What are your special finds in Forest Hill?

This is kind of a response to “What else do Forest Hill and Honor Oak Need?” A list of what are community has focussing on those special things which make us love the area.

This could be a special treat from a particular shop, a particular park or walk suggestion off the beaten track. A fantastic dish from a restaurant, or amazing beer from a local public house. But let’s be specific. Don’t tell us Forest Hill shop is great. What one thing from Forest Hill shop makes it great for you?

I’ll start with some of my favourite.

At Aga’s Little Deli on Dartmouth Road they have a soft French cheese called St. Felicia. Its texture is like ice cream and while made from cows milk it has the tang of a goat’s cheese.

Did you know the Stag & Bow on Dartmouth Road also sells some gift items? Its not just haberdashery. Beautiful antique glass and some lovely hand made greeting cards, which by the way you can also find at Farr & Wyde a couple of doors down. Makes a nice change from the mass produced ones you find at WH Smiths.

I’ve recently discovered Sydenham Hill Wood. And the Forest Hill Society does a few guided walks each year for free! I went on one recently and got history, learned about Victorian follies and why there’s bamboo. Speaking of which why aren’t you a member of Forest Hill Society. Its £5 for the family for the year!

As a Canadian expat I miss the Italian sausage you can buy in every grocery store. Then I found Il Mirto on Dartmouth Road sell Sicilian Fennel sausage… which is the same thing! It is simply the best in the World. I take the meat out of the cases and have this pasta recipe which includes chestnuts. Happy to share.

While on the subject of meat, have you tried the Stilton and Pork pie from the Butchery on London Road. The jelly is actually flavoured with the Stilton! And their glazed ham is the best I’ve ever had. EVER!

I’ve so many more to share, but would love to hear from other. My final find for this post though is the Friends of Forest Hill Library card. It gives you 10% off at so many Forest Hill shops and restaurants including Aga’s Little Deli, Stag and Bow and the Butchery noted above. I use mine all the time to the extent I don’t need to show it to Ada anymore. She just takes the 10% off each time I come in.

While putting away clothes came up with another one.

Mabels Five and Dime by conjunction of Kirkdale and Dartmouth Road sells wooden hangers for I think 3 for a £1. Good quality and sturdy ones. Not the cheap stuff you get from Ikea for more money.

Is the Il Murto sausage a good replacement for ‘Italian sausage’ in American recipes? I lived in NYC for a few years and some of my favourite recipes come from recipe books I bought while there. Most of the grocery store staples can be reproduced here, but I’ve never found an equivalent for bog-standard grocery store sweet Italian sausage.

I use it all the time for substitute. The generic Italian sausage you get in the USA is either a sweet or hot fennel sausage. This is better than a pack from Walmart.

PS… the Butchery does their own Italian sausage but I found it too spicy and not the same.

Yes, I tried the Butchery sausage as a ‘hot sausage’ substitute but it wasn’t the flavour I wanted. Plus being homemade, it wasn’t well suited to me taking it out the casings and breaking it up, as all the constituent parts separated.

Will try the Il Murto sausage, thanks!

I love Albion Millenium Green http://www.amgfriends.org.uk its a true hidden gem with lots of nooks & crannies.

A lot of peeps in FH don’t know about it as it’s tucked away, so shhh don’t tell everyone about it

I also love the community garden at V22 Louise House, it’s so tranquil & enchanting

ETA BTW great thread Jason, this should be really useful to new peeps to the area

This is great to know. I was just looking for some.

Forgot to add to my post that the black pudding from The Butchery is just as good as Scottish black pudding, this is something I miss from Scotland - Scottish black pudding doesn’t have all the fatty bits in it that you get from supermarkets here, so this to me reminds me of home when I get a rare chance to do a fry up at home before work on Sunday’s

The #LewishamLicks tweet chat will be taking place again at 8pm this evening. There are some great things on this thread that fit the theme of ‘hidden gems’.

Not technically in Forest Hill but part of the ward, I would like to just mention these local businesses on Kirkdale which are well worth a visit. I’ve used them all so I can recommend.

Upholstery
www.munroupholstery.com

Tiles plus lots more
https://alhambrahome.co.uk/

Vintage and antiques

Food and drink
https://www.161foodanddrink.com/

http://www.figandpistachio.co.uk/Index.html

The sausage rolls at The Butchery. If you’ve ever had one, I need say no more.

