I had the best vegan curry I’ve ever tasted at an award-winning restaurant in East Dulwich.
Trinco, located at Ol Space in east Dulwich, won the Best Cafe award at the 2024 Good Food Awards. This district was recently ranked as one of the best places to live in Britain.
Dulwich was recently named one of the best places to live in the UK by blogger Maddy Stilettos, and is one of the only areas in south London to make the list.
Oru space (Image: Oru Space)
The facility includes a co-working space that is open weekdays along with wellbeing classes, a cafe during the day and a restaurant serving Tamil Sri Lankan cuisine and cocktails in the evening.
We offer a relaxing space with lush vegetation, and our daytime menu ‘transforms’ into an intimate, warmly lit atmosphere at night, where our evening menu is served.
The kitchen, led by chefs Isabella Cobilals and Maya Berthoud, features a “plant-rich menu” with an emphasis on flavor and color.
I was recently invited to try out the evening menu with a friend and as I hadn’t tried many vegan curry dishes, I was keen to give it a try.
enjoy a coconut margarita (Image: Emily Davison)
I would say this restaurant is very suitable for those looking for a place that is laid back, casual and serves nutritious food without compromising on taste.
Firstly, I was welcomed with a delicious oat milk chai drink with aromatic spices, and as someone who has never had chai before, I can definitely say that this is going to be something I drink regularly.
The restaurant also offers a menu of wines, spirits, cocktails and mocktails, and when I asked for the most popular cocktail on the menu, I was offered the Coconut Margarita.
This drink is a twist on the classic margarita, made with tequila, coconut liqueur, coconut milk, coconut syrup, and lime juice, all with a pinch of salt and coconut flakes.
It was very creamy and sweet, and went well with the spiciness of the lime and tequila, making it a drink I would order again.
coconut margarita (Image: Emily Davison)
To start, I ordered a cheese and spinach roll. This is a family invention with pineapple, apple and mango mayonnaise and is served with fried cauliflower florets with tamarind ketchup and green onions.
Both dishes were very flavorful, the cheese paired well with the zesty flavors of the apple and pineapple, and the cauliflower florets were crunchy and deliciously seasoned.
cheese and spinach rolls (Image: Emily Davison)
For mains we both ended up trying the recommended plate consisting of a variety of small dishes.
Our server recommended that we choose a base dish, two curries, two side dishes, plus several dishes served as part of a platter.
For my plate, I chose tempura curry with jackfruit curry, and simple basmati rice and cucumber sambol.
This dish also came with delicious banana chips and an additional side, and I was incredibly surprised at how large the portions were.
I gasped when I was handed two large platters with a variety of appetizing dishes on them.
Doing it this way on small plates was a great way to try so many flavor combinations that I had never tried before.
Tried a variety of appetizing dishes for mains (Image: Emily Davison)
The jackfruit curry was really delicious and I was surprised. The sauce was rich and creamy with aromatic spices, and the jackfruit cuts really reminded me of the texture of chicken.
The tempura curry had a thinly sliced texture that reminded me of a melt-in-your-mouth lamb curry.
There was so much flavour, from the spice to the cooling cucumber sambol to the tangy crunch on the side.
Moving on to dessert, even though I was full, I decided to give it a try and tried the chocolate tart with blood orange sauce.
My friend tried the Trinco sundae with vanilla ice cream, brownie pieces, kittle toffee syrup, and caramelized peanuts.
The tart had a delicious crunchy base, and the blood orange sauce and rich dark chocolate went perfectly together.
If I had to describe this dessert, I’d call it a “luxurious vegan version of Terry’s Chocolate Orange.” It was simply delicious.
chocolate tart (Image: Emily Davison)
Overall, I think this place is a real gem for vegan and plant-based diners in South East London. The food was really delicious and you could tell that a lot of passion was put into the restaurant.
It was a place I wanted to go to again soon.