Peckham Arches

Peckham Arches | Huge Al Fresco Hangout Space

An idea that would have been met with blank stares pre-2010: there’s nothing quite like drinking under a railway arch in the height of summer.

But what started with Bermondsey Beer Mile has now rightfully become a British summer institution alongside Wimbledon, picnics, and sweaty tubes. Joining the ranks: Peckham Arches.

It’s the latest from Bird House London, the group who also gave us The Hawk’s Nest in Shepherd’s Bush. In classic Bird House fashion they’ve taken over a suite of railway arches under Peckham Rye Station and rejigged them into one huge interlinking hangout space; encompassing 500 sqm and with the wiggle room for just the 300 or so people…

It’s a similar deal to The Hawk’s Nest in terms of the concept: one area is a greenhouse-style terrace with festoon lights, bench seating, hanging plant baskets and an open-fire kitchen; one is an art gallery; one works as a smaller, more secluded bar with a vinyl DJ deck setup; and another is a ‘dance room’ with live music. Unsurprisingly, considering the variables, it’s already making a name for itself as the de facto group meet-up spot in Peckham. It’s perfect for the kind of situation where no one knows exactly where they want to go, so the general consensus is ‘let’s just meet up at Peckham Arches’. You can’t go wrong with it. 

The food can be mostly summed up by two words: charcoal grill. But for a few more words… that charcoal grill is front and centre of an open kitchen that churns out grilled veggies (hispi cabbage), grilled meats (Korean short rib and bavette steak with salsa verde) and grilled seafood (a whole sea bream). You’d do well to order the homemade flatbread on the side too, which while technically in the ‘sides section’, has a main dish aura about it. Drinks? There’s natural wine, ‘regular’ wine, beers and cocktails, the latter of which include a few refreshing mezcal and tequila numbers like a picante, a grapefruit margarita and a passion fruit mezcalita. 

For any folk with eyes only for sourdough pizza, you’ll be able to score those across the road at Peckham Arches’ sister bar, Skylarking. It has more of the same plant-laden al fresco atmosphere (seating 200), but with pizzas and arancini. Oh and there’s a quiz night every Tuesday.

On that note: Don’t pass off Peckham Arches solely as a drinking and dining destination. Expect frequent exhibitions at the Peckham Arches Gallery – a no-frills, white walled, blank canvas affair that hangs and displays work from local artists – and a varied mix of events (we’ve even hosted a talk for Nudge Members with the School of Life there). There’s chilled life drawing sessions on a Sunday, DJs on weekends and even live stand up every Wednesday.

You’ll want to bag a seat for that…

NOTE: Peckham Arches is open from Weds-Sun. You can find out more and make a booking on their website here.

Peckham Arches | Blenheim Grove, London SE15 4QN

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