The 20 best things to do in Peckham

Peckhamplex haș an incredibly enviable title: it’s the cheapest cinema in London. Tickets cost £6 anytime (the recent price rise from £5 felt like a truer marker of the capital’s cost of living crisis than the increase of fares on the Underground), and a brilliant selection of films, both mainstream and independent, is programmed year-round. With its iconic pink branding and commitment to affordability, Peckhamplex is a true south London stalwart, and a much-loved bastion of the area.

Peckham’s newest big night out is at The Carpet Shop, and it’s already arguably one of south London’s best spots for what’s known in the business as A Big Silly One. Playing host to the best – and crucially most fun – DJs in London and beyond, it’s a guaranteed laugh, and upcoming nights feature names like Jyoty, Jamz Supernova, and selectors from DoYou radio. From Wednesday to Saturday, in the evenings, the place also morphs into Taquiza, a very fun Mexican-inspired restaurant, where you can eat a hell of a fish taco and drink Peckham’s best spicy margarita.

The best coffee in Peckham is at this vegan café at the front of Holdron’s Arcade. Ron’s offer oat milk as standard – no dairy here! – and coffee is expertly prepared however you like it, and always with a smile and a day-making bit of chat. They’re also open from Thursday to Saturday evenings for cocktails, local beers, live music and DJs, but if you’re stopping by in the daytime, be sure to grab one of their excellent plant-based cinnamon rolls. If you’re lucky, you might even get a cuddle from the adorable resident whippet.

The latest addition to SE15’s substantial food trail, this new-school Vietnamese with an adamantly ‘no pho’ menu has local roots (it’s run by the same family as nearby Bánh Bánh) but is a snackier, share-ier proposition than its big bowl-proffering sibling. The menu is a fast and furious assault of flavour; think sweet and sticky nuggets of crispy, crunchy, and fatty pork belly, papaya jellyfish salad with pellets of juicy pineapple and smooshed tomatoes slugged together with peanuts, chillis and a windowbox of fresh Vietnamese herbs, or a hefty ‘small plate’ of fleshy beef tartare cut with lumps of cucumber and crushed crackers, simply scooped up with shiso leaves. Peckham might already have a million places to eat, but Lai Rai is a must visit.