Deli by day, fully-fledged Italian restaurant by night, you may spot Didi & Franc’s fairy light-adorned windows as you walk along Kennington Road: that small yet mighty cluster of boutique coffee shops and restaurants that sit snugly between Kennington Park and Lambeth. Coffee shop Vanilla Black and Korean restaurant Taeyang Pocha are some of Didi & Franc’s popular neighbours, but we’re not here to talk about them.
By the time the winter darkness falls upon this lovely little stretch of south London, Didi & Franc’s windows turn steamy, adding to the intrigue of passers-by and diners-to-be. Those hanging fairy lights beckon, hinting at something cosy to be discovered inside. Note: the restaurant only opens Wednesday-Sunday. Booking ahead is encouraged, given its understated popularity. As you step inside the space, a deli counter hosting all sorts of fresh bread, cold meats and cheeses lies directly in front of you; this counter spills into a small and simple open kitchen whose rich fumes fill the restaurant unabashedly. I now understand the steamy windows.
Didi & Franc is a proud neighbourhood spot that, refreshingly for London, offers as much substance as it does style
One half of the room is occupied by shelves and displays of top-quality Italian and Spanish deli items, the other with dining tables. The lighting in the restaurant is relatively bright, and the overall aesthetic is pared-back and homey. On the far right wall, shelf after shelf of delectable-looking wine bottles are on display, most of them Italian or Spanish. Didi, the restaurant’s namesake and co-owner (no guesses as to the name of her business partner), is an Italian lady who serves guests in a humble pinstriped apron, in an arguably no-frills manner. You feel that you are right at home, in Didi’s dining room. A singular chef is cooking our dinner, always on display and absolutely relaxed at all times.
The menu, like most great menus, is short and one-sided. Dishes rotate according to season, and availability of items in that dinky little kitchen. The wine list is a medley of English wines (we tried a lovely, bright Tillingham sparkling to start), Spanish and Italian for the most part. What delights customers is not only the homemade nature of the menu items, but the very reasonable prices that accompany them. Starters begin at £7, pasta mains range from £12 to £19, and desserts all cost £9. For starters, we share a focaccia with ‘nduja spread, and prawns and chorizo in a tomato sauce. The focaccia is incredibly light yet crispy on the top and bottom, and the serving abundant. The ‘nduja is properly spicy and oily, the two components of the dish complementing each other nicely. The prawns are juicy and fresh, but it’s the decadent, rich and smooth tomato sauce that houses the prawns and chunks of chorizo that really makes this dish a winner. The broth is punchy and deeply flavoursome, tasting like the labour of love that is the fruit from some nonna’s kitchen.
Focaccia and ‘nduja
Prawns and chorizo
Pecan tart with salted caramel gelato
Didi & Franc specialises in homemade pasta, so each of us try a different variety. I choose the lamb shank with seasonal mushrooms and mafalde pasta: my new favourite variety. Distracted from conversation, I watch the chef take the fresh pasta ribbons, resembling a complex, frilled mushroom in shape, directly from the fridge and drop them into a steaming pot in front of him. The excitement grows. My plate arrives, and the depth of the spices emanating from that shredded lamb shank hit at once. Slow cooked and spiced with star anise, cardamom, coriander, cumin and a hint of chilli, this unctuous lamb leg is so familiar yet decadent. The mushrooms add a wonderful bite, and the pasta is cooked al dente, so that I can really enjoy the texture of those frilled edges as they interact with the succulent meat, punchy, boozy sauce, and mushrooms on my plate. This is the sort of harmonious dish that brings a smile to your mouth after every bite. My mum orders the Devon crab and charcoal bucatini with pesto rosso, which is so tasty she refuses to share (fair enough), and my sister orders the Italian sausage and fennel seed ravioli in a tomato sauce, another triumph.
If I see a pecan tart on the dessert menu, it would take considerable force to stop me from ordering it. This time, although my mum and sister claim not to want it, as soon as the pecan tart hits the table it’s a battle à trois. Served with salted caramel gelato, this – and this is a big claim from me, for those who know – might be the top two pecan tarts of my life. The tart itself is of considerable height, which is rare for a pecan pie variant. We are served a considerable wedge of the tart: in the middle, that gooey caramelised pecan centre that I know and love so well, and on top a layer of copious crunchy, roasted pecan nuts. This is perhaps the star of the show. Needless to say, my fellow diners muster up some appetite, much to my disappointment.
Didi & Franc is a proud neighbourhood spot that, refreshingly for London, offers as much substance as it does style. The restaurant-deli’s elegance lies within its refined and confident offering. This truly feels like a place that regulars keep close to their chest. I couldn’t quite resist the urge to spread the word.
296-300 Kennington Road
London
SE11 4LD
November 2025
