The Best Peckham Bars

Peckham bars.

But only if you get really lairy.

So instead, enjoy a quiet, sophisticated, sunset-laden drink or two at one of Peckham’s finest locals, rooftop bars, breweries and railway arch haunts.

Ladies and gentlemen – we present to you The Nudge’s pick of the best Peckham bars…

Peckham Cellars | Wine & Small Plates

Brought to you by a trio of Peckham locals, who – before this – cut their teeth at a hitlist of top London restaurants including ROVI, Marcella, Bao and Quo Vadis, Peckham Cellars is a super slick restaurant & wine bar, serving mostly Mediterranean-inspired sharing plates, alongside over 150 bottles of small-producer wines. Their lists are broad-ranging, regularly updated, and arranged by flavour profile, so perfect for novices and aficionados alike. They also have a whole load of outside seating, including a couple of ‘sunset benches’ perfectly positioned for watching the day melt away.

Details: 125 Queen’s Road, SE15 2ND
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Funkidory | Cocktails & Natural Wine

Also brought to you by Peckham residents Sergio and Anna, Funkidory is a coffee shop and natural wine bar by day, and louche cocktail bar by night. The space is 70s styled: lime green walls are offset by wooden tables and chairs, and a gorgeous, wooden-slatted bar. As for the drinks, Sergio has crafted a list of ten or so signature cocktails – some classics with a twist, others totally unique. Stand outs include their Persian Daiquiri, perfectly balanced by a cube of Turkish delight slotted onto its side; their Holy Negroni, made with tulsi kombucha, giving it a fresher and much more immediately drinkable taste; and their Frozé Paloma, a blush pink scoop of deliciousness, arguably better than many desserts.

Details: 42 Peckham Rye, London, SE15 4JR
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Jumbi | Vinyl & Caribbean Cocktails

Jumbi is a party spot with an absolutely stunning music set up. It’s the work of a pair of local musicians, Nathanael Williams & Bradley Zero. The venue they’ve put together is a huge, brick-walled church of music, with a double-height ceiling and a vaulted roof stretching up to the heavens. It’s got scattered chairs, sofas, and a long bar along the side, as well as a terrace spinning out at the front. But sitting in the place of the altar at the front of the venue is a giant wall of vinyl, stacked with 12″ records almost to the rafters (apparently it’s literally Bradley’s entire music collection)…

Details: Unit 4.1 Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Road, SE15 3SN
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Jazu | Music-Focussed Date Spot

After a wildly successful pop-up in Camberwell last year, the team have now unveiled a bricks-and-mortar space in Peckham. But to be honest, ‘bricks and mortar’ doesn’t really do it justice – it’s more of a ‘smoothly plastered & wood panelled’ space, with jet green floor tiling and a pair of handsome bespoke horn speakers which gently put out an all-vinyl soundtrack to your drinks. And as for those drinks? Expect brilliantly executed (and reasonably priced) twists on classics like Watermelon Palomas and Yuzu Gimlets.

Details: 133a Rye Lane, SE15 4ST
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Beer Rebellion | Rebellious Beers

A stone’s throw from Queen’s Road Peckham Station is Beer Rebellion, a slightly scruffy craft beer bar, boasting 16 taps of both lager and cask ale. If you don’t do beer, they also have a few wines and spirits on offer, not to mention they let you order take-out from any of surrounding shops to eat in, which is pretty cool of them.

Details: 129 Queens Road, SE15 2ND
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Peckham Arches | Ideal For Groups

Calling Peckham Arches ‘a bar’ would be doing it a slight disservice, as it’s two bars, encompassing a sprawling 500 sqm space under the railway arches of Peckham Rye station, along with greenhouse-style garden terrace, and, somewhat unexpectedly, an art gallery. Talking solely about the bar aspect here, there’s natural wines to drink, as well as mezcal and tequila cocktails such as grapefruit margaritas and passion fruit mezcalitas. These from Monday-Friday are priced at two for £12, which makes it very appealing for the post-work knock-off crowds and TFI Friday festivities…

Details: 22a Blenheim Grove, London SE15 4QN
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Copeland Social | Al Fresco Pints

Copeland Social ticks all of summer’s boxes – a sprawling al fresco patio; an airy indoor space with open shutters; long, communal tables for big groups; local brews; and generous happy hours. But come the winter, their mezzanine, skylit lounge ticks some pretty serious boxes too.

