Welcome to London x London’s Peckham Guide: your guide to the best bars, restaurants and things to do in this South London neighbourhood.
Peckham sits in the London Borough of Southwark, around four miles south east of central London, bordering Camberwell, Nunhead and East Dulwich.
Peckham has swung from wealthy retreat to industrial hub to one of the most talked-about postcodes in London.
These days it’s rooftop bars, independent galleries and old-school markets that define the area.
Peckham’s history is a story of reinvention. It began as a residential area for London’s wealthy in the 16th century, before becoming an industrial centre in the 18th, when its market gardens supplied the capital with figs and melons. The area stayed largely rural until the 1800s, when the Hill family developed Peckham New Town and improved transport links drew in a new generation of residents.
After a difficult stretch in the 1970s, when Peckham was among London’s most deprived areas, it has re-emerged over recent decades as one of the city’s most interesting postcodes. Old-school markets and unfussy local institutions now sit alongside rooftop bars, independent galleries and some of south London’s best restaurants.
Reinvented, creative and unmistakably south London
