Wasn't quite sure what this place was supposed to be. Is it a bar? Restaurant? Cafe? After chilling…read morehere one Sunday evening the answer is... A bit of everything! Met some friends here for a roast dinner. It was decent fare, and they absolutely do not skimp on the trimmings. After hours this place becomes a chilled out lounge type bar with some sofa areas and some decent tunes. Prices on the drinks are reasonable and they're all very, very well mixed. Props to the bar staff. It might not be the trendiest place on earth but it is a fantastic place to spend an evening with friends. Protip: the 50/50 rye and cognac sazerac is really quite excellent.

Great for a night out! I went with a friend on Friday night. We were particularly attracted by the…read morevariety of cocktails on offer. The bar has a trendy but sophisticated vibe, so if you are looking to avoid young adults, then this is the place. We ordered sliders and chips to have on the side, which were well presented and tasty. Also, the live band playing were decent and got a crowd dancing, which was nice. The cocktails didn't disappoint, but for the price we paid they were teeny!

I ate here based on a recommendation from a friend after moaning about the lack of decent burgers…read morein comparison to the States. I can confirm that the brioche rolls served here are of good quality, and incredibly tasty. The ambience is mixed with herds of kids occasionally present on the weekend. I wasn't a huge fan of the decor, which was going for a cavernous feel, but felt quite cold. I opted for the smoke burger and subsituted the cheddar for a blue cheese. Very tasty, but much more greasy than the American counterparts in my opinion. Do note that the burgers come with no sides, so once these are included you will pay £13 for a meal. I would return for the burger only though, as this is very filling. That said, my partner had the fish 'n chips, and I thought this was excellent. A really nice light batter, more like a tempura than chip shop style. I would probably choose this when I return. The salt flakes on the fish were a great addition to the flavour.

So this is the second branch of the Draft House empire that I've visited. I like these places,…read morethough they certainly aren't the most cutting edge in terms of their beers. The environment is spartan and sterile, which I actually like, and they do have some decent beers on cask, keg and in bottle. Prices are so so, service is fine. I'm sure if I lived in the area I would come here often, but it isn't really a destination pub. Well worth a visit if you're nearby.

Really enjoyed the food here lovely and clean and a nice atmosphere and speedy service. I…read moredefinitely recommend their Sunday roast!

This has been my local for best part of a decade and in that time, like most things in life, there…read morehave been changes; I've seen faces, regalia and hues come and go, but one thing has remained constant. The place is a veritable centre of the community, it's a good honest pub, it's central, the atmosphere is vibrant and it just gets it right. Under the current (2007-9 so far) landlord from the good old UsofA, Ray, things are about as good as they have ever been. He has a great eye for the details, keeps the lines clean and the staff eager and committed. There are screens with sport when it's a sporty occasion, there are themed parties when the season calls for it (we even had one for the inauguration of Obama) there is live music and comedy. But the best thing it's a great space for meeting and socialising just like a good pub should be without all the modern mores of pretension to greatness or gastronomy. A pub of the old school that knows how to thrive in the modern world. Hmmm, a quick reread and I think I may have got a bit effusive, but who cares, I love the place and there's no shame in that, just don't tell my mum I spend all my time in a pub!!

East Dulwich Tavern is the first pub that greets you on Lordship Lane from the Peckham end. It's a…read moresizeable building that looks the part, with large doors that open out on to the street and benches outside. As such, I was initially a little sceptical about the service that my friend and I might receive - was there a danger that a pub with such a prime location might feel that it didn't have to make an effort? Thankfully, those fears were quickly dispelled. After installing ourselves at a table with a prime view of the World Cup football (I counted no less than three TVs in the pub - pretty impressive), a staff member came over soon to take our orders. Table service? In a pub? Apparently so! Their range of beers on tap were pretty decent, with Cornish ales, US wheat beer Blue Moon, Grolsch Weizen and Apple and Pear Cider alongside the likes of London Pride and Timothy Taylor Landlord (their Fruli was off). The food however, was the jewel in the crown. My friend and I both ordered fish and chips, which was cooked to perfection: the fish in thick crunchy batter; the chips, roughly cut with skins. There was even a smattering of mushy peas in there. Yummy. I followed this with a Strawberry Eton mess, which quickly turned out to be the best such mess I'd ever had: cream, meringue pieces and fresh strawberries, all drenched in strawberry coulis. Doppel yummy - so good my friend quickly followed suite. In all, a very satisfying experience: friendly, attentive staff, fantastic food, good range of drinks, large, spacious venue and table service! What more could you want?

