John the Unicorn — Restaurant in London

NOT QUITE WHAT YOU EXPECT...

I have friends in Peckham. It used to be extremely cool to hang out in, quite a few years ago, especially when Franks (a bar on the top floor of a multi-storey car park) first opened 8 years ago.

But in recent years, it's been Shoreditchified and is losing a lot of its character.

John The Unicorn (Reliably informed by a member of staff that John is the owner and his child called his Unicorn after him, not the perfect explanation for the choice of venue name but still...) falls into both camps.

It's got an urban cool about it, a ramshackle approach (I'd call it early Deptford - Think the Job Centre if you know it).

Staff are ok, though a little odd (upon taking a picture of the menu directly in front of a member of staff, I was immediately asked what I was doing, it was only when I said it was for this review did she seem to calm down - seeming concerned that I was stealing ideas form their menu).

They call the upstairs part of the bar the Restaurant which is a little misleading as you'd expect to see an entirely different menu to the bars downstairs - but you don't.

I'd arrived on a day when Wasted Chic (a Fashion Pop-up) was there, so the downstairs all felt a bit like like a Flea Market.

I therefore retired upstairs with my reasonably priced Vodka & Orange Juice (£3.70).

The specials board intrigued me. Something illegible with Grilled Sprout Tops. On asking the waitress she didn't know what it was either, so headed to the kitchen, the pronunciation was uncertain but it definitely had anchovies in it.

Worth a punt I thought.

The sprout tops which were supposed to be grilled, one could have said, if one was being kind came charred or more realistically, burnt. The indecipherable turned out to be Bagna Cauda which should be spicy, this one wasn't particularly.

It felt like a dish trying to hard for it's own good but as a small plate for £4 was fine.

This place definitely has a vibe and for the right audience (I'd suspect under 30 looking for something that's not overtly commercial, not designed to the hilt and is filled with a similar crowd) it's probably great.

Not one...

WELL... I asked for 2 cocktails, the bar man opened the dishwasher and realised there wasn't the glasses he needed so decided to take a dirty one from the bar side and rinced it in the bar sink before using it for my cocktail, for the second cocktail I'd ask for ,he jus grab anotherdirty glass from the bar , chucked out remains into a sink and proceeded to put the drink into it. Once the drinks we're made I told him I saw what he did and ask to see the manager. He claimed to be so.

He lied and said he was cooling the glasses.

I absolutely know he was not doing this as it requires putting ice in the glasses until you have finished with cocktail maker .. that was not apart of his slap dash process.

This man is a health and safety risk to the...

After myself and a friend were aggressively assaulted by a drunken older woman the security did nothing but let her back into the establishment shortly after I was assaulted for a second time, taking a massive blow to the head when the lady punched me. Completely unprovoked attacks, this lady was severely intoxicated claiming we 'gave her a funny look'.The security then begrudgingly removed her after several heightened responses from friends and other customers who saw the incident. The bar manager's response was 'what do you want me to do about it?' and security told us to go away. Will never be setting foot into this bar again, I would advise others to steer clear, rough place and staff do not have any care or responsibility for...