London Peckham Restaurant Guide

Vegan and vegetarian neighbourhood bistro, set in a quiet street near Peckham Rye station. It was opened in autumn 2019 by ex-Vanilla Black chef Tom Heale (plus his two brothers and a business partner) and – though it’s a simple, cosy venue – it quickly attracted favourable press from The Torygraph and Marina O’Loughlin in The Sunday Times. Sharing is encouraged and drinks include biodynamic, organic and vegan, and numerous fancy teas.

One of the few early 2021 newcomers (at which time it was delivery only) – this ‘soul food fusion’ newcomer operates out of the Peckham Levels. The aim? – ‘a bold and culturally relevant brand to disrupt the traditionally Euro-centric and often whitewashed London food scene’. This translates into hearty spicy scoff – Trinidadian Bara Tacos (fried bread with a chickpea filling), Philly Banh Mi Cheesesteaks… deep-fried Oreos.

From Andrea Asciuti of Streatham’s Bravi Ragazzi – this 2021 opening features ten of the traditional, Neapolitan-style pizzas that have created a buzz about his Streatham venture, as well as smaller bites, described as ‘Neapolitan tapas’.

2021 Review: “Tasty street-food vendors, a good pint and a great atmosphere” (plus, for families, “plenty of space for kids to scoot around”) win a thumbs-up for this vibey project, converted from seven levels of an underutilised multi-storey car park. Levels five and six are the heart of the action foodwise: residents include Nandine (offshoot of a Kurdish café in Camberwell), Other Side Fried (chicken burgers) and Hao Hao chi (handmade regional Chinese street food).

Sip your cocktail, nibble on charcuterie and watch the sun fade over the London skyline at this “friendly and accommodating” roof-top bar in Peckham, which fans say has “the best bar view in SE London”. On the menu, “interesting cocktails, an array of natural wines, plus small plates of delicious Italian-inspired bites”. It’s on the fifth-floor of a co-working space, opposite the tube station, and opened in the second half of 2019 – from the same team who ran the now-defunct Forza Win (no ‘e’) nearby. If you eat inside, not out, it’s closely packed.

“What a superb place”: the old goods rooms and booking hall of Peckham Rye station – lending the enterprise “a touch of Victorian elegance” – repurposed five years ago as a modern restaurant serving “tasty and beautifully presented European dishes, with thoughtful and attentive staff, brilliant cocktails and a good wine list”. “If only we’d retained and re-used more of these buildings”. Top Tip: “the best toilets in south London”.

“Casual and inexpensive, but no compromise on the standards” – this Japanese noodle chain has become a firm favourite in London’s “competitive” ramen market, with 14 branches (and counting). “I can’t speak highly enough of the quality of ramen here, absolutely packed full of flavour and at a really good price.” The name is taken from the pork broth used, and the noodles are made daily in-house and cooked, it is said, for precisely 32 seconds.

This “interesting little restaurant” in a residential Peckham street was opened in 2004 by Claire Fisher, to replicate the tastes she had experienced travelling in southern India. “As Peckham’s food scene continues to develop, this isn’t quite as all-conquering as it once was” – but it still rates highly for the food freshly made in-house. Ganapati is another name for the elephant-headed god, Ganesh.

2018 Review: Behind Peckham Rye station, this chilled all-day café/bar is worth knowing about for coffee or a light bite – it attracts only limited feedback, but to the effect that it’s an all-round good place.

“Sublime” and “innovative contemporary cuisine” makes this Peckham two-year-old the sort of place you “happily return to again and again” – and you won’t get bored because “the menu constantly changes, reflecting seasonal fare”. “Our group literally tried everything and there wasn’t one disappointing dish”. The “enjoyable” atmosphere is “nice and buzzy” but “are they as cool as they think they are!?”. (The team behind Levan cut their teeth with Salon in Brixton, see also.)

“Worth travelling to Peckham for” (and “an absolute gem to have on one’s doorstep”) – Patrick Williams and Amy Corbin’s “fun, buzzy and cramped-in-a-good way” venture enjoys an ever-increasing reputation. The South African-influenced food is “knockout with all sorts of wonderful flavour combinations, and service is especially warm and friendly – really on the ball, but also relaxed”. There’s a back garden for dining on warmer days. (See also Kudu Grill).

“Levan’s sister restaurant is a useful addition to the Peckham dining experience, and also revolves around sharing plates”. Originally due to open on the first week of the first 2020 lockdown, this all-day Peckham diner (in the same stable as Levan and Salon) is named after groundbreaking NYC DJ Larry Levan and is a homage to Jewish and Italian NYC diners, circa 1975. You are served at retro orange tables, with diner-style sarnies at lunch, or more substantial dishes like schnitzel and cheesecake, all dolled up a bit for 21st-century sensibilities (I don’t remember any gochujang mayo served back in the day…).

“A lovely, cheap ’n’ cheerful pizza joint, with interesting and delicious brunch options and very friendly staff.” This Peckham debutante, which opened in April 2021 – in the funky site that used to house Forza Win (RIP, but looking for a new home) – has an 80-seater outdoor space, in addition to the indoor 40 covers. Michael ‘Mike’ Davies is the chef director of the Camberwell Arms and Frank’s Café. On the menu: Roman-style pizza (and other small plates).

“The guys here are obsessed with wine and it shows!” – This modern ‘neighbourhood kitchen, wine bar and shop’ is part of the ongoing foodie gentrification of Peckham and a relatively ‘grown up’ arrival to the ’hood in late 2019. It offers “imaginative” Mediterranean-esque small plates from a list that’s “varied, but crucially also very delicious. Love that you can buy bottles of what you had to take home (though they do operate a delivery service if it's too much to carry!)”

2019 Review: “From a small shop come the most divine pizzas – yes, even beating Franco Manca’s original (i.e. Brixton) branch” – that’s the bold claim made by fans of this year-old pop-up-turned permanent in Peckham (which also operates out of a container at Pop Brixton).

“The kids are always delighted by their ‘bunny’ pizzas, and we think you can’t go wrong with the sourdough offerings” at this highly rated South London group, with seven venues from Brixton and Peckham to Tooting and Sydenham. The stripped-down interiors are matched by home-made desserts, local craft beers and small-batch coffee.

Promising not to be yet another gastropub, this sister venue to The Paxton in Gypsy Hill aims to redefine what a pub should be, with independent craft beers, global street food, vegan food menus and artisan pizza and a wide-ranging events agenda.