetarian options. Sublime atmosphere with pottery, plants and candles. We'll definitely be back. Superb quality and wonderful flavours.

Excellent food, great service, relaxing atmosphere. Confit duck was delicious. Cottage cheese dumplings were gorgeous for dessert.

It’s impossible to see how this place has the rating it does. The food was edible that’s all and everything else just about acceptable. It’s the Grim area of New cross.

Great place . It’s a must! Service was excellent. The waiter was very kind and explained us everything we asked about the dishes. The food was super tasty! We definitely recommend it! PS Sorry for the ramekin 😂

Best Hungarian food in town and best service too.

What a lovely place, beautiful setting with really friendly service and the food was both delicious and very authentic

Lovely place, good atmosphere, food quality is good, though a bit on the pricey side for me. The service was ok, but a slightly better attitude from the staff would be appreciated. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

great place, great people, great music, great FOOD! :) .............................................................................

Food was alright service was amazing atmosphere was nice.

Don’t go! Surly service, mediocre food, & overpriced. No interest in customers’ satisfaction. A poor advert for Hungarian cuisine, which IS very good - elsewhere! Very disappointing.

Fantastic food, service was nice, will certainly go back!

So delicious and incredibly comfy. Definitely recommend!

very nice food well prepared i felt like i m eating at home

Satisfying dinner and a great evening. Absolutely gorgeous interesting flavours. I recommend ordering dessert as well if you can manage, the chestnut purée is heaven. Service was lovely and all the Hungarian wine we had. They do pottery classes here as well at daytime. I am coming back for more!

I’m super happy i found this restaurant. We walked in and BANG! Super highly I can recommend this restaurant. All our dishes were delicious ! Goulash soup, confit duck, gypsy roast. I’m feeling bad because I didn’t do enough pictures. The only thing what was problematic for me was to choose white wine :) but you always can use google to figure out.

Great food and lovely staff. Will go back soon

I had the best meals in my five years in London. When you go inside the atmosphere makes you feel at home. The staff is very nice and the food is really delicious and authentic. Definitely will come back. Raccomanded.

Lovely, Hungarian food, folk dance and folk music

This is such a hidden gem. Lovely food, lovely atmosphere and nice service. Perfect if you want something a bit different and a cosy ambience. Can't wait to go back

We visited with the husband a couple weeks ago, after some research in the area for Hungarian restaurants, as my husband is partial to the cuisine. The restaurant itself is a bit puritan, however I loved the pottery displayed all over, as well as the hanging baskets and plants. It was a nice touch to the otherwise simple look. After we got there and got seated, my husband mentioned that he expected a wider selection of food on the menu but I told him that as long as he found things he liked, it did not really matter. And that he did. He and myself as well were floored about how well made the food was and how filling each dish turned out to be. We had 'gulyás leves' (goulash soup) and 'cigánypecsenye' (gipsy roast). The flavors were spot on too. We were debating if we wanted to have desserts there or just take something home with us but seeing as we liked the restaurant and food is best on the spot, decided to order 'gesztenyepüré' (chestnut puree) and slowly eat it. We also took some home with us for the little rascals as well as another family member. Honestly, one of the best Hungarian places we have been to so far and we will definately return another time. Please note, the food seems a bit overpriced at first, compared to some other places, however the amount they serve as well as the taste makes up for that.

Great food, loved the catfish paprikash and the wine

The ambiance is both charming and cozy.

I had a delightful experience at this Hungarian restaurant in London. The personal touch from the manager/owner, who served us, made our visit truly memorable. He warmly welcomed us and even embraced our quirky addition - a build-a-bear teddy bear we had created earlier that day. His humorous jokes about the bear being our "child" added an extra layer of fun to our time there. Being Hungarians ourselves, we had high expectations for the food, and we were not disappointed. The dishes were incredibly authentic, reminding us of the flavors from our homeland. From the savory beef stew to the creamy chicken paprikash, every bite was a taste of Hungary. Overall, our experience at this Hungarian restaurant was outstanding. The warm hospitality, amusing interactions, and delicious, authentic cuisine made it a truly special evening. We would highly recommend it to anyone seeking a taste of Hungary in London.

