Drink
FORZA WINE AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE
Forza Wine has branched out from SE15 to SE1, taking up a spot on the northwest terrace (including al fresco space) at the National Theatre as part of its shake up of its food and drink programme. Like the Peckham original, this Forza Wine’s menu changes often and is also centred around ‘sort of Italian’ snacks, with dishes like cauliflower fritti & aioli, sprouting broccoli with brown shrimp butter, burrata with beetroot & hazelnut pangrattato; and of course, the two signatures, soft serve and custardos. Forza Wine is a perfect pre-theatre option – the drinks list is interesting (lots of natural wines and cocktails like cherry negronis and frozen picantes) the food is easy and comforting, and you can eat well in a rush if you’ve got seats to take – but it’s very much worth being the sole focus of your evening. If you’re in a four there’s an option on the menu to have the lot and we think that’s a fine way to spend a night on the Southbank.
BAMBI
James Dye, the co-owner of Frank’s Café in Peckham and The Camberwell Arms, has opened new music-led wine bar and restaurant Bambi on the former site of Bright. Named after his great grandma and not the Disney deer, Bambi features a high-spec vintage sound system, a DJ booth and a custom-built wall of records, with both the collection and programme (DJs will spin until 1am on the weekends) curated by DJ, musician, poet and Run Dem Crew founder Charlie Dark MBE. Henry Freestone, who won a Bib Gourmand at Peckham Cellars, is heading up the kitchen at Bambi, serving coffee and deli-style sarnies like chicken caesar focaccia and corned beef with mustard & pickles during the day, and an evening menu featuring dishes like cauliflower cheese arancini; braised butter beans with kale & goat’s curd; and chicken parm ciabatta with vodka marinara, pickles & aioli. As for wine, the list centres around natural and low-intervention wines from around the world, with a strong by-the-glass selection and bottles available to buy to take home.
Peckham’s become a bit of a rooftop terrace hub lately, but anyone after some al fresco dinner and drinks might be hard-pressed to find it at the usual suspects, which are typically rammed. So, if you don’t mind being closer to the ground, the terrace at Peckham Arches has you covered – literally. The canopied space is heated, has the capacity for 600 guests and adjoins an art gallery, screening room and dancefloor.
KEN'S
Dalston has got Dan’s, Clerkenwell has got Ken’s. The latter, opened by the team behind the former, is a bigger neighbourhood wine bar with a regularly rotating list that has a focus on crisp and tasty wines from both classic and natural producers, and a strong by the glass selection. Fergus Shields (ex-Sessions Arts Club, Noble Rot and Quo Vadis) is in charge of the Basque-influenced food menu, which features dishes like boquerones & pan con tomate; beef tartare with bottarga & capers; Iberico pork with celeriac & sage; and chocolate mousse with rosemary, creme fraiche & fig.
TRISHA'S
Once upon a time, there was a notorious Soho speakeasy known as the New Evaristo Club. It’s not gone anywhere (though there have been a few attempts to shut it down), it’s just more commonly known as Trisha’s now – named after the bar’s long-term matriarch, Trisha Bergonzi. Some say Trisha’s is one of the last bastions of the ‘old Soho’, others say it’s the area’s ‘best-kept secret’ (we’re not so sure about that). If there’s one thing we do know, it’s that this is one of London’s few late-night spots, making it the place to be if you don’t feel like being swept out by 11pm.
LO-FI COFFEE
Lo-fi Coffee is an independent coffee shop based out of the Crouch End outpost of record shop Flashback – hence the name. They’re all about great coffee and being good to the planet at Lo-fi, and if you head over from 8.30am on weekdays or 9.30am on weekends, you can grab some bagels courtesy of The Bagel Guys.
STACKS
Stacks in a secret wine bar hidden inside coffee shop Lo-Fi. In other words, Lo-Fi transforms into Stacks when the clock strikes 6pm. And it’s got everything you could ask for in a wine bar: low-intervention wines and an excellent menu of bar snacks. Expect cult fave bottles, housemade focaccia and charcuterie.
LITTLE MERCIES
Little Mercies is an award-winning cocktail bar in Crouch End from the same duo behind Three Sheets in Dalston (brothers Max and Noel Venning). It’s an excellent neighbourhood spot, but could very easily draw in crowds from further afield – the cocktails are just that good. There’s also a great selection of bar snacks and you can buy their cocktails in takeaway bottles if you want some Little Mercies at home.
LULU'S
Lulu’s has taken over the small end corner building attached to Llewelyn’s, so close it could almost be an extension. Although it shares a team and location, Lulu’s is a more casual affair than its older sibling – a deli and shop by day serving some epic-looking sandwiches and salads, and a wine bar/restaurant by night. The walls are lined high with some great deli produce, like tinned fish and pickles, many of which are made by the Lulu’s team, so you’ll definitely want to pick up a few goodies to take home when you visit. If you’re stopping by though, kick off with a glass of pet nat and some gildas for that Herne Hill holiday vibe and then order up goodies like tomato and seaweed focaccia, marinated sardines with piquillo peppers and creme fraiche; roasted scallops with gooseberry & vermouth sauce, courgette flowers stuffed with oxtail and puttanesca, and the fig leaf panna cotta for dessert. Every plate a well balanced, well executed, and unfussy creation that perfectly suits the casual vibe of the place. There’s also some brilliant wines on offer – the superb Cap de Nit Vermeil light red and the Parajes del Valle orange, both from Spain. All the wines are available from the shop to take home too.
