South-east of London, Peckham is the village that has been on the rise for around fifteen years.
Once unfrequented, it has evolved like Brooklyn in New York or Dalston in the north of the City.
It also resembles Dalston in many aspects.
Also in zone 2, it is also served by two stations: Peckham Rye (a Victorian gem in the process of being renovated) and Queen's Road Peckham, further east, provide connections to London Bridge and Victoria in 10-15 minutes. train.
Like Dalston before it, Peckham has gentrified while cultivating its multiculturalism.
Its Nigerian community continues to be important – through restaurants, hairdressers, churches and tailoring workshops – earning it the nickname “Little Lagos”.
Here are our three reasons to explore this bustling London neighborhood.
For a good dose of art and culture
Impossible to miss, at the entrance to Peckham the library was designed by Will Alsop with the aim of regenerating the district and uniting its different communities.
Flickr Maggie Jones
Peckham combines splendid Victorian buildings with modern constructions from the 70s or more recent, such as its library.
Awarded the Stirling Prize in 2000 (the equivalent of the Oscars for British architecture), it breathed new life into the surrounding area, then affected by unemployment and crime.
Another local pride, the South London Gallery, halfway between Peckham and Camberwell (which is also worth a visit), was among the first to exhibit a certain Tracey Emin...She remains a pioneer of contemporary art, and the entry is free.
Strolling around Peckham, you are struck by the easy access to culture.
A screening at the Peckhamplex cinema costs €7, compared to double in the center.
In the same building, discover Peckham Levels, a former car park housing artist and yoga studios, restaurants, exhibitions, concerts and other events organized by the Bold Tendencies collective.
Peckham is an important center of street art, favored by French artists such as Camille Walala, Zabou and Thierry Noir (in photo, his work
Hommage à Poussin
at William Griggs Garden).
Flickr Loco Steve
A model of living space to be found a few meters further on the same sidewalk of Rye Lane, at Market Peckham and the Copeland Park & Bussey Building.
The latter hosts a flea market, a ceramic workshop where you can learn, a rooftop cinema and part of the Peckham Festival.
The district is also famous for its street art – spot the works of Phlegm, Roa, Mr Cenz…and the posts of sculptor Antony Gormley on Bellenden Road – and its splendid park, Peckham Rye, which inspired the poet William Blake.
To enjoy
One of the most beautiful panoramas (and the best aperitifs!) in Peckham: the Forza Wine terrace.
Press Photo / Dashti Jafar
In Peckham, there is no shortage of opportunities to eat well, and at more reasonable prices than in Soho.
Thank you zone 2!
The shopping heart of the district, Rye Lane, offers a sensory stroll where the smells of meat, fish and spices intertwine above stalls of colorful fruit.
This street is lined with good restaurants, as is the parallel street, the pretty Bellenden Road.
For a sweet wake-up call, Tupi offers salted butter caramel pancakes and treats with its unique South American sauce;
Café Petitou serves Marmite crumpets and other irresistible classics;
and The Prince of Peckham pub, its famous Caribbean brunch... The culinary world tour continues with a delicious mezze at the vegetarian deli Persepolis, or rice balls stuffed at local Kurdish star Yada's Green Kitchen.
Carnivores will not miss the
roast
(Sunday roast) from the elegant Coal Rooms, the lamb braai from the South African Kudu, the suya meat skewers from the Nigerian Lolak Afrique, and the eternal
pie and mash
(pie and mash ) by the illustrious Mr. Manze.
Locally sourced ingredients, warm and knowledgeable staff, natural wines and contemporary cuisine: Levan's irresistible recipe.
Press Photo / Nic Crilly-Hargrave
And that's not all !
There is also the trendy Taiwanese Mr Bao (guess what we devour there);
Ganapati, which takes us to the south of India with its succulent thalis and dosas;
the impeccable Artusi and its seasonal Italian cuisine;
the soft Neapolitan pizzas from Made of Dough, without forgetting Levan, or how two Englishmen give us a good, very good lesson in bistronomy.
To party
Opened by the Corsica Studios team, The Carpet Shop has Peckham dancing.
Press Photo / Sienna Lorraine Gray
The fiesta in Peckham is not new.
Already in the 1990s, free parties were organized in disused buildings and there has long been entertainment in pubs, including the excellent The Montpelier.
On the other hand, wine bars with refined small plates like Peckham Cellars and Forza Wine know how to do them so well, or trendy microbreweries like Brick Brewery: it's all a little more recent.
The underground
atmosphere
continues in rehabilitated industrial sites including the Bussey Building, Peckham Levels and Market Peckham.
They all have rooftop bars, but our favorite is Frank's Cafe (open in summer on the rooftop of Peckham Levels) for a spritz with an incredible view of the whole city.
These epicurean paradises also attract music lovers and clubbers.
The CLF Art Cafe (Bussey Building) is a reference for fans of soul/funk/disco, while Peckham Audio (in the basement of Market Peckham) is the HQ for electronic music lovers, shoulder to shoulder with The Carpet Shop.
You can even go back in time at Four Quarters, a Stranger Things
-style bar-arcade
where you can play
Pac Man
or
Street Fighter II
while enjoying hot dogs and craft beers.