Peckham in 2015 is a far cry from the ends I reluctantly called home during my uni days in the late 90s. It’s younger, hipper and more culturally diverse than ever, attracting entrepreneurs who are setting up restaurants and hotspots perfectly aimed at the district’s influx of creative and city types. At least that’s the vibe I get from The Pedler. This newbie to SE15 is jam-packed on Wednesday night with the kind of folk who like quirky surroundings, outstanding cocktails and food with plenty of heart and pizazz. The latter is all about quality, seasonal ingredients, used in the tapas-style plates and mains my companion and I happily worked our way through. Our starter platers for the evening were the jerusalem artichoke arancini with a deliciously moreish parsley mayo; the smoked paprika squid, served with lemon oil and another helping of artichoke (I love me some artichoke so not complaining); and the jalepeno cornbread that deserved a round of applause.
The mains passed the taste test too. A frizzle chicken with polenta and parmesan came with “attitude sauce”; I failed to catch what it was made of but whatever it was, it was pretty wonderful accompaniment. My friend went for the Atlantic cod with beetroot ragu and capers, and while it wasn’t as showstopping as the chicken, it was a good pick, with its subtle but delicious flavours. Our evening finally came to a lovely conclusion with the valhrona chocolate fondant served with a passion fruit sorbet and the hearty pink grapefruit bread and butter pudding with vanilla ice cream. The added citrus in both desserts did raise our eyebrows but it worked surprisingly well.
The Pedler opened last Christmas, but already it seems to have earned its stripes in a neighbourhood that’s becoming a real contender on the food scene. For more details visit www.pedlerpeckhamrye.com – and check more pics from our visit below!