They already had their indoor taproom, but in 2023 Five Points launched a new courtyard outside their Mare Street-based brewery. The al fresco bar is a huge 300-cover space where you can not only drink the brand’s own beer but also a range of cocktails and low-intervention wines. That’s not all, you can also grab a bite to eat from one of Five Points Courtyard’s indie food vendors. From The Ashes, a nose-to-tail concept created by two former Temper chefs, serves up their signature BBQ, while anoosh, founded by KERB alums Jack A. Fargher and Oli Stephen, dishes out their Mexico-meets-Middle-East tacos. You could easily spend the whole day here.
GIACCO'S
Named after owner Leonardo Leoncini’s grandpa, cafe and wine bar Giacco’s leans into his Italian heritage with wines, charcuterie and cheese from small producers in Italy on the menu, which are joined by filled focaccia and fresh pasta. Running as a cafe and bottle shop during the day, you can pop into Giacco’s for some Terrone & Co coffee; salads; Leo’s take on the Florentine classic schiacciata ripiena, aka stuffed focaccia; Italian charcuterie and cheese; and wines to take away. Come evening, small plates and fresh pasta dishes like crudo di pesce, pappardelle al ragu bianco, and pici cacio e pepe hit the menu, alongside a low-intervention wine list featuring bottles from suppliers like Tutto Wines, Les Caves De Pyrene, Vine Trai, Ancestral Wines and Gergovie Wines. The 20-cover spot also has nice little vinyl selection and some vintage Celestion Ditton speakers, so the soundtrack is on point too – what more could you want from a neighbourhood joint?
THE EARL OF DERBY
Telegraph Hill boozer the Earl of Derby has got a new lease of life, being completely revamped and restored to the much-loved neighbourhood pub it once was. It’s part of the Parched group, run by four friends who own a collection of small, independent South London pubs including The White Horse in Peckham and Grove House Tavern in Camberwell. Behind the bar, The Earl of Derby is championing locals, offering beers from nearby breweries like Gipsy Hill Brewery and Brockley Brewery alongside low-intervention British vineyard organic wines. Heading up the kitchen is chef duo George Genn and Laurence Pengelly, who were former chefs at Brockley’s busy brunch spot Good as Gold. Coming together to form ‘Gengelly’s’, the pair serves up inventive takes on trad dishes, like the leek bhaji with brinjal chutney and the Yorkshire tea ice cream & warm whiskey sauce with crumble. There’s also a Sunday roast offering too. The Earl of Derby is already a big hit with the locals, and we predict it will only become more popular as time goes on. A trusty pub in the heart of a South London neighbourhood, what’s not to love?
THE 10 CASES
This unpretentious bistro is centered around an accessible, fun and regularly changing wine list that features 10 reds and 10 whites (plus fizz and rosé), all of which are available by the glass, carafe or bottle. The team really make an effort to keep the list fresh – no wine has been listed twice in all the time The 10 Cases has been open – so it’s the perfect spot for trying something new. You can pair your vino with French-European bistro fare like comté gougères, pan-fried grey mullet with artichoke barigoule, steak frites & peppercorn sauce, and lemon tart. The wine bar, shop and cellar next door switches things up again with the wine offering – there are 16+ regularly-changing fine wines by the glass and more than 300 bottles available to takeaway or drink-in (with corkage).
URBAN BARISTAS
Urban Baristas have locations all over the city, but Wapping was officially their first sit-in cafe and where they started serving up their Aussie brunch when the site launched back in 2017. As well as a comprehensive selection of specialty coffees, you can grab smoothies, something from the ‘avo toast bar’ and a range of brunch dishes at the weekend.
THE COFFEE BOX IN THE PARK
This mini, mobile coffee shop is serving up *very* good coffee, muffins, croissants and daily sandwich specials from Tuesdays to Saturdays. They use artisanal Colombian coffee in their range of drinks, which include iced lattes and Americanos, cappuccinos, macchiatos, chai lattes and more. This is just what your morning walk through Wapping Woods needed.
BRILLIANT CORNERS
Listening bars and audio-focused restaurants have gone through a renaissance in London but Dalston’s Brilliant Corners was one of the first to do it, opening way back in 2013. The Kingsland Road spot specialises in Japanese small plates, live jazz and DJ sets. The sound system is world class and there are always expert selectors passing through, so music fans are in for a treat. The food and drink offering is just as good, with izakaya-inspired plates like tuna maki, beef tataki, tofu korokke with miso aioli, chicken karaage and sashimi moriawase with ponzu on the menu, complemented by mezcal margs, miso highballs and natural wines.
THE DRAPERS ARMS
This Islington pub boasts one of the best Sunday roasts in London but there’s lots to enjoy at The Drapers Arms for the other six days of the week. The bar is stocked with craft ales and lagers, there’s an excellent wine list with a heavy focus on European bottles, and the daily changing menu is filled with great gastropub dishes, such as red prawns, fennel & bisque, Toulouse sausages with lentils & mustard dressing, whole megrim sole with brown butter & brown shrimps, and mixed berry fool with raspberry coulis & shortbread. The smart dining room is the perfect place for a long lunch and if the sun is shining, you can’t beat a pint or two out in the garden.
BAR DASKAL
Bar Daskal, named after owners Sam and James Harts’ artist grandfather Vladimir Daskaloff and inspired by his home and studio in Estellencs, Mallorca (some of his work will even be exhibited in the space), is a wine bar with a focus on Spanish wine and sherry. The list features a mix of Barrafina faves and new by-the-glass options, alongside a short selection of cocktails, including the Agua de Valencia (with gin, blood orange & Cadiz fizz), and the Clara (Estrella, grapefruit & lemon sherbet). You’re also able to nibble on cold tapas like gildas, anchovies, air-dried tuna with olive oil & hazelnuts, chorizo Iberico, Manchego & La Retorta cheese, and pinxto de tortilla con aioli.