Details: 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST
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Kanpai | Sake Brewery & Taproom

Just across the way is – undoubtedly – Peckham’s finest sake brewery and taproom (and as it’s set to relocate to Bermondsey this summer, you might want to make the most of it). Owners Tom and Lucy fell in love with the stuff in Japan, did a little official training there, and are now back in London – and evangelical about getting more people drinking it. You can sample what they’re making on-site by both the glass and the bottle, or try one of the many guest sakes, spirits and beers from Japan, alongside izakaya-style comfort food.

Details: Unit 2A.2 Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Road, Peckham, London SE15 3SN
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The CLF Art Lounge And Roof Garden | Live Music

Not to be confused with the CLF Art Cafe (which is a far more tub-thumping club space and, frankly, nothing like a cafe at all) the Lounge is actually a lot like a lounge. The kind of extremely cool, speakeasy-style lounge that makes you feel like you’re stepping into a ’20s detective novel. One with a roof garden. Both levels have their own cocktail bar and live music space, and both of them serve comforting Dominican food. For a good night out, it’s tough to beat.

Details: 4a Station Way, SE15 4RX
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Frank’s Café | Spritzes on a Car Park Rooftop

Raising a glass is always easier when you’re already on a roof. And visiting Frank’s – one of the original carpark rooftop bars, and a firm fixture on any bucket list of London, let alone Peckham bars – means that said glass will be filled with Italian refreshers like Negronis and Aperol spritzes. Though usually not at the same time.

Details: 10th Floor, Peckham Multistorey Carpark, 95a Rye Lane, SE15 4ST
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Four Quarters | Arcade Games & Craft Beers

Four quarters makes a whole… lot of fun.

It’s a vintage arcade and craft beer bar at the top of Peckham’s Rye Lane. As well as 40+beers, they’ve got 15+ vintage arcade games, and 10 different retro consoles, all available to play. They’ve also got 2 for £13 cocktails, and a whole load of veggie and vegan junk food, to keep you chugging along. That’s some good maths.

Details: 187 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4TP
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Brick Brewery | Keg-Fresh Taproom

Part of Peckham’s budding production circuit, Brick Brewery is a craft microbrewery housed under an industrial railway arch. Their taproom bar and terrace now boasts 20 taps, which spout guest brews alongside their own suds and saison specials, perfect for sipping alongside Californian-style Taca Tacos.

Details: Arch 209, Blenheim Grove, SE15 4QL
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El Vermut | Cosy Vermouth Bar

Inspired by the vermuterías of Barcelona, this Peckham bar is rustic, welcoming, and has an old man playing classical guitar in the corner an admirable array of vermouth stacked behind the bar. The pair of siblings behind it are riding the fortified wine’s second wave all the way back to England, serving a spread of tapas-inspired small plates along with it. And thankfully unlike most authentic vermuterías, they have room for more than ten…

Details: 28 Nunhead Green, SE15 3QF

A couple of Peckham pubs worth noting too..

The Montpelier | Live Music & Dancing

The Montpellier really is the full monty: alongside the pub essentials like an excellent Sunday roast, cask ales & local beers, and a weekly pub quiz (Wednesdays) they also have spritz happy hours on Thursdays followed by laid-back DJs; dancing on Saturday nights; and live jazz on Sundays.

Details: 43 Choumert Road, SE15 4AR
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The Angel Oak | Beer Garden of Dreams

Beer gardens are often pint-sized. But The Angel Oak (formerly The Rye)’s is a pretty impressive affair, stretching far back behind the pub and sporting a heated & covered terrace area, a BBQ, and a separate garden bar to keep you watered.

Details: 31 Peckham Rye, SE15 3NX

Feeling, ahem, Peckish? Find our guide to the best restaurants in Peckham right here…