Peckham Cellars opened back in 2019 and has since become a hangout for locals who want quality vino and food without having to head central. It’s run by a crack team with impressive CVs: Helen Hall (who’s worked at Rovi), Luke West-Whylie (ex-Marcella and Jones Family Kitchen) and Ben McVeigh (formerly head sommelier at 28-50 Fetter Lane), with chef Pablo Urain Alfonso heading up the kitchen. Pablo hails from San Sebastian and while the menu is not explicitly Spanish, you can feel the influences of Basque cooking creeping into each dish.
It’s a cute compact spot and while it was a shame that the weather denied us of an outside table, the indoor space filled up well, creating a relaxed but buzzy atmosphere – perfect for a Thursday evening.
Things started off strong with a negroni topped with an epic gilda. Think: fat olives, guindilla peppers and anchovy – we told you there’d be Basque touches. We then moved onto wine. As you’d expect from a place with “Cellars” in its name, there is an extensive selection of bottles and wines served by the glass. Most of its wines are from Europe, with a core focus on France and Spain, and sustainability is top of mind when sourcing producers. We chose a bottle of Fleurie Clos de la Roilette 2024. The light but earthy red was a cheery companion for the food.
The menu is separated into snacks, sharers and mains, and we’d recommend getting a mix of all of it for the table. If you’re going with a larger group, you could happily order every single dish.
From the sharers, we went for the fruity and delicate sea bream crudo, served with mango, peach and macha, and the barbastro tomatoes on creamy burrata with almonds. Make sure you order a side of the excellent bread with nori butter to mop up the extra cheese and fig leaf oil.
For our mains, we split the two meaty options. Crispy pork rib-eye came in a vermouth sauce and topped with chopped apple and jalapeños – a fun boozy take on the classic apple-pork combo. The star, though, was the confit duck leg served on bean mousseline with a gastrique sauce. For a late September dinner, this dish made us excited for the start of autumn and roast dinner season. Fear not veggies, the menu also includes hispi cabbage with yoghurt, tahini, pomegranate and hazelnut, which sounds yum enough to keep fans of Ottolenghi happy.
To finish, we couldn’t decide on a dessert, so we went for both. One spoon in the mille-feuille with custard and tart berry compote and another in the warming whiskey and raisin ice cream topped with hot chocolate sauce and candied hazelnuts.
For a place with such casual vibes, the food and wine make it a special spot. There’s a reason why it’s previously been awarded a Michelin Bib Gormand award. Count yourself lucky if you live nearby.
Key Information
Address | 125 Queen’s Rd, London SE15 2ND
For more information | peckhamcellars.co.uk