I came here a few days ago on recommendation from a friend and completely fell in love with the…read moreatmosphere. The staff were very helpful and friendly. The decor is elegant, it set the right mood and ambiance. I was also lucky enough to come during happy hour! I became very excited with the cocktail selection. I had a great time and will be coming back. Thanks!

This place gets 5/5. Great atmosphere and very clean. Friendly, professional and knowledgeable…read morestaff who really know their drinks and mix up great cocktails. We were completely spoilt for choice with the massive bar selection of premium drinks. Beautiful al fresco and though slightly warm inside when the door is closed furnishing are quite comfortable. The evening act (Crimson Keys) were amazing, great sound quality and music selection after the performance. Will definitely being checking out their happy hour very soon!! Do go check it out- your patronage keeps places like this open

It's not often that I want to like somewhere as much as I want to like Buddha Jazz. It's local to…read moreme, they focus on good quality Vietnamese food and they seem to really care about what they're doing. The staff are friendly but not obsequious and around half of the tables in the low lit, 'Viet-vague' themed front room were full of the happy middle class of Camberwell enjoying their early Saturday night. The menu is Viet, with strong influences, hence some of the items on the Dim Sum menu and a large small plate list. Alongside the standards I spot a pork beancurd skin roll and some interesting kimchee dumplings. I go for an old favourite to start, the salt and chilli squid. It's got the flavour, but boy is it chewy. A little greasy as well, but to be honest, it just felt like it had been sat around for a bit. To go with it, we had some very acceptable steamed BBQ pork buns and a refreshing prawn spring roll, nothing exceptional but both well and seemingly freshly prepared. To be honest, I'd always rather go for starters... The grilled pork in lemongrass was also slightly disappointing. Well seasoned and cooked, but the dish itself didn't deliver any more. Just the pork on a bed of (sightly too) sticky rice with a spicy chilli vinegar to give some liquid. Fundamentally, it's just not a great combination. Next time I'll be going for one of their excellent Bun Hue style noodles with seafood.

Visiting Hours at Kings College Hospital next door are until 8pm. Not wanting to get home and cook…read morea meal, Buddha Jazz was close by and had great ratings. I just wanted a soothing soup and this was perfect. I had their beef and pork spicy mixed pho and loved it. From the texture of the noodles to the flavour of the soup. I could have done with more spice, but this was still good. Next time, I may just get the plain pork though. The dumplings were lovely too. The only thing I wasn't thrilled about was the hot Vietnamese coffee. AS usual I ordered mine with extra condensed milk. What I got was more of a double espresso shot with a smidgen of condensed milk. Not milky enough and too strong for me, especially at night. There's a lot of good stuff on the menu, that I'd love to try. Maybe if I'm in the area again. Forgot to mention: The day I visited, it was cash only. I'm not sure if thats an aberration or always. So be prepared.

This was an amazing pub but has closed down and is now the Adventure bar which is the WORST place I…read morehave ever been to.

The goat's cheese and chive gnocchi is everything gnocchi should be: buttery, creamy and a firm…read moretexture. The chunks of butternut squash and almonds complement the generous portion given. Friendly bartender as well. Only minus a star for a lack of takeaway containers.

