The south London neighbourhood that is the coolest place in the city, according to the Telegraph

It’s had its say on London’s best coffee shops, given its two pence on its best gardens and shared its opinion on the city’s poshest neighbourhoods, now, the Telegraph has unveiled its list of the top 10 coolest areas in the capital city. 

What makes somewhere cool, exactly? According to the Telegraph, it’s a place with a rich blend of cultures, a characterful mix of independent shops and caffs, an energetic offering of bars, boozers and music venues, and a bit of ‘grit’. All that considered, the paper crowned Peckham the coolest London neighbourhood of them all. 

The Telegraph called the SE15 ‘loud, messy and more than a bit chaotic’. It wrote: ‘Step off the busy, litter-strewn thoroughfare and Peckham opens up. Home to a vibrant Afro-Caribbean community, the neighbourhood is never boring – or silent. Jazz wafts from the CLF Art Lounge most weekends, DJs pump out electronica from rooftop bars, and there’s always Afrobeat playing somewhere – they don’t call it “Little Lagos” for nothing.’

Time Out named Peckham London’s coolest area back in 2018 and 2019. In our guide to the area, Time Out contributor and Peckham local Lauren O’Neill said: ‘It would be a total understatement to call Peckham a melting-pot. Home to Del Boy, road rap hero Giggs, national acting treasures Olivia Colman and John Boyega and a much-photographed pink staircase, this south-east London neighbourhood is a place where a multitude of cultures exist alongside one another, creating a vibe that is completely unique.’

We recommend stopping by ‘much-loved bastion’ Peckhamplex for a £5.99 movie, partying at The Carpet Shop, trying the fried chicken at Malaysian joint Janda Diner or checking out the outdoor artwork at Bold Tendencies. Discover the rest of Peckham’s best bits here. 

West London neighbourhood Ladbroke Grove was the paper’s second coolest place in the capital. It called W10, which is the birthplace of The Clash, home to London’s largest Moroccan and Portuguese communities and part of the Notting Hill Carnival route ‘decidedly grittier, cooler and more diverse than its oh-so-prim-and-proper neighbour [Notting Hill]’. 

The rest of the Telegraph’s list is largely taken up by other east or southeast London postcodes, including Bethnal Green, Leyton (Time Out’s coolest London neighbourhood for 2024) and Walthamstow (our pick in 2022).

London’s 10 coolest neighbourhoods, according to the Telegraph

1. Peckham 
2. Ladbroke Grove 
3. Bethnal Green
4. Leyton 
5. Deptford 
6. Tooting
7. Walthamstow
8. Hackney Wick
9. Finsbury Park
10. Soho

Read more about the Telegraph’s choices here.

Explore more of London with Time Out’s neighbourhood guides. 

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