How Peckham became London’s most exciting food destination: 5 places to go when you’re there

Peckham was once known as a south London community hub with slightly awkward transport links. It has since established itself as a go-to postcode for underground culture and Big Nights Out.

How? Young creatives attracted by relatively low London rents came with an influx of restaurants and bars. They have turned Peckham into a thriving spot for those seeking delicious morsels without pomp and ceremony. A walk down Blenheim Grove or Bellenden Road will leave you spoilt for choice and rolling, happily full, back to Peckham Rye Station.

Modern European restaurant Levan, which opened back in 2018, was one of Peckham’s first destination restaurants. In 2023, following the closure of their New York diaspora-style bar Larry’s, founders Mark Gurney and Matt Bushnell opened sibling site Bar Levan next door.

2018: Emerging Peckham and Bar Levan

Bar Levan specialises in natural wines by the glass, snacky small plates, and a vibey, DJ-led atmosphere.

“2018 was a different time. There were lots of great takeaways and smaller places doing fast casual stuff, but very few places to go and eat nice food at an elevated level. It wasn't a fine dining destination by any means,” says Bar Levan founder Gurney.

“Fast forward to now and that’s definitely changed. Peckham’s a really interesting bubble in the sense that you’ve got these big centres of education like Goldsmiths and Camberwell Arts College with lots of young people, and then on the other side we've got East Dulwich, Forest Hill and Nunhead which are much more affluent areas with young families with a bit more cash,” he says.

“I think that has its own alchemy, which makes it feel quite fun and exciting.”

Skip to Mondo Sando

Situated on Peckham Road, in the area’s outskirts bordering Camberwell, Cafe Mondo is one of the district’s biggest success stories. Having started selling sandwiches from his house during lockdown, co-owner Jack Macrae’s Mondo Sando landed a coveted spot in the kitchen of the Grove House Tavern a few short months later.

At the end of 2024, he opened their first bricks and mortar site: a sandwich shop/ bar/ events space that sells game-changing subs, cocktails, boozy slushies and more. With benches out front and in their garden, plus a relaxed, deli-style feeling inside, it’s a place with big flavours and no pretense that has been hailed across the board.

“We did not think about how a normal business might run in that space, we just went with every bell and whistle. To me, now it looks sort of like the Chitty Bang Bang of sandwich shops - efficient, it is not,” says Macrae with a laugh, “but it's fun and we've got beer on tap and stupid cocktails and ginger shots and a museum of stones - all of that stuff!”

Mondo is Macrae’s first food business, and he says the supportive nature of the area has been a huge part of his success. “The cafe is about a four-minute walk from where [Mondo Sando] started. It was where we grew up, it was where our home crowd and our home supporters were, so when we opened our own spot we knew that it needed to be on home turf.

"There's a lot of pride in South East London neighborhoods, particularly around food and pubs. I think everyone really backs the food scene,” he says.

The hospitality community in Peckham also seems notably devoid of old-school culinary rivalry.

“There’s a phrase that gets used between us industry heads which is ‘A high tide raises all ships’,” says Macrae. “We could be in competition if people are opening next door to each other, but actually if you’re a successful business and then another successful business opens, it’s better for both of us.”

Kruk

Josh Lyons, co-founder of knock-your-head-off Thai joint Kruk, which opened late last year and sits in the same stretch as Bar Levan and tacos ‘n nightlife spot Peckham Arches - agrees.

“We send people who want a drink to Peckham Arches and we share resources with them a lot too - it's a good neighbours, cups of sugar kind of thing. There’s just a very friendly local community vibe, which goes on in between all of the service industry people who work around here,” he says.

Between Lyons and head chef Rob Willcox, the Kruk team cut their teeth at many of the city’s best Thai eateries including Farang, Plaza Khao Gaeng and Som Saa.

Kruk started as a pop up and the pair were offered the keys to the property two weeks later. With an “unapologetically spicy” approach to their menu (“I dislike the dumbing down of flavours because you're missing out on the full effect, so we try to keep it as authentic and original as possible,” says Willcox), Kruk earned a prestigious Michelin Bib Gourman just three months after opening, the second quickest ever restaurant to earn the accolade.

Also on 2026’s Bib Gourmand list was Rye Lane “new school Vietnamese” spot Lai Rai, while other notable additions to the area in the last couple of years have included the exemplary Asian fusion menu of Hausu - “The best spot in Peckham,” says Macrae - and Welsh cafe Bara. Add that to a roster that includes rooftop staple Forza Wine, neighbourhood Italian Artusi, Thai hotspot The Begging Bowl and plenty more, and you could eat your way around Peckham for weeks.

“It’s a nice, buzzy, busy area, and of course some people get more hyped than others but we've been there eight years now so we feel like a bit of an institution,” says Gurney before exemplifying the spirit of the area: “There's enough for people to go around.”

Here's the TDLR on where to go in Peckham, and what to order.

Where to eat and drink:

1. Kruk

What is it? One of London’s most authentic Thai spots, with an outlook that doesn’t compromise on spice.

Where is it? 213 Blenheim Grove, SE15 4QL

What should I order? Their whole deep fried seabass with coconut and chilli jam, aromatic herbs, cashews and crispy lime leaves is a knock-out.

2. Cafe Mondo

What is it? More than just a sandwich shop, come for the inventive subs and stay for a whole night out - plus, from November, they’re slinging Detroit-style pizzas in the evening.

Where is it? 42 Peckham Rd, SE5 8PX

What should I order? Their Mondo Frango with chicken thigh, peri, pea salsa verde and matchsticks is cracking, but go for whatever’s on special before it’s gone.

3. Hausu

What is it? A glorious culture clash between Asia and Europe, with small plates courtesy of chef Holly Middleton that will leave you drooling.

Where is it? 11a Station Wy, SE15 4RX

What should I order? Dad’s Broth might sound… interesting, but it’s the most moreish, umami £4 cup of liquid genius we’ve tasted in a long while.

4. Bar Levan

What is it? The more relaxed, nighttime sibling to Levan, with a candlelit good time vibe, plus a huge range of wines and European small plates.

Where is it? 12-16 Blenheim Grove, SE15 4QL

What should I order? A glass of chilled red and their croque monsieur: great cheese, great ham, great bechamel, what more could you want?

5. Artusi

What is it? A small but perfectly formed neighbourhood Italian specialising in seasonal homely dishes that would make your nonna proud.

Where is it? 161 Bellenden Rd, SE15 4DH

What should I order? Their chef’s choice set menu is a bargain at £40 per person for four incredibly generous courses of starter, pasta, secondi and dessert.

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