London is full of weird and wonderful food choices – it’s why we love it. But every now and then something comes along that raises a few eyebrows and gets people talking.
Today’s talking point is the work of Pescobar in Camden Market, serving up what they say is the best octopus in the world. Their menu features things like octobuns (a hot dog with an octopus tentacle in place of a sausage), crunchy popcorn prawns, and some gorgeous-looking seafood platters. And it does all look very good, I’ll give them that. But there’s one item on their menu that is a bit more of an opinion divider, and I’ll let you make your own mind up about it. Yes, I am of course referring to their octopus kebab.
Credit: @pescobar.paulnicolau via TikTok
You’ve seen a classic Doner kebab—probably in the wee hours after three-too-many tequilas—spinning on a huge vertical skewer and sliced off the spit to be served in a pitta with chips and salad. So yeah, it’s that… but somehow, some way they’ve managed to do the same with octopus and squid meat. It’s quite the spectacle.
What has the internet got to say about Pescobar’s Octopus Kebab?
Amongst many videos created by Pescobar themselves, one video in particular has gone viral on TikTok and comments have been, er, varied. One user commented “I want to unsee this”, and another wrote “It’s a no from me”, while many referred to octopus’ intelligence and how the creature shouldn’t be eaten at all. Others were more inclined to try it, however, with comments like “You know what I’d prefer this to an actual kebab” and “GIMME THAT”.
Credit: @oliviaa_ldn via TikTok
Pescobar opened in Camden Market’s North Yard earlier this year following a massive launch party, and has generally been a huge success ever since. The team, led by Paul Nicolau, hailed from Romania, where Nicolau started out with a small seafood stall at a Romanian market. Demand grew so the business grew with it, and Pescobar quickly became a national—and now international—phenomenon. Think what you will about the octopus kebab – these guys are clearly doing something right.
Where do you stand? Would you try the famous octopus kebab?