Hi Councillor. Great mentions and I’d upped Mabels earier as well.

My hope was this would not focus just on shops, but something special or unique that shop sold, or that restaurant served. Can you perhaps tells us something special about each?

• In @TheArchieParker - the iced pastry swirl, made (I think) by Blackbird Bakery. Decadently slathered in butterscotch icing.

• At Babur - the 100 hour marinaded lamb shank with beetroot rice. Tender, with stunning flavour.

• The @StDavid flat white, a velvety artisanal triumph.

Yup, Blackbird. If we could make these ourselves we would be very rich and very fat.

Absobloodylutely, they really are some of the finest to be found anywhere, and heaven knows I’ve looked.

I am one of those. If anyone guesses which one correctly they win all my debts.

The black pudding sausage rolls is my guess xx

See what I done there, it’s probably the cinnamon swirl & this is second, but I’m not guessing no 1

I’d like to shout out Diana’s Beauty Room, which nestles within the Hair & Beauty salon at 79 Dartmouth Road. Diana does a cracking eyebrow shape, tint and lash tint for just £25 - I am one satisfied customer.
Also microblading, waxing, facials, nails, senior discounts, and free (book first) skincare make up workshops on Saturdays.

Maybe a bit niche but I am so grateful to Hair Lounge for always finding time to squeeze me in for an undercut tidy up when I decide on a whim that it’s getting a bit scraggly. So many places ask me to book a full appointment (sometimes weeks in advance) and the most they’ve ever asked is that I clear off for a coffee and come back between appointments.

This is such a great topic idea. Gentle nudge to future commenters - let’s keep @Starman’s original theme in mind:

Aga’s toasted cheese sandwiches

All Inn One often has guest beers from the Welsh brewery Tiny Rebel which are consistently excellent.

I strongly recommend the Turkish breakfast at the Aroma café which reminds me of being in Istanbul. (But it’s big so be prepared to not want/need to eat for the rest of the day.)

In terms of open spaces, I strongly recommend the Devonshire Road Nature Reserve which only opens on (I think) the last Sunday of each month. I was amazed by how large it was and it’s a great space to wander round. http://www.devonshireroadnaturereserve-org-uk.com/woodland-1/

Or Aga’s toasted ham and cheese sandwich.

I’ve never had a toasted sandwich from Aga’s. Am I missing out?

SE23 Whisky club is a secret society for people who know too much or too little about whisky. https://www.facebook.com/events/1108012652598107/

In terms of walks and wildlife, I have to recommend Dacres Wood with the pond being a small indication of the old canal through the area.

Oh my god. Yes. Go now.

The cheese toasty has 3 different types of cheese with leeks & gerkins

Okay. The toasties are amazing.

NEXT!

The Daim cake at The Teapot along with an iced coffee.

The Benin Bronzes at the Horniman.

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Yes but be prepared for a hefty dose of cholesterol. Not for anyone watching their waistline

True of any sausage roll. Everything in moderation - I think that would apply to most of the food items mentioned in this thread. But fabulous treats, the lot of them.

Clothes from Bunka. They are good value and I have several last-minute purchases that have got a lot of compliments

The grilled chicken and pasta special from the cafe opposite Forest Hill pools. The staff in there are lovely, the other day I was offered a free chamomile tea as I was a bit stressed!

The Sunday lunch buffet at Babur. Fantastic value and there’s something for all the family, including my two kids

The beef short ribs from the Butchery. Slow cooked in the oven with a tomato, onion sauce with cinnamon, covered in foil for 2 hours. Just amazing

Another vote for the sausage rolls from the butchers

Fresh fish from the new fishmongers on the Catford side of the station. They have lovely dressed crab, which mixed with a bit of mayo, lemon juice and cayenne pepper spread on toast. Divine

Bacon sarnie from @StDavid is amazing & the steak ciabatta with peppers & mustard mayo from @TheArchieParker

I’ll second the bacon sandwich from St Davids. I just need to remember not to rant that they don’t do decaf coffee!

really like your suggestions Michael! Thank you!

The ‘secret’ garden at Piazza della Cucina on Perry Vale. It’s enormous, only opened a few days ago and I predict we’ll spend many more lovely evenings there if the weather carries on like this. Photos on their Insta

As usual the pizza was fab as well.