I read recently yet another ‘Peckham is the latest London hotspot’ article, with the evidence this time being Frank’s (of course) and a one-off night food market at the Bussey (of course). There’s definitely a buzz in Peckham at the moment, but it goes a bit further afield than those two now-stalwart venues.
Just around the corner from the train station is Peckham Refreshment Rooms, a small Spanish-style restaurant serving portions of fantastically well-cooked food including some delicious Parma ham. It’s small and very busy, but worth a trip.
Peckham Pelican is a new bar/cafe with tasty and very reasonably priced pizza. It’s got a very improvised vibe* at the moment but is still a work in progress and is more accessible than the previous incarnation, the New Gallery.
Cinnamon Tree Bakery sell at Borough and Broadway Markets and have just opened a new shop on Peckham High Street. It’s mostly sweets and pastries, plus pizza; haven’t been there myself yet, but they’re apparently very proud of their coffee. And if coffee’s your thing, Cafe Viva sell hip London blend, Volcano, along with some good breakfasts and lunch specials.
Nowadays a scene is defined by its pop-ups, and in SE15 there’s the Peckham Bazaar, a ‘pan-Balkan meze and mangal’. Haven’t been there yet, but looking forward to it. Also on Fridays and Saturdays ‘all Summer’ there’s Peckham Springs, behind Bar Story.
And the hipster bingo card will soon have a full house with the arrival of craft brewers, Brick.
There’s probably a ton I’ve forgotten, but it’s pretty exciting to be around Peckham at the moment. Biggest news is, of course, that the temporary space holding Bold Tendencies/Frank’s will be made permanent over the next few years. Visit now before Foxtons get there.
Update: If you’re into the Peckham scene, you might want to kickstart a new local magazine, the Peckham Peculiar.
* Do people still say ‘vibe’? I fear I may be showing my age here.