Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Greetings one and all.


What are your views on the potential arrival of another 'chain restaurant' onto LL? Gourmet Burger Kitchen has been around for a few years now and IMO compliments but does not override any of the existing independent restaurants and bars along the lane. There are a number of empty retail units currently, and I think out of all the chain restaurants Wagamama would be very successful in this area without damaging any existing businesses. I contacted them recently and they did not rule out this area, in fact they seemed very positive about ED, and considering it for future expansion, but obviously would not give information about future plans.


What does everyone else think?



Louisa.

Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/25479-wagamama-restaurant/
Share on other sites

My bigger problem with Wagamamma, aside from stifling independent business by hiking up rents, would be their appalling food. Mass produced gunk-covered meat and pretty average bowls of soup-a-like for a big pile of golden nuggets.


I'd prefer a Pho if we must have some vaguely-east-Asian-cuisine chain.

And Wagamama's horribly overpriced - ?9 or ?10 for a bowl of ramen? I don't think I've been in one since they stopped doing their offers. There's way better for far less than their prices.


If a good value ramen/noodle/fusion-y place opened in ED, I'd try it, but it's so depressing that many people will only go to chains they've heard of. Same with coffee shops - many independents aren't very good, but some are far better than chains, but the brand-obsessed general public won't even walk through their door. Bonkers.

Unfortunately that is the world we live in. I would agree that there are some fantastic independent noodle fusion bars, but I for one think Wagamama is far fresher and tastier than most chain brands on our high street today. My point is that, having the odd chain brand isn't a disaster and if anything raises the profile of Lordship Lane as a great place to socialise, eat, drink and promote the area. Sure not every restaurant is to the taste of everyone, but my hope is that by attracting just a few 'decent' chains, it will in the long term provide us with a fantastic reputation for eating out in SE London and benefit the area by bringing in much needed revenue from neighbouring areas.


Louisa.

Some people have expressed concern at M&S bringing more people and their cars into the area.


At the weekend Lordship lane has reached Saturation Point..


Local people sufferer enough with late night revelers without attracting more people into the area.


And opening more restaurants will eventually affect established businesses.


It's alright for The Dulwich Village Clan to slum it up in E.D. Then return to the tranquility

of 'Village Life' where no one has to suffer the noise, litter and bodily functions.


Fox

DulwichFox I see your point entirely, this is one reason why it is my hope that the London Overground extension into Peckham Rye will see the regeneration of Rye Lane and more especially the station square which will hopefully attract many of these chains into that much bigger retail space with more parking facilities, in turn eleviating some of the pressure on the narrow and predominantly residential neighbourhood surrounding Lordship Lane. However, this is all pie in the sky stuff, and as such realistically growth is limited in SE London to gentrified areas such as ED.


What I fail to understand about the parking argument however, is that an existing much larger M&S is on the Walworth RD and this does not promote extra parking pressures to that predinantly residential area. And from my understanding, the new M&S would be a Simply Food format store, which tends to attract people on foot for passing trade such as lunchtime snacks and food to take home after work. I don't quite adhere to the argument a small Simply Food will put parking pressure on the area, any more than the existing Iceland already has.


A Wagamama would also tend to attract local people or those travelling on public transport as the demographic this type of restaurant is aimed at tend to be younger people and students and such like, many of whom do not drive.



Louisa.

I cant stand Wagamamas or GBK for that matter. I would prefer some of the independent "pop up" restaurants from Brixton Village to open up a second restaurant on LL. For example, Honest Burger would be a great replacement for GBK; they have already opened up a second store in Soho.


Also, I think we need a decent sushi restaurant. And not Yo Sushi!

I'd be keen for something of that ilk, but would prefer not to have another chain in area. More than that, though, I think Wagamamas is really boring! I never think the food has any flavour and, despite eating there a few times, have never been impressed. Rather not have a wagamamas....

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Does anyone know when the next SNT meeting is? I am fed up with my son being mugged on East Dulwich Grove! 
    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...