We’ll admit. We still haven’t made it to Kudu. We’ve wanted to, but just haven’t found time to make the trip. But now with three new notable places in Peckham, and more on the horizon, the time is now to get ourselves south.
First up, it’s Kudu’s new bar, Smokey Kudu. Set a short walk from their acclaimed restaurant (which serves South African seasonal small plates in neighbourhood vibes), Smokey Kudu looks like another winner. With a horseshoe-shaped, 37-cover bar in the centre of the space (with pale pink marble counters and an XXL chandelier), the bar has 15 cocktails that focus on South Africa’s love for bold flavours and smokey bbqs. Kudu will also be launching Little Kudu in the spring, a wine and tapas bar next to the main restaurant. Smokey Kudu is open evenings, Wed-Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.
Next it’s the also-recently opened Peckham Cellars. Another neighbourhood spot, this wine bar, restaurant and shop is a casual spot for wine, bar snacks or larger plates (in the restaurant) and great tunes, with weekend evenings open until 1AM. We like the sound of the bar list by Ben McVeigh, which includes wines from emerging regions (Slovenia and Tenerife), from small producers, and also a short ‘Weird and Wonderful’ list with interesting picks, all of which can be purchased in their shop.
Lastly, another new opening from a winning team. Larry’s will be the new spot from the owners of Levan and Salon, which takes its inspiration from the cafés, corner bars (love) and diners of NY. Opening this March, this restaurant ticks a lot of boxes for us; for breakfast, it’s lox, latkes, sour cream and a dill pickle (yes please). For lunch, there’s foccacia and a take on the Waldorf salad, and for dinner, there are small plates inspired by everything that’s good in NY right now. For dessert, there’s cheesecake. Wines will be low-intervention and the decor will be designed to look like a place the late, great Larry Levan might have gone in the ‘70s after a gig.
Peckham tour? Who’s in?
