South London
Peckham Riviera
Where is it?
The clue’s in the name; Peckham, South London. To be precise, Unit 4 Dovedale Trading Estate, London SE15 4QN.
Opening hours?
Til 12am, seven days a week.
What is it?
A jack of all trades but master of none. Which is to say it’s an outdoor bar under a plastic canopy serving (overpriced) cocktails, craft beer and food. There’s also an indoor dancefloor playing crowd pleasers (think disco) that doesn’t fill up until about 10pm.
Dress code?
Whatever you want honey, but mostly casual hot. Make of that what you will.
Is it accessible?
For the most part, yes.
LGBTQI+ friendly?
Yeah.
What’s the vibe?
Fun. Horny. As we walked into this bar, I turned to my friend and said “Are you getting a shagging vibe?”. Barely had I completed the question when a man sidled up and attempted to engage her in conversation. I turned around to find another guy looming tipsily over me who proceeded to ask if he could “get a high five”. Thankfully, it’s not just ‘where’s my hug?’ types drinking here though; there was a pretty wide representation of young people (think late 20s, early 30s) ranging from football lads to creatives with mullets. It was majority white however. We also bumped into a few friends enjoying drinks which is always a positive sign because if hot people you like are there independently, chances are people you’d like to bone will turn up too.
Think of Peckham Riviera as a sort of south London Simmons but with a tiny dash of Ridley Road Market Bar which makes it ultimately enjoyable rather than bleak. Whatever your sexual orientation, you could find a shag here but its relatively early closing time means you’re more likely to engage someone in conversation and then take them to another bar to seal the deal. But there’s potential here for sure.
Best/worst thing about this venue?
Best: Buzzy, especially on a warm summer’s evening.
Worst: Table service is killing my people — go to the bar inside for quick drinks.
Prince of Peckham
Where is it?
1 Clayton Rd, London SE15 5JA.
Opening hours?
Til 12.30am Sun to Thurs, 2.30am on Fri and Sat.
What is it?
The only Black-owned pub in London (to my knowledge, although there are more Black-owned bars around the city) and maybe the number one turn up spot in South London on a weekend (bar my house). White Men Can’t Jerk provide the food while cocktails are top tier as well. It’s popular for a reason.
Dress code?
On a weekend: sexy, whatever that means to you. But turn up looking and feeling haut and you’re more likely to get in.
Is it accessible?
Not particularly if you’re a wheelchair user; while the ground floor in theory is, after 11pm it might prove a problem to navigate. Definitely best to make arrangements for access needs ahead of time.
LGBTQI+ friendly?
Yes, but if you’re trying to bang it might not be the first stop.
What’s the vibe?
A guaranteed fantastic time… once you get in. Entry to Prince of Peckham is the trickiest bit. On Friday and Saturdays would-be visitors should sign up to the ‘guestlist’ on site to aid entry (note that weekend events claim to be 21+ although in practice this can vary). However, in reality the only way to guarantee a spot on the dancefloor is to arrive at, or before, 9pm. PoP fills up fast, particularly as it’s one of the few bars in south London catering to a predominately Black crowd and often finds its upstairs and side rooms booked out for private parties, reducing capacity. Plan ahead and assemble the crew with strict timings if you want to get in. Prepare for late mates to be left behind.
If you do manage to get past the bouncer though, settle in for an excellent night — and, if you’re someone who dates the opposite gender, plenty of opportunities to mingle with some singles. PoP’s clientele are young, successful and fun. Come here to dance, chat and meet likeminded people. Who happen to be really hot. Put it this way: when we went, my friend collected snogs off two separate men within the same 30 minutes.
Best/worst thing about this venue?
Best: Whether you go to pull or not (I’m a married woman), the atmosphere of flirty fun and non-stop tunes will leave you on a high.
Worst: The queue of doom. Good luck, soldier.
