‘Is Peckham the new Shoreditch?’ The correct answer, of course, is ‘who cares?’ You just have to spend a day in the area to see how much it’s got to offer. Highlights include a bargain cinema, Thai street food, one of the best clubs in London and an incredibly tantalizing chocolate shop.
SE15 features on our new list of the world’s 50 coolest neighbourhoods. Get stuck in with local tips from Time Out Tastemakers.
Best breakfast or brunch
‘Persepolis does a simple, creative veggie menu: the scrambled eggs with plantain and harissa are just delicious.’ Laura Goldmeier
‘Kudu, hands down! Amazing South African-inspired food, generous portions, lovely staff and gorgeous decor make this a really knockout place to while away a few lazy hours.’ Alexandra Boyle
‘Pedler. The menu regularly changes but it never fails to deliver. It’s a quirky little restaurant and the service is always bang-on.’ Sarah Manning
Best cheap eat
‘Yadas: cheap Kurdish food with big portions and lots of flavour. Plus it’s BYOB!’ Chelsey Campbell
‘Pizza Pickup has delicious Roman pizza, Nutella pizza and a dreamy ginger gelato. It’s very good value for money too.’ Ioanna Laskari
‘Voodoo Ray’s on ‘slice night’ (Mondays). Epic pizza slices for £2.50!’ Christy Oliver
‘JB’s Soul Food: the jerk pork special is in high demand, so get there early! Also, the teriyaki mushroom bao at Mr Bao is shockingly good.’ Sarah Blaikie
‘I grew up in Peckham and it has changed a lot! But one thing I love that remains is the heartwarming Afro-Carib food at Egi’s takeaway.’ Cindy Temi
Best dinner
‘Artusi: a chic, authentic and delicious Italian restaurant, which has a rotating daily specials board. It’s intimate and lovely.’ Dianne Hawthorne
‘Coal Rooms! It’s in the former station ticket office and the food is incredible: it knows how to smoke its meat.’ Annabel-Zoe Lung
‘Ganapati, one of the most delicious Indian restaurants I have tried in London. It’s got such a laidback atmosphere that you would never imagine how good the food is.’ María González
‘You can tell Aside is a real passion project: lovely interior design, careful menu selection
and chat-ready staff.’ Noni Papp
Best bar
‘Frank’s Café, the rooftop bar with the best views in town! Not so under-the-radar but it’s the best thing Peckham has to offer.’ Ioanna Laskari
Best thing to see
‘Go for a walk across Peckham Rye to the wisteria-topped pergolas and Japanese gardens: Peckham’s best-kept secret.’ Sarah Manning
Best thing to do
‘The Four Quarters is a retro video game arcade brimming with classic machines and a bar serving craft beer. What’s not to like about playing Pac-Man with a pint of pale ale?’ Neil Hassall
‘The PeckhamPlex will forever be one of the best pre-payday date spots in London. You can’t argue with £4.99 tickets all day, every day.’ Sarah Blaikie
‘Peckham Levels has street food, trendy bars, exhibitions and even printing and art workshops, all in the same building.’ Edelyn Brawidjojo
‘John the Unicorn! I don’t remember a time I’ve been there and I haven’t ended up dancing.’ Diana Turchi
‘The Bussey Building for parties until early morning; Peckham Springs for some of the best cocktails and pizza in London; Peckham Levels for amazing yoga sessions. Peckham has it all!’ Karolina Muczacza
