The best pubs in Peckham

A fun, friendly neighbourhood pub that's as popular with Nunhead locals and dedicated drinkers as it is art school students and the Goldsmiths crowd. Karaoke, Irish trad music nights, quizzes, a perpetually popular pool table and great Thai food make it one of the best boozers for miles around – in fact, it topped our epic Best Pubs in London list in 2023. 

A gorgeous brick and timber 1930s boozer, which also happens to be one of south London's most radical pubs. LGBTQ+ programming here is exemplary, with loads of queer-friendly events, from karaoke to quizzes and comedy. Food comes from the southern-fried Licked, who provide cheese-stuffed focaccia toasties, oyster mushrooms with creole vegan mayo, and big, sloppy burgers. It's also a great place to take a load off: there’s plenty of seating at large wooden tables next to the central bar, in the back garden and facing Nunhead Green.

Come here to dance, chat and flirt. This community hub has local hero Clement Ogbonnaya for a landlord, who got his inspiration for the pub from 1990s sitcom ‘Desmond’s’, about a Peckham barbers where all were welcome. White Men Can’t Jerk are in charge of the food while cocktails are top-tier. Be warned: it’s busy and popular for a reason, so brace yourself for the queue of doom.

The team behind legendary London club The Cause's Peckham High Street pub is a music-led boozer where you can expect to find local collectives Rye Wax, Dash The Henge and the Rising Sun Collective behind the decks. The space feels like a proper London pub, with cosy tables on the main floor and a big ol’ dance floor in the basement. Expect good beers on tap (we’d recommend their Greyhound lager and hoppy Peckham Pale), and some very reasonably priced cocktails from a spicy Mezcal Marg to a Buckfast Negroni. Open 'til late, the Greyhound might just be your new go-to when dinner starts tasting like ‘shall we go out’?

The team behind the Montpelier on nearby Choumert Road have taken on this honest boozer and the decor has remained faithful to the past. The pool table and dartboard have even survived the transition. Weekend entertainment comes from DJs and away from the brown interior, the patio to the front is a golden spot for summer months.

Taking up prime real estate on the corner of Rye Lane and Copeland Road, The Nag's Head might not be the famed Peckham pub of the same name from Only Fools and Horses, but it's definitely work popping in; especially seeing how reasonably priced their Guinness is. Expect a student-y crowd from the afternoon onwards, supping on £3.85 (!) pints. 

A friendly and spacious south London boozer with a big back room and regular karaoke and DJ nights. You might recognise it from Tom Kerridge's BBC show Saving Britain's Pubs, in which the celeb chef offered four UK pubs advice on how to boost their business. 

Down a subdued backstreet near Peckham Rye station, The Montpelier continues to be a favourite with locals for laidback sessions, catch-ups over affordable wine and beer and grazing through happy pub grub. There’s a friendly terrace to the front of the pub and booth tables indoors for larger groups. Occasional DJ sets and cinema clubs keep things suitably SE15.

The Victoria Inn – an imposing pile of a pub on Peckham’s yummy-mummy ground zero – has long been popular for its late opening hours, spacious bar and decent beer list. It’s leapt into gastropub territory and the food is really impressive. But it also remains a beer lover’s haven with ales aplenty to consider.

John the Unicorn is a whimsically named bar serving craft beer. It manages to swerve being a totally nightmarish hipster utopia though, with London beers ruling the bar, while cocktails are on offer too.