Peckham went from one of London’s worst-off areas to one of its most talked-about without ever quite losing its edges, and that mix is exactly what makes it worth a visit.
Peckham has had more reinventions than most London postcodes. It was a residential retreat for the wealthy in the 16th century, then an industrial centre known for the figs and melons grown in its market gardens, then a rough patch through the 1970s and 80s that nobody was rushing to visit. None of that history is obvious now.
What you get today is a genuinely odd mix within a few streets of Rye Lane: a converted multi-storey car park with a street food market on top, one of London’s few craft sake breweries, a Victorian cemetery that spent thirty years quietly turning into a woodland, and rooftop bars stacked three and four to a postcode. It’s louder and scrappier than neighbouring Brixton, and all the better for it.
Here’s what we’d actually do with a day, or a night, in Peckham.
The best things to do in Peckham
Watch a film under the stars at Rooftop Cinema Club
London has plenty of outdoor cinemas, but the screen on top of the Bussey Building is one of our favourites. It used to trade as Rooftop Film Club, but the operator has since rebranded globally to Rooftop Cinema Club, same deckchairs and blankets, same skyline backdrop, just a new name on the tickets. The programme runs from the latest releases to cult classics and arthouse films, so there’s usually something worth catching.
Eat and drink your way round Peckham Levels
Originally opened to support the local community, Peckham Levels is a multi-storey car park converted into a food and drinks hub, with a street food market, an art studio, a coffee roaster and a live music venue tucked across its floors. Levels five and six are where most of the activity happens, so head straight up rather than working through from the bottom.
Go street art hunting around Copeland Park
Wander through Peckham and it’s easy to spot the street art lining the streets, including work from Conor Harrington, Stik and Remi Rough. Around Copeland Park and the Bussey Building specifically, look out for the murals by Suika, Imaone and Fate, where entire walls have been turned over to them.
Catch a film for less at Peckhamplex
One of the largest independent cinemas in London, Peckhamplex is also one of the cheapest anywhere in the city. Worth knowing: the famous £4.99 tickets have crept up slightly since we first wrote this, it’s £5.99 all day, every day now, but that’s still remarkable value for central London prices. A full list of showings is on their website.
Picnic in Peckham Rye Park
Spread across 13 acres, Peckham Rye Park is a stretch of green space with a skatepark, a green gym, an adventure playground and a cafe. It’s a good spot for a picnic on a warm day, and a decent stretch of the legs if the crowds around Rye Lane get too much.
Wander the ruins at Nunhead Cemetery
Nunhead Cemetery is one of the “Magnificent Seven”, the ring of cemeteries built around London in the 19th century to relieve the city’s overcrowded church graveyards. It opened in 1840 as All Saints Cemetery, and spreads across 52 acres rising to 60 metres above sea level, high enough for the odd glimpse of central London through the trees.
What sets Nunhead apart from its better-known relatives at Highgate or Abney Park is what happened between the 1970s and 2001, when it was largely abandoned. Tree roots wound between the graves, monuments were left tilting at odd angles, and the whole place reverted to something closer to woodland than cemetery. It’s now a dedicated nature reserve as well as a burial ground, so it’s a genuinely good place to spot wildlife among the crumbling Victorian mausoleums.
See world-class art for free at South London Gallery
Founded in 1891 by the philanthropist William Rossiter, South London Gallery is one of the capital’s more influential galleries, showing a mix of local and international artwork alongside workshops and events. Entry is free, which makes it one of the easier ways to spend an hour in Peckham without spending a penny.
Look up at Peckham Library
Opened in 2000 and awarded the Stirling Prize for architecture shortly after, Peckham Library is worth a look even from the outside, thanks to its distinctive angled steel beams jutting out over Peckham Hill Street. You don’t need to go in to appreciate it, though it’s a perfectly good library if you do.
Dig for bargains at TRAID
TRAID is a huge warehouse of second-hand clothing on Rye Lane where money spent goes towards sustainable living projects and efforts to end exploitative labour in fast fashion. The stock is well chosen, so there’s less digging required than at a typical charity shop.
See what’s new at MOCA London
Founded in 2004 as a project-based museum space, MOCA London shows sculpture, video, painting, photography and installations, with exhibitions changing regularly. It doesn’t have a fixed permanent collection on display, so it’s worth checking listings before visiting to see what’s actually on.
