[In Pics] Cafe Viva, Peckham

Just a few cheeky pics of my lunch from a new (ish) cafe on Choumert Road (just at the end of all the Nigerian shops). I had a breakfast bap (bacon, egg, roasted tomato, rocket) with an iced coffee and a fresh apple juice for £7.50 which I don't think is too bad. Coffee is supplied by local roastery Volcano, which is a bonus. A nice addition for Peckham.

Up on the roof....

When London is kissed by the sun, there are fewer places in the world that I would rather be. Sadly, we seem to be in the midst of one of those summers where the seasons in colour is grey and dappled with rain. Thing is, when the weather does take a turn for the better, there aren't many better places to be than on a sunny rooftop, eating, drinking and being merry.I'm not sure how I did it, but I managed just that, two sunny days in London, two rooftops and excellent times.

Caribbean Spice Jerk Center, the home of Jerk.

Walk down the alleyway where the Caribbean Spice Jerk center is located, and I guarantee you will walk straight past it without even a second glance. Hidden away under the arches of Peckham railway station is the incredibly unassuming but startlingly deceiving little Jerk takeaway. I was headed here for one thing and one thing only, the jerk pork.

I had just moved into my Peckham flat, and after surveying Food Stories for the local treats, an article mentioning her favourite jerk emporium had me salivating. I had to have it. Behind the counter stands a short Caribbean woman, casually conversing in patois with most of her clientele and it actually takes a little while for her to realise I am there. Once my order of Jerk pork is taken, she disappears into her kitchen out the back to carefully assemble my box of meat and rice.

Number 67: Yet another South East London gem

If you, like me, are ruled by your belly, I don't think there has been a better time to live in the south east of London. There have been so many new restaurants and revamps that eating out around here has become an utter joy. I always try to look out for new places opening near me, and when I heard that there was a new cafe (from none other than the Camberwell Blog) opening next to the South London Gallery a short stroll from my house, I had to go and check it out.

The cafe itself is integrated with the South London Gallery, taking up various rooms and areas inside and out. I was slightly confused with the layout, but it is just meant to be a cafe, so I headed out towards the back and got a small table outside. The menu itself is quite an interesting beast. It's definitely on the slightly pricy side, with its "Full Spanglish" hitting the dizzy heights of £8 for breakfast. Definitely not Peckham prices! Then again, the selection on the menu had my mouth watering and I opted for a few smaller plates to see what this place was all about.

Saturday is brunch day and I wasn't letting the fact that it was nearly 2pm stop me from getting some sort of eggs and pig. The jamon and scrambled egg won that contest easily and arrived perched on a massive slice of toasted sourdough. I had to stop myself from scoffing this all immediately and making an unholy mess out of myself. The velvety scrambled eggs and what I think was Serrano ham was a modern twist on the more traditional ham and eggs. With the eggs slightly underseasoned, but coming together with perfect balance once the ham was added to the mouthful, I quietly devoured this all.

On the side, I ordered a portion of their pork rillettes, a personal favourite dish. When it arrived, I was seriously worried that I had over ordered but as soon as I took one mouthful of that silky pork, the food stood absolutely no chance. The pork arrived in a huge mound with some cornichons on the side to provide a vinegary contrast to the smooth and rich meat. More slices of sourdough were doused with an intensely grassy olive oil, bringing together an excellent contrast in flavours and textures.

Suffice to say I really enjoyed No 67. It has been a long time since I found somewhere which actually made me smile, and having it so close to my front door is just an added bonus. Open for lunch during the week and brunch at the weekends, you even get to take in the delights of the gallery next door. Another great addition to an already fabulous area.

Number 67 - 67 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UH

The Warwick Wingding - Warwick Gardens, Peckham

One thing that never ceases to amaze me about where I live is the community spirit. Tucked away from the bad press and areas of degradation are people who not only care, but are proud of where they live.

The Warwick Wingding is a local Arts and Music "festival", organised by the neighbourhood for the neighbourhood. Alongside various arts and crafts stalls, there was food and wine, and music supplied by (you guessed it) bands and musician of the local community.

I was there supporting my sister who decided to take her hobby to the next level and hosted a stall selling her own handmade jewellery. It was an absolutely stunning day so sitting down and selling jewellery after a particularly heavy night, although not my idea of fun, was quite bearable.

The whole event was a massive success. A perfect day to laze in the sun with a pint of cider, surrounded by stalls and music. Here a few photo's of the day:

And lastly, to the lady who didn't come and collect her bracelets, they are still patiently waiting for you. Please email me and I will get them over to you. And for those who want to see more of the photos, click here!