Peckham Bars & Nightlife

One of the most verdantly beautiful pubs in London, the Montpelier is painted a regal navy blue with flower baskets cascading down every corner and lush plant boxes on every windowsill. Inside, the same deep navy covers the walls, creating a warm, cozy feeling enhanced by the perpetually crackling fireplace. The Montpelier is a local spot filled with young creative types and the more settled crowd (often with their kids) seven nights a week. The traditional Sunday roast—complete with gravy and towering Yorkshire puddings—is even more excellent when accompanied by live jazz. The pub has its own screening room; head there on the weekend, and follow it with heated conversation and a few drinks at the bar.

Ever since 2008, Frank's Cafe—a bar located on top of a parking garage in Peckham—has been the neighborhood's main hub for summertime drinking. It's fairly bare bones when it comes to drinks and presentation—cocktails are pretty standard and you dine at shared picnic tables—but the sunset views across South London make navigating the always crowded concrete rooftop worthwhile. There are a lot of good up-and-coming galleries in the area, too, including Hannah Barry and The Sunday Painter. This means that the best nights to head over are after the gallery openings, when many of the neighborhood's young artists and curators head out for a celebratory drink, and this installment of the pop-up's light, Mediterranean-inspired fare.