Try fresh sake at Kanpai
Kanpai offers a glimpse into how sake is brewed, along with the chance to try it, fresh on tap, in glass and bottle, alongside guest sake from other brewers. It was the UK’s first sake brewery when it opened, and there’s also a solid list of craft beer and cocktails for anyone who isn’t sold on the plum-based drink.
Throw a pot at The Kiln Rooms
Whether pottery is a new hobby or a longstanding one, The Kiln Rooms runs classes for all levels, or simply offers the chance to spend an afternoon on the wheel. It’s based inside Peckham Levels, so easy to combine with food and drink either side.
Find your calm at Yogarise
Yogarise started as a community outreach programme aiming to get more people practising yoga, and it remains one of the friendliest studios in London, with some of the more affordable classes in the capital. No pretence, no judgement if it’s your first time on the mat.
Drink your way round Brick Brewery
Brick Brewery began in a garden shed and now operates out of a railway arch, one of a growing crowd on our list of London breweries worth seeking out. The taproom stocks around 20 of their own beers plus a rotating cast from other local breweries. The beer garden out front is a good place to spend a sunny afternoon working through a few of them.
Eat at Levan
A friendly neighbourhood bistro serving seasonally led European cooking, Levan changes its menu almost daily, so don’t come with a fixed order in mind. The beef tartare, served under an anchovy crumb with lamb’s lettuce and slow-roasted Jerusalem artichokes, and the pork belly are regular highlights, but there is little on the menu we wouldn’t recommend.
Drink on the roof of the Bussey Building
Also known as CLF Art Cafe, the Bussey Building is a multilevel bar with rooftop views, a strong cocktail list and a solid pizza menu, from classic combinations to more outlandish creations such as a cotton candy Collins. It’s usually our first suggestion when people ask which Peckham rooftop to pick, if only because it started the trend the others followed.
Drink with a view at Forza Wine
Set on top of Market Peckham, Forza Wine pairs good views with bar snacks and cocktails, including an Earl Grey martini, a blackcurrant G&T and a smoked negroni. Quieter than the Bussey Building most nights, which is exactly the point of going.
Eat and drink after dark at Skylight Peckham
Perched on top of the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts on Peckham Square, Skylight Peckham works as a daytime cafe before coming into its own at night with a food and drinks menu that includes roasted poussin and burrata on sourdough, alongside inventive cocktails from an in-house mixologist. Run by the same team behind the original Skylight at Tobacco Dock, its pastel, zinc and marble fit-out was built for exactly the kind of photos you’ll end up taking.
Eat Thai at The Begging Bowl
The Begging Bowl serves Thai-inspired food in a light, airy dining room, with dishes such as stir-fried beef rump, hispi cabbage and braised pork belly curry, plus unlimited sticky rice. One of Bellenden Road’s longest-standing draws, and still one of its best.
Try the sausage bao at Mr Bao
Mr Bao on Rye Lane is regarded as one of the best bao spots in London, including an Asian take on a full English breakfast, complete with a sausage bao. The more traditional shiitake mushroom and beef brisket baos are just as good, and considerably less likely to divide opinion.
Eat mezze at Peckham Bazaar
Drawing on the four Ottoman lands, Peckham Bazaar is a stylish restaurant built around mezze and grilled dishes, including rack of lamb with artichoke, courgette fritters and sirloin kebabs, backed by a strong wine list. Worth booking ahead for, it’s smaller than the menu suggests.
Bring your own bottle to Persepolis
Persepolis is a restaurant and cafe attached to an Iranian supermarket, run by food writer Sally Butcher using the shop’s imported spices and ingredients to build a menu that has made it one of Peckham’s most popular dining spots. The room is slapdash in the best way, with rugs and spice shelves covering the walls. There’s no alcohol licence, but bring your own and save a few pounds.
Browse the stalls in Holdrons Arcade
Holdrons Arcade is a tiny corridor of independent businesses in Copeland Park, just off Rye Lane, including a vegan cafe, the Little Sister vintage shop and the radio station Balamii, which broadcasts DJ sets throughout the day from a studio you can see into as you walk past.
Hunt for finds at Peckham Salvage Yard
A pop-up car boot-style market that sets up in Peckham on a semi-regular basis, Peckham Salvage Yard is run by the team behind Hackney Flea Market and brings together around 40 traders selling antique furniture, work by local artists and attic clear-outs, with some genuinely good vintage clothing turning up. Hint: check their Instagram for the next date, as it doesn’t run to a fixed schedule.
