Visiting East Dulwich has been on my mind for quite a while. Friends keep on talking about how lovely the area is and the boys over at Bite Twice Food Reviews posted a video a little while ago that piqued my interest. So when the I Love Foodies team was invited to visit Kokum, a beautiful Indian restaurant in the area, it became a golden opportunity to explore a part of London I hadn’t experienced before … and end the day with a spectacular meal!
East Dulwich did not disappoint. We started our day at the Horniman Museum a little further south, sniffing roses that – I kid you not – smelled like lychee (litchi for my readers back in South Africa and Namibia), then wandered up through Dulwich Village and into the heart of East Dulwich for some summer’s day shenanigans, before ending up at Kokum for a very early dinner.
Welcome To Kokum
Kokum is an interesting place. The outside terrace, complete with occasional BBQ experience, leads into an ecstatically well-stocked bar, and both areas give it that very come-join-me-for-a-drink feel. But as you wander further in, the space opens up into a beautiful dining area that screams “dress up and enjoy”. It’s a slight juxtaposition of two different worlds, and I’m definitely here for it.
There are many things to be said about Kokum, but one has to take priority – the service. Now, it’s very seldom that I come across places that have terrible service. In my experience, most restaurants I’ve visited as part of I Love Foodies – and beyond (I eat out a lot, period) – have had waitstaff that are kind and efficient.
But Kokum takes this up a notch – the service was exceptional!
From hosts and bartenders to waiters and managers, every single soul that greeted us was pure light – kind and efficient, sure, but so much more. They made us feel like we were part of the family. And not just us, but every person that entered the space. It was really, really beautiful to see.
The back of the restaurant opens up into a beautiful dining area.
I’d love to say that Kokum makes you feel like you’re part of the family because it’s a long-standing family-run restaurant, but this isn’t actually the case. Kokum was opened in July 2023 by restaurateurs Sanjay Gour and Simeron Lily Patel, who also co-founded earlier South London Indian restaurants, including Dastaan and Black Salt.
Gour leads the kitchen, and his background in high-end dining, including time at the Michelin-starred Gymkhana, is clearly reflected in the food. That elevated restaurant experience comes through in the precision and ambition of the cooking, but Kokum deliberately brings it into a more relaxed neighbourhood setting rather than a formal Mayfair-style destination.
The result is a modern interpretation of Indian regional cuisine, contemporary in execution but rooted in traditional flavours and techniques. It balances refinement with familiarity, offering dishes that feel both thoughtfully composed and approachable, which is a big part of why it resonates so strongly with its East Dulwich setting.
Kokum Menu & Prices
Kokum has a pretty large menu, including all-day bites, perfect as bar nibbles (average £6), and an a-la carte menu with starters, grilled starters, curries, biryani, and more (average £10 starters, £16 curries, and £4 – £8 for breads, rice, and sides).
The restaurant’s signature kokum-based cocktails were fantastic.
They also have an Indian Sunday Roast menu (average £28), which is something I’ve never seen before, with chicken, lamb, kingfish steak, and tandoori veg options. And, occasionally, they’ll also have a fire going out on the terrace for fresh BBQ flavours, giving you that perfect relaxed weekend feel.
From the food we’ve tried, I can quite confidently say that you can expect beautiful cooking – delightful flavours, large portions, and that slightly-uplifted home-cooked feel that’s oh-so comforting.
Kokum Review
The I Love Foodies Experience
I went to Kokum with Robyn, my trusty plus one and also exceptional I Love Foodies photographer, who is absolutely in love with Indian cuisine.
She grew up in Durban, South Africa, a city strongly associated with Indian culture, though Durban Indian food is essentially South Indian-rooted, African-adapted comfort food with a more chilli-forward identity over traditional or even British Indian cuisine. But, it still means she’s traditionally more familiar with Indian food than my Namibian upbringing has allowed me to be, making her an excellent partner to enjoy Indian feasts with.
On the I Love Foodies menu:
- Two Kokum Signature cocktails (more on this below)
- Amritsari Fish: Crispy fish with ginger, garlic, mint & coriander chutney (£9)
- Sticky Pork Ribs: Chindian-spiced braised baby pork ribs with scallions (£11)
- Lamb Shank Nihari: Slow-cooked lamb shank with nihari spices (£19.50)
- Makrut Lime Prawn: Prawns with lime leaf & lemongrass infused coconut & tomato sauce (£16.50)
- Garlic Naan (£4.50)
- Steamed Rice (£5)
- Baingan Bharta: Tandoor-roasted aubergine mash with green peas, onion & tomato masala (£8.50)
- Indian Salad: Cucumber, cherry tomatoes, carrot, and radish (£3.50)
- Raita: Grated cucumber & mint yoghurt (£3.50)
- Mango Kulfi: Homemade Indian flavoured ice cream with mango (£6)
- Pistachio Kulfi: Homemade Indian ice cream with Iranian pistachio (£6)
As to be expected, everything we had was really, really good! So let’s dive in.
The starters – sticky pork ribs and fish – were excellent.
The two Kokum cocktails we tried are actually not yet on the menu, but both (one tequila-based and one gin-based) are heavily focused on kokum, an Indian tropical fruit that gives the restaurant its name. Usually dried, it has a sour, tangy flavour, though these cocktails use a preserved fruit that adds more sweetness. Both were excellent.
Starters were superb. Both the fish and the sticky pork ribs were full of flavour, and the portions were huge. You could very easily order 3 – 4 starters between two and enjoy a tapas-style feast, something I would actually highly recommend.
The mains were also excellent. Robyn and I both had our eye on the prawn dish initially, and while presentation-wise it’s not a looker, it makes up for it in terms of flavour. The prawns were massive, and the sauce a great combination of Indian and more Thai-inspired flavours. It was light and summery, perfect if you’re looking for something a little easier to digest. The lamb shank came highly recommended and it was also excellent. While the sauce was on the verge of too spicy for me, the lamb itself was soft and succulent, and very, very delicious. I’m always a fan of a good lamb shank.
The sides were all fantastic as well – garlic naan is always a winner, the rice was fluffy, the aubergine a hearty addition, the salad a good break from the fats, and the raita definitely the star that pulled it all together for me, especially with the spice of the lamb shank.
The lamb shank nihari was rich and full of flavour.
Kulfi is commonly known as India’s version of ice cream.
For desserts, Kokum had a few other options on the menu, including a basil creme brûlée and gulab jamun, but we wanted something a little lighter after the heavy meal. So kulfi, a traditional frozen dessert similar to ice cream, albeit quite different in texture and preparation, was on the cards. We tried both the mango, which was giving mango lassi flavour, and the pistachio, which was a little creamier.
Both were delicious, though of the two, the pistachio was our favourite.
Visit Kokum Indian Restaurant
Overall, everything at Kokum was excellent – the food, the service, the portions, and the variety.
Definitely a restaurant worth visiting, regardless of whether you’re an East Dulwich local or looking for a reason to travel.
You can grab all the details below.
Kokum Contact Details
Address: 58 – 60 East Dulwich Road, Southwark, London, SE22 9AX
Opening Times: Tuesday – Thursday (12:30 – 22:30), Friday (12:30 – 23:00), Saturday (12:00 – 23:00), Sunday (12:00 – 22:00)
Website: www.kokumlondon.com
Call: +44 203 551 1883
Email: reservations@kokumlondon.com
Written by Benike Palfi
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Article Date: June 2026
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