Very unique and quaint Hungarian restuarant. The cuisine is not naturally the most aesthetic however it's perfect for an autumn or winter day, it's incredibly homely and comforting. And of course, absolutely delicious. The beef goulash was excellent, and the stew beef was incredible. My pork dish was exceptionally cooked, I loved my potatoes. Service was very good, receptive and polite. Well worth the visit

What a hidden gem. Extremely thoughtful and cosy interior - every plate is a hand crafted ceramic by the owner of the restaurant. He has a small ceramics studio at the back of the restaurant, it is truly spectacular! If you want hearty, home cooked hungarian food made with love then you have found the right place. Wonderful atmosphere, wonderful food and kind people. Can’t wait to go back!!

Great cute restaurant with lovely hungarian dishes. Will be back for more.

The owner of the place is weird. Not good vibes.

I love the decor and the food. They can do better. Will visit again. More variety needed with food and drinks.

Nice food but incredibly over-priced

The place feels very cozy and friendly with its unique vibe. Customer service was satisfying and the food was delicious! We tried their Chicken paprikash with home made noodles and the chestnut puree for dessert.

One of our favourite places in London. Great, authentic food and amazing customer service. The restaurant is beautiful 🤩 Thank you very much!

Had a lovely dinner tonight. The food is a divine and I love the chestnut puree desert the most😋😋

Great service, good food, and a wonderful addition to the area. A local institution really that we need to continue to support. It isn't cheap, but the food is great!

My husband and I lived in Hungary for three years and still return regularly so we were really looking forward to journeying to deep south London to what we believe is the only Hungarian restaurant in this cosmopolitan city. What a huge disappointment! Let's start with the unwelcoming entrance: the outside is bedecked with many beautiful flowers. In contrast, the interior is dark and gloomy – that is once you manage to get inside because the entrance is roped off with a cord that requires the dour manager to unhook to show you to your rather uncomfortable table. (The gloom might have something to do with the filthy windows.) As other reviewers have noted, the menu, which doesn't look like it changed since the 1956 Uprising, is on a flimsy piece of paper that's difficult to read, not helped by the fact that all the lights were turned off; at first we thought the place had closed down. The food reminded me of a mediocre cafeteria of the old school in Hungary where everything is készételek (pre-made); indeed, there are no cooked-to-order options on the menu at all. My stuffed cabbage tasted like it had been taken out of a freezer as it was a mush of cabbage covering a goop of meat and rice that mainly tasted of salt. My husband's marhapörkölt (a kind of beef stew) was fairly bland. Of our soup starters (the menu is pretty limited), the chicken soup did taste of tarragon as advertised, but my signature bableves (bean soup) could have been taken from a tin. One positive note: the bread is homemade and delicious. And just to say we know and like Hungarian food so well we make the trip several times a year to a Hungarian grocery shop in north London to buy ingredients so we can cook a feast. Getting back to the service, the gentleman (presumably the owner) apparently failed charm school as well as restaurant service 101. There was zero discussion about the food, which was unceremoniously plonked down on the table. The wine was served without asking whether we wanted to first taste it – as it happens, the Takler Bikaver from Szekszárd was an excellent choice. There was no option of getting a receipt after we paid, so we can't even look to see how much things cost. Not recommended.

Amazing authentic Hungarian meals with all the typical dishes on offering! Delicious stews, crepes, salads and sweet wines - high recommended to try! Also possible to ask for vegan options - friendly Hungarian speaking service and great ambiance - a must visit for anyone looking for Hungarian food in London!

It was my date and I's first time trying Hungarian food - and we were both pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed the food and overall experience. We wanted to highlight in particular that the service was amazing. We couldn't have asked for a more friendly and welcoming host - I don't think he spoke much english, but he created such a warm, welcoming, and homey atmosphere. Thank you for a really lovely evening!

Beautiful food in stunning location, with super attentive and helpful staff - highly recommend a visit!

Very tasty authentic Hungarian food!

Lovely authentic Hungarian restaurant, I would recommend

Love this place!! Awsome food, charming interior and great service. It is my favorite local restaurant, we have been going there for years.

