Bright & Spacious Studio Flat in SE8

Tiny and tucked-away on Peckham’s bustling Rye Lane, Lai Rai is a hidden gem of a restaurant. Friendly, affordable and with knockout Vietnamese cooking, it’s the kind of place you leave with a spring in your step. The food is packed with bold flavours and executed with real skill, moving from bánh mì and coffee in the day to a more elaborate menu in the evening. Make sure you start with the brilliant prawn lollies, as no matter how many you order, you’ll still be wanting more. The genial, enthusiastic team just want you to have a good time – and you will!

Enter into this railway-arch restaurant in Peckham Rye and you could convince yourself you’ve been transported to Bangkok. A pair of friends have turned their years of experience in Thai restaurants into an authentic slice of the country, from the bustling atmosphere to fresh, vibrant dishes like fried chicken ‘gai prik’. The chefs don’t hold back on the spice, yet their strong sense of balance ensures the central ingredients are never overwhelmed. Meat-free diners will be particularly delighted that every dish on the menu is matched by a vegetarian equivalent.

What a wonderful neighbourhood pub this is – the kind of place you visit once, then immediately start planning your return. Bright, warm and welcoming, the interior is smart yet still feels like a pub, something which is echoed in the food. The menu is packed with the kind of accessible, pared-back cooking you could happily eat every day. High-quality ingredients shine in generous dishes with a complete lack of pretension or over-adornment – like tender Salt Marsh lamb loin with romero peppers and a pastilla of slow-cooked shoulder meat.

There’s a refreshing lack of formality at Trivet, both in the look of the room and in the style of the service, but that’s not to say this isn’t a very professionally run operation. The chefs in the open kitchen craft imaginative, fuss-free dishes using prime seasonal ingredients, where the combinations are balanced and flavours assured. Try dishes like ‘Pigeon and persimmon’ or the imaginatively titled ‘Turkish breakfast’ dessert, and you’ll see a kitchen full of imagination and ability. Wine plays an integral role, with personable service and a thoughtfully curated list championing lesser-kn

Peckham may not be the first place you expect to find the spirit of Italian cooking alive and well, but there's no denying the straightforward joys to be found at this enthusiastically run neighbourhood bistro – which is named after Pellegrino Artusi, who wrote ‘The Science of Cooking and the Art of Fine Dining’ back in 1891. It's a small, sweet restaurant where the cooking is simple, honest and downright delicious, with the homemade pasta a definite highlight. The prices are fair, the portions are generous and the flavours are abundant – what more could you ask for?

All is calmness and tranquillity once you step inside this cool, understated room in pastel shades – you’ll find yourself instantly forgetting all the bustle outside. The Korean husband-and-wife team combine skills learnt in Europe’s top kitchens with techniques and flavours from their homeland. Highlights of the imaginative and impeccably executed set menu may include a clever re-working of tarte Tatin with daikon; courgette flower stuffed with crab and dubu; a generous dish of succulent pork with wild garlic; and a delicious ssuk pain perdu to finish.

An unpretentious Italian restaurant in one of the converted Shad Thames warehouses; the unfussy service suits the style of the place. The seasonally influenced menu uses British produce, with the in-house pasta a particular highlight; dishes are relatively simple but flavours are bold and prices, appealing.