There are several rooftop bars clustered around Peckham Rye Station.
A couple of them are even visible from one another.
But Skylight Peckham is different. It’s all the way up on Peckham Hill Street (why is this better? The clue’s in the name), where it sits proudly on top of the Mountview (another clue) Academy building, surveying a large panoramic sweep of South London.
It comes to us from the team at the original Skylight in Wapping (which is parked above the huge Tobacco Dock) and they’re definitely bringing their ‘big venue’ A-game here. There’s enough space for roughly 250 vertigo-immune punters, across both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Inside, there’s a central restaurant space with a sleek curved white bar flanked by mustard yellow banquette seating, and lit by floor-to ceiling windows on all sides. Outside, there’s that terrace wrapped around two sides of the space. Aside from the view (which you can see through a small telescope) it’s got colourful seating, a BBQ area, and even a ping pong table.
And, for the colder months, they’ve elected to dive into the ever-expanding bubble that is the pop up igloo scene, only with one minor difference: they’re extremely good value. Each of the translucent domes fits between 6-10 people, and comes with two chilled bottles of Prosecco (or house wine) waiting inside, all for the princely sum of £90. Assuming you only bring the bare minimum number of guests, the six of you will get a couple of glasses of bubbly for just £15 each, which is good value in London even without your own private, heated igloo.
The cocktails on offer include some neat little twists, like the punchy Clarified Bee’s Knees, which is made with local Peckham honey (and not-local vodka), and the Cinco Picante, which brings homemade chilli liqueur together with tequila and peach. Backing that up is a strong list of classics, and even a ‘sustainable’ list of drinks made from discarded spirits (that is, distilled from waste fruit product). And on the food side of the equation it’s a pretty global affair, with dishes like Indian-style cumin-spiced lamb skewers; Korean gochujang-glazed sea bream with kimchi pancakes; French grilled poussin with truffle honey vinaigrette; and Italian pistachio & olive oil cake for dessert.
The kicker? It’s open until 1am, and there are regular live music evenings.
Things are looking up.
NOTE: Skylight Peckham is open daily 10am-midnight (1am on Fri/Sat). Please note the terrace closes at 10.30pm. If you want to hire an igloo, it’s £90 for 3.5 hours, accommodating 6-10 people, and including two bottles of chilled Prosecco or house wine. To book, just ensure you’ve selected a minimum of 6 people on your chosen date at the website right HERE.
Skylight Peckham | 120 Peckham Hill Street, SE15 5JT
Like high-altitude drinking? Check out our lineup of the best rooftop bars in London…
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