For us, none other than the amazing tradition of Christmas markets is what gets us in the Christmas spirit, and so we have gathered some of the fantastic Christmas markets in South London that are definitely worth checking out in your local area this year!
As the sun finally begins to show its face, we’re bringing you a list of the best spots to don your sunnies, slap on the suncream and settle in for an afternoon of cold ones in the London sunshine. From riverside sundowners to boozy lunches on the terrace, Putney’s got an exciting little assortment of al fresco possibilities and we’ve rounded them up just in time for the Bank Holiday.
With the gradual, yet steady closing-down of local cinemas and theatres that has been happening in Britain for decades, we thought it a good idea to use our platform to pay homage to one of the oldest theatres in South London that has survived this unfortunate decline in entertainment venues, and continues to showcase cutting edge theatre and events to this day....
Season's greetings! There is no better way of getting into the Christmas spirit than by attending your local christmas markets. Wrap up warm with the family or a few friends, stroll down to your local market and enjoy the rich warming smells of mulled wine and mince pies, whilst trying to remember the lyrics to your favourite carols. We've got the round-up; check out where your local market is happening and make sure you're there!
Run your fingers along their spines, cast your eyes up and down the shelves, flick through the pages and sit cross legged on the floor engrossed in the words resting in your lap. Escape the dull, uniform, needlessly clean chain bookshops that are a stalwart part of any high street or soulless shopping centre. South London has its fair share of independent bookshops where hidden treasures can be found, prices are right and the shelves hold countless stories to lose yourself in.
Peckham has its fair share of places to go out and eat. Rye Lane is peppered with eateries of all different styles and cuisines, so there is no shortage of variety, no quality. Check out our current pick of 6 great place to eat in Peckham, and try not to salivate too much at all of the mouth-watering offerings!
Hands up who is needing coffee to get through this week after the bank holiday? Us too. Coffee has its humble roots as a popular drink in 15th Century Yemen, originally used for staying awake for religious rituals. Well, flashforward to the 21st Century and coffee has fast become the best friend of the perpetually tired and occasionally hungover. Coffee has not just become a popular drink, it has taken on a life of its own, with coffee chains relentlessly lining every high street to give people their caffeine fixes. But here at the South London Club, we think it’s the hidden gems on the high street that provide the best roast, rather than Starbucks or Costa. Thus our guide to getting coffee at the best independents was born. We’ve got you covered for every sort of day. Those days when you’re dashing along the London streets, takeaway coffee cup in hand, the days when you’re tapping away on your laptop in the window of an indie coffee shop, sipping on a latte and even the days you’re downing espressos at a rate to rival teenagers in Ibiza. So without further ado, it’s time to find your new favourite cup of coffee in South London. Expect latte art photos that will make your mouth water.
Camberwell is one of the most ancient parts of South London. When it appeared in the Domesday Book back in 1086 it was already a pretty substantial settlement, and due to it's rather central location has a long association with London - much longer than most of South London. For a while Camberwell has gone somewhat unnoticed by those who aren't from the area or live around it due to the success of its near neighbour Peckham, however, due to the potential saturation of Peckham (it's just becoming too trendy for the trendy-types), Camberwell has seen its own form of trend-ification. It's a great place to get some great food, and we think it's about time some of its brilliant eateries got the credit they deserve, so here is our list of the 7 best meals in Camberwell.
South London is an incredibly diverse region, and is home to numerous different ethnicities that all contribute something different to the areas that they call home. There a number of different avenues through which different groups access each others cultures, and are able to some extent experience them. These include mediums like visual art and music, however, we're not here to talk about them, though they are worthy of discussion, no, we're going to be talk about a more overtly sensational medium - food. Though you can taste similarities between different cuisines, each and all have something about them that sets them apart - be it a reliance on particular ingredients native to the country, or a signature popular dish. There are even some cuisines that have become so established here that the cuisine served on these shores has mutated, for want of a better word, and there are dishes served that were developed in the UK - see chicken tikka masala. So here is a list of 25 different cuisines that you can try in South London.
Delicatessens, or delis as they are known amongst the bright and the beautiful of this world, originated in Germany, as the rather foreign-sounding name would suggest. For an outsider, and an insider for that matter, what a delicatessen is exactly is hard to say. They seem to sell all manner of rustic foods and expensive produce, such as cured meats and pastries, however there doesn't seem to be anything edible that delicatessens can't sell, so really, almost anyone can call themselves a delicatessen. That said, delicatessens certainly serve a number of purposes - if you are need of funky cheeses and such goods, you will want to attend your local delicatessen. We care about supporting independent business, and delicatessens are on the frontline against the major brands like Tesco in attempting to provide customers with a wide variety of high quality produce. To help you find the deli that's right for you, we've compiled this list of the 17 best delicatessens in South London.
London is well-known for having some of the best Vietnamese restaurants this side of Saigon, however there are many beyond the more commonly known establishments in East London. South London is home to numerous different cuisines, and we're not saying Vietnamese food is our favourite, but it certainly has added something rather delicious to the South London food scene. We reckon it's about time you got stuck into some, so we've gone out of our way to compile a list of 11 Great Vietnamese Restaurants in South London.
New Cross, much like a lot of South London, has a growing gastronomic reputation. With a wide variety of cuisines that reflect the varied community, it has become a fantastic place for a sit-down meal at all times of the day. Whether you fancy something light for lunch, or a place for a romantic meal later in the evening, there’s plenty of options in the New Cross area. To keep you as informed as possible, we’ve compiled a list of, what we think – and we should stress that this is just our opinion – are the 7 best meals in New Cross.
With the onslaught of pubs now serving hot drinks, and an increasing number of cafés serving alcoholic beverages, the lines between what constitutes a pub and what constitutes a café have become blurred. The stipulation as to what the establishment serves is important – café does derive directly from the French for coffee after all. The best we can to describe a café is to say that you know you’re in a café when you’re in one. Clapham is a natural place for cafés and Clapham Common is a perfect place for people watching, and therefore a perfect place for a cafés. With that in in mind we only thought it right to compile a list of our 5 favourite cafés in Clapham.
Going to the pictures in South London has, traditionally, been a rainy-day activity, however, slowly but surely, this perception is being chiselled away. How? Well, after much consultation with scientists it has been discovered that projecting a moving image upon a large screen outside can also be done in the UK. Due to the fickle weather of this country however, this activity is only really doable during the summer months and, thankfully, the kind, handsome, and talented residents of South London are spoilt for choice with regards to venues. We love you guys, and we love films, so to show you our love we’ve compiled what we think is a pretty exhaustive alphabetical guide to 18 outdoor cinema venues in South London. Enjoy.
Now the truth is guys, beer gardens did not originate in South London. Nope. They actually first gained popularity over in Munich, Germany, where we hear they quite like a drink – see Oktoberfest (which is actually in September). While some might argue that the whole world is one big beer garden, and they might have something of a point, however, we would suggest that really it has to be connected to a public establishment that sells or makes alcohol (so you’re backgarden doesn’t count). We’ve talked already about some beer gardens in Southwark borough, and we went through what could be a beer garden, now it’s the turn of Lewisham borough. So, without further ado, here is South London Club’s list of 6 beer gardens in Lewisham borough you have to try this summer.
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