This is a new gastro pub on one side of Peckham Rye Park. The overall impression is positive when…read moreyou walk in, with nice decor, and fairly spacious. We went for a sunday roast, and it was quite busy, with lots of families and small children. This was OK for us, as our group included a couple with a two-month old. Our table happened to be near the baby changing room, so I think we eventually saw every small child in the place. Overall it's a pleasant scene. The food menu is impressive, but I have to say they partly failed on the execution of it. I had pan-fried plaice and it looked very good, and it was initially delicious, but once I got into it, part of it was not cooked well. It was served with clams and they were tasty also, but one of the clams was "off" which I find kind of scary. I managed to intercept it before it was able to do its damage. I think shellfish should really be looked over by the cook before serving. Later with our dessert some of us ordered coffee and tea, and the dessert came but the coffee never did. We had to ask again, and after that it still took quite a long time. I had the impression that they weren't really that interested in making coffee at that point in the late afternoon. By the time it came everyone had finished eating the puddings. The custard that came with some of the desserts seemed a bit old - let's say it had a bit of a skin across the top, which could be due to the late afternoon timing, but it still seems inexcusable for a pub that charges these types of prices. My dish was over 15 quid just for the main. There was one dish on the menu at 20 pounds for the main. The mains weren't big enough on their own to fill you up, so again it's quite overpriced for the quality that I experienced. Aside from the food, it's a nice place, with a decent beer selection, including some english ales, and an india pale ale from London Fields brewery on tap. I would probably go back, but be more selective about the food.

The Castle is a great old school boozer that has been given a new lease of life under the watchful…read moreeye of the landlady, Julie. It has recently been redecorated (late last year or early this year I think) breathing new life into what had been a quite dilapidated pub. In its previous incarnation it had a reputation as a rough 'spit'n'sawdust' pub to many of the more well heeled East Dulwichites. Having frequented many genuinely rough pubs, I didn't think it was THAT bad, but as it wasn't particularly local to me it definitely wasn't a place I would go out of my way to go to. Speaking to Julie it seems that amongst the gentrified newcomers to East Dulwich the Castle still has a bad reputation which baffles her (and me) as it is entirely unwarranted. There are still many 'original' locals drinking at the Castle, but the atmosphere is friendly and not in the least intimidating. Because the new hordes ignore the Castle you get a quirky mix of people in there. Working class locals mix with middle class students who seem to have wondered in by mistake and made it their own, and a smattering of a few adventurous East Dulwich trendies. This is fine by me as it means that the place is never overly packed and you can enjoy a nice pint there. The decor and styling of the Castle is a mix between an old school boozer (in the main bars) and trendy bar (toilets and tasteful beer garden). It has a good pool table in the front bar and various small plasma screens dotted around the place. The rear bar houses the projector & screen. A word on the projector it is the best I've seen in a pub ever! The definition and clarity is great recommending the Castle well to watching 'the big match'. There is ample seating in the rear bar area as well. The Castle's beer garden is great and quite unexpected in its size. It's not huge, but due to the corner location of the pub which adjoins two terraces of residential houses you wouldn't expect it to have a garden at all. There is an upstairs function room, that while clean and tidy, clearly hasn't had as much time spent on in (in terms of decor) as the rest of the pub. The drink range is old school and unadventurous and typical of such a boozer, having said that, when you come to a pub like the Castle this is exactly what you want and expect. The Castle doesn't serve food but does have typical 'pub snacks'. Overall, the Castle is a bit of a hidden gem. It's slightly off the beaten track (how many clichés can I fit in one paragraph, eh!) but well worth a punt (arghh!) if you fancy a pint in East Dulwich.

I visited Canavan's for a one off night rather than a few games of pool and either the prices are…read moreway more than they should be or they put their prices up just for that. Either way it's disappointing. To describe Canavan's as a bit of a dive would be an understatement. The dj's decks were set up on a pool table, the bar had seen better days and I was a bit scared of the toilets but one thing that it does have going for it is atmosphere. Everyone was enjoying themselves and the crowd they had in for this particular night were very friendly. Sadly I'm in no rush to get back here for another visit in it's more natural guise but to be honest I don't think I'm missing out

Wouldn't bother. Pool overpriced, staff are extremely rude, bouncers are as miserable as they come…read moreand for entry fee, you can get much higher quality music at a much better venue. Sticky floors and a little sprinkling of suspicious white substance coats every surface.