Heerlijk eten, vriendelijke bediening.

Brilliant restaurant, genuinely authentic Hungarian food. Great service and lovely atmosphere. Best of all good veggie options and absolutely delicious!

Egy szóval leírva: Tökéletes 🙏🏻

The staff could have been more friendly , didn’t offer us a drink, everything felt like too much of an effort. It was my partners birthday and they wouldn't hold the cake. So instead it sat under the table. The decor was lovely and the food was good.

We went here for a cosy dinner with a group of friends. We all were here first time and all of us was really surprised how amazing this place is! Huge selection of amazing wine, food menu incredible and really delicious. Atmosphere really cosy, and the owner super nice and friendly. Proper gem in the area! Highly recommended.

Food is decent and services are nice, but the portion of the tea was tiny. Decoration is cosy and artistic.

The food was nice( apart from the ‘ Somloi’ that just didn’t taste right. ) The white wine from Badacsony was superb. The owner as mentioned below was quite arrogant and seemed to be only into his pottery.

Lovely food, great atmosphere. We also bought some handmade pottery from here before and we love it. We’ve come here a few times before, the food never disappoints, the waiters are friendly. Highly recommend for a chill night out with friends or family

I really recommend this restaurant - met up with friends for a late Sunday lunch , and we all enjoyed it. The food was delicious and as good as I've had in Budapest and the service was very friendly and efficient. Will certainly be coming again.

My lunch was very filling and I had a lovely afternoon with my friends. We weren’t rushed and the experience was an enjoyable one.

Delicious. Good ambiance. Great wine.

Great food and lovely decoration and atmosphere.

Food was OK. Not enough choice. No fizzy drinks either, probably cos its organic restaurant.

We had such a nice evening and superb food here. The service was flawless and our waiter was genuine, attentive, nice and friendly. We went for all 3 courses and each of the meal was cooked extremely well. If we weren't so full, we would have tried even more things from the menu. Nice wine selection in a charming and nostalgic setting. Thanks for our waiter and chef for such an amaizing experience. Will be back and highly recommend.

The staff were amazingly friendly and served us brilliantly

Really excellent Hungarian food, very friendly and helpful service!

Being aware that Hungarians offering one of the best kitchens in the world decided to try this one and wasn’t disappointed at all. Goulash soup was amazing the crispy duck was outstanding. Little operation run by the Hungarian owner highly recommended.

We were looking for a Hungarian restaurant in London and this is the closest and most authentic we found. Not very central given the New Cross location but well worth the visit. Everyone there was Hungarian, customers and staff included which made the experience even more enjoyable. The restaurant is extremely cute and homy and will remind some of their home, depending where you come from. I must admit I have never been a fan of Hungarian food but everything we ate here was delicious. For starters we had the Hungarian pancakes and the goulash which were delicious. We then shared a paprikas which was great. Staff were friendly and efficient. Highly recommend for something a little different.

Really nice place, friendly staff, excellent food and good quality/price

Warm welcome, really family friendly, great food, lovely staff. Toys for the kids, fish tank amuses the little ones, amazing Eco friendly watering system for the plants cleans the fish tank. Have visited several times and will again.

Super delicious food, great atmosphere and very friendly staff, very reasonable prices. I'm definitely going back 🤠

Delicious, and amazingly consistent food. The pancakes, consome, paprikash, chestnut puree and gerbeaud cake are personal favourites and so so good!

We had a fantastic evening there. The food is 100% authentic, you can’t get better in Budapest. Extra thanks to the waiter who is super nice and professional. Everything was just perfect, even the fine details. Attentiveness, like serving a bottle of water without asking, appetiser with home made bread which is delicious and freshly baked, still warm. Everything came smoothly and fast. Also enjoyed to see my boys as they eat everything…. Very rare I can tell😀

Reading the previous reviews it was a good idea to go there with my partner, but it turns out it was not. The waiter (turns out he is the restaurant owner) only took our orders and run away. No eye contact or listening customers, even the restaurant was not full at all. It killed our good vibe. Food was OK, however it is overpriced and the pricing was not transparent as he charged us in sneaky ways. He charged for a large soup even we just asked one regular soup. Same for bread though we didnt ask, he brang a basket of bread and charged. Gerbaud cake was stale and not worth for £6.80. I don't recommend this place unless you want to be overpriced. We didn't say there because we didn't want any conflict, but in the future we won't go there.

