Skylight, Peckham
Location: 120 Peckham Hill Street Theatre Walk (in between Peckham Library and Mountview College, London SE15 5JT Website: https://www.skylightbars.com/peckham/
Skylight is a trendy rooftop bar in the heart of Peckham which has wraparound views of the whole city. You can see everywhere from Vauxhall to Canary Wharf via the the square mile (you can't see Catford but I suppose you can't have everything). It truly is one of the best views in the city, but funnily enough, even without the spectacular view this venue is well worth a visit. It is also very tastefully designed with a very modern feel, the indoor bar area blends seamlessly with the beer garden balcony. An absolute gem of a place to spend a sunny day sipping on a cold beer or cocktail
While it is a bar and definitely has a bar vibe, it should also be noted that they do some absolutely fantastic food. Larger sharing plates as well as small plates are the focus and everything we tried tasted amazing. A particular highlight for me was the Grilled Poussin, which I have to admit, was one of the greatest poultry dishes I have had the pleasure of trying, it was ridiculously moist and flavourful, very unexpected to have bar food of this quality. Other dishes on the menu include Gochujang Glazed Sea Bream, Charred Purple Sprouting Broccoli with a smoked Aubergine emulsion, Roasted Courgette with Straciatella & Chilli Oil, corn ribs with chipotle mayo among others. The pear and almond tart with lemon mascarpone we had for dessert was a particular highlight. This place has interesting food and talented chefs who deliver some seriously good quality dishes.
They have an excellent cocktail menu with very well made drinks and they also have a good selection of non alcoholic cocktails (I was driving). Claire went for a "Skylight Garden", a lovely gin drink with a really great depth of flavour and I had the "Oh Beehave", a delicious non alcoholic cocktail made with local Peckham honey. It was great and very refreshing on that lovely sunny afternoon.
The service was excellent, staff were very attentive and made sure we were looked after. One of my restaurant tests is how quickly they get water to the table after you arrive and they had it on the table before we had even sat down, a good sign! The waiting staff continued to deliver excellent service throughout the meal.
For the quality of food and drinks on offer, I think this place is good value for money. Its not super cheap, but its not super expensive either. Its a great place to meet up with friends or have a date night with your better half. It is not just special for the beer garden though, the indoor area is seriously fancy and must have an excellent atmosphere in winter. I would highly recommend this place for your next South East London night out, we'll definitely be returning soon!