Delicious and such a nice atmosphere!

This was my 7th time dining in this restaurant and as usual the food was delicious. I had the Ratatouille with roasted potatoes, (licked- the- plate-clean quality) my guest had the duck which he always orders. Both dishes were Michelin star quality. This is my ‘go to’ local restaurant for quality dining.

It’s always a pleasure going for dinner at the rosemary! The staff is always welcoming and make you feel like home. Massive thank you to the gentleman that looked after me and my partner yesterday who made our dinner exceptional! Thanks again!

Excellent meal! We went for a birthday celebration in a party of 7, and this was absolutely fantastic food. From the türos pancakes to the töltöt kaposzta, everything was just amazing. The service was just right as well. I’d go again for sure. Recommend this place to anyone who wants a great hearty meal with plenty of flavour. Oh, and the decor is wonderful too. Overall couldn’t be happier. Thank you.

We have been here a couple of times, including having our wedding dinner here 2 years ago. Now we celebrated my husband's birthday. Food is to die for, Hungarian food as its finest accompanied by top Hungarian wines. Home-made bread is simply amazing! The owner is a very nice bloke, friendly and welcoming. There are regular events with Hungarian music. Oh, and the owner is a very talented potter. You can find his works used in the restaurant and also available for sale.

Restaurante con comida agradable, atención esmerada. Vale la pena cenar.

Really authentic Hungarian food and restaurant. The service was excellent and very friendly. We enjoyed every minute of the stay.

Really good food and very good entertainment.

Food was ok. Service is very authentic Hungarian :D Not sure about the creative pricing: we order soup and paid for 'large' soup which had different price from the ones on the menu.

It seriously is the best, and only, Hungarian restaurant that appears to offer great food quality with excellent service. Visited for the second time last week and it was amazing. We arrived early for our reservation and were seated immediately. The food was delicious. Will definitely come back soon.

Wonderful restaurant. Lovely atmosphere and their chicken paprikash is fantastic!

Amazing restaurant , very high standard and quality hungarian food. I have visited the place few times already and every time we had great experience specially my non Hungarian friends. The restaurant is a unique place,all the ceramic pans and plates hand made by the owner and his wife. The music volume is just right to talk. All the members of the staff are nice and polite. Def highly recommended place. We will be back 😊

I went to a 50th Birthday of my Hungarian friend and hadn’t eaten a lot of Hungarian food. The food was excellent!! I will definitely come back again!

Great atmosphere, delicious food and the folk dance night was superb! Highly recommend it!

Great, great evening spent here. Staff were lovely and very relaxed, the food was delicious and the atmosphere perfect for a long, slow dinner with friends. Reasonably priced with excellent selection of Hungarian wines.

The food was excellent and very tasty! The owner is very friendly. We loved the traditional dancers, and they also made people dance. The place has a real Hungarian atmosphere

Nagyon színvonalas,jó hangulatú, és a személyzet felettébb kedves,udvarias. Először voltunk itt, de biztos nem utoljára.Nagyon jól éreztük magunkat!

Kellemes hely finom ételek és barátságos kiszolgálás. Az árak nem magasak az ételek színvonala viszont magas.

Honestly fantastic! The owner made all the plates with his wife, all the chairs and tables with his son, and makes all the ingredients almost from scratch. An experience I thought was not available in my generation. True Hungarian food - according to my Hungarian partner who was very excited to take me here. Astonishingly tasty. Great service too. Very clear the owner loves what he does and takes great pride in it. Would recommend over Michelin stars I have been to.

Fantastic place and An explosion of flavours! My partner is Hungarian, so I had an idea of what to expect. What I couldn't have imagined is how flavoursome the food is. the Catfish Paprikas, I can only describe it as beautifully intense, almost emotional. You can taste that everything is made from scratch with love. The restaurant itself looks really cosy, quirky by London standards. It has real crawling plants all over the roof. Homemade Pottery, which they use for service. The level of details gone into it is not very apparent but you'll appreciate it once you notice it, even more so if you look up at their background story. Service was impeccable, professional, friendly and very attentive. The Wine list is very good. If you look for frills and micro leaves don't bother, but if you appreciate good food made with love this is your place!!

We had lunch here today (Sunday) and had all in all a wonderful experience. We had a voucher as a wedding gift from a Hungarian friend who knew how much we liked this kind of food. It didn’t disappoint! Firstly the decor is so authentic and we felt like we were in the Hungarian countryside! Lots of interesting plants, wine bottles and pottery which is made on site. Onto the food and drinks which was just wonderful. I had a Palinka Sour which was delicious. My husband loved the IPA. We felt unhurried and enjoyed takin our time. They brought a little appetiser of sourdough bread with beetroot and beef pate as an amuse bouche. Delicious! The pastry to start with Brie and blueberry sauce was amazing and light as a feather! I had the chicken and tarragon soup which was wonderful warming and comforting. Main courses beef stew for my husband. I had the confit duck leg. We shared a chocolate trifle for dessert. The whole afternoon was a wonderful experience which we will definitely come back and do again. We travelled an hour on 3 trains from Essex and it was 100% worth it. The staff could not have been more friendly or helpful. Thank you all so much!

This restaurant is a real gem: beautiful interior, super friendly service and delicious food -- I had the best confit duck of my life. We had the best of experience last night and will definitely return.

Must visit for central/eastern Europeans..and anyone else for that matter. The vibe is well thought out and the service absolutely fantastic. They have vegan options and were kind and flexible with the menu for us. I asked for aubergine with potatoes instead of rice and it was so nice, reminded me of home. Great place for a date or meeting friends. We will be back, thank you!

Amazing home made hearty Hungarian cuisine. All the ceramic tableware is made on site and you can see the potter's working the wheel at the back of the restaurant. There is also amazing flora everywhere with a fully working aquaponics set up around the walls and ceiling of the restaurant. An all around amazing experience.

This restaurant has a very unwelcoming environment. You are expected to sit and read a worn menu (faded print) in the dark. The food tastes like it has a whole canister of salt in it. There are also a lack of ingredients in products e.g. for bean soup it took me two spoonfuls to scoop all the beans out of the soup (max.10 beans in a decently sized bowl). The waiter was decent but the management staff were rather unwelcoming and disrespectful.

The food didn't disappoint. All the courses I tasted was really delicious. We will definitely go back again. Staff is kind and friendly. Even surprised us with a birthday Gerboud slice with a candle on it. 😊

Very unfriendly atmosphere, The food is crap .My friends has ordered bean soup it has hardly any vegetable or bean in it, My pumpkin soup has not seen much pumpkin bit potato and sugar, Not to mention the portion. The mains were too salty..They served the lecsò and other stews already mixed with the rice which you would call in hungarian as "Moslèk"(left over foods given to the pigs.) The The tap water served in a lovely bottle nut was not filtered lukewarm and tasted really bad.. The free starter was a delecios bean and beetroot paste but served with only a very tiny bread so everyone had to leave 3/4 of it . The managment staff was rude.Very dark place with a rubbish menu you have to use the torch on your telephone to read.. The interior is unwelcoming, Chair size and table size are for children. Half of yoir bum falls off . Lucky that you cant see much of the boring interior it in the dark..There is noparking space around !. It is not an area where you would walk off your meal. The waiter who served us was friendly but the management is grumpy. I would say this restaurant based in food interior deserves a two star. You would find this restaurant vibe and interior in a most remote poores area on a canteen. I never seen so cheap design anywhere in my life before. The area, management ,very small chair, lack of parking and high service charge which is automatically added to the bill,regardless of your experience is a minus 1 star. It is a shame . Using too much table saly is really bad for heart and cardio health! Kids did not like it either. I got used to it that in London most hungarians rude and hostile to their fellow hungarians , but even in a restaurant ? I don't have a photo to share as they have nothing to boast about apart from the rich flower wall in the front of their restaurant. Please don't judge hungarian cousine based on this restaurant.

Fantastic, authentic Hungarian cuisine! A gem in London!!