Peckham is a funny area. If you came here about fifteen or twenty years ago looking for your ideal first time buy, don't come back. Presumably back then it was one of the few areas in London you could afford, but within thirty seconds of walking out of Peckham Rye station you'd not only decided to give it the swerve to live in, you were checking the timetable to find out the next train out of Dodge City. You definitely shouldn't come back if you are that person, because the Georgian terrace you came to look at which was reasonably priced at 85K back then is now worth 1.3 million quid. Your decision to buy in Chessington instead wasn't a good one as it turns out in financial terms, but them's the breaks and at least there's the theme park if all else fails.
If you're not that person and like me you just hadn't been for years (for essentially the same reason as the first time buyer who didn't buy) then you should come, it's great. It's kind of like Brixton without the funny smell, still happening and edgy but it feels a bit more boring/safe to me and I like it a lot. It's got more trappings of "cool" and "trendy" than you can shake a shiny shovel at, the sort of place where being a 'hipster" is like walking around in an Adam and the ants uniform, so out of date is it. Every coffee shop "roasts its own" beans, every burger place makes it's own burgers, all the fruit and veggie 24 hour places sell exotic fruits, and all the pubs have kitchens where you can see the fellas in their stripy aprons sharpening their knives and discussing tattoos.
Peckham's got it going on, and tucked past the archways of Peckham Rye station (which all have snazzy little bars and restaurants in) is the pizza place "The beautiful pizza boy". It's on Bellend road or something like that (it probably isn't actually called that but that's how I remember it sounding), and despite the street name it's really cool.
When you walk in the restaurant there's this little cocktail bar front bit which is only right and appropriate as it's owned by the "Little Bird" Gin people, the triumvirate of smooth and sexy thirty-somethings who have six handedly revolutionalised the London Gin scene. It looks like they do cocktails (and are no doubt good at it, they'll be served in jam jars I shouldn't wonder), but we didn't bother with any of that. For us it was straight out to the eating bit at the rear, past the wood fired pizza oven and smashing into the signature gin and Mediterranean Fevertree tonic (which is the best G & T you'll ever have). From there we had platters of Italian stuff for starters, there was bread sticks, cured meats (they told me the names but I can't remember), pickles, cheeses (one was pecorino as I recall which was fab), arancini (them little rice ball things, can take em or leave em meself) etc.
After that we had some wine which was lovely. God knows what it was (once again they told me and I gave it the old "ah yes that sounds fantastic" without actually knowing the variety), but it tasted great anyway (we had white and red if it helps). We all ordered pizzas (there was twelve of us) and they were among the best pizzas I've had in London. Thin, crispy, oozy, flavoursome, and they gave you chilli oil too which is always a major plus. Mine had ham on it, olives, mushrooms, that sort of thing (once again can't remember which one it was) but it was spectacular. I drowned it in chilli oil and shoved it in my mouth while managing to spill only dribbles down my chin, it was utterly fabulous.
We had desserts ( I wasn't going to but they have homemade Gelato for Gawd's sakes) and they were ridiculous, stupidly good. Definitely just ask for the bill straight after the pizzas if you care about your waistline, maybe sign a pact with the lovely waitress before the pizzas come that even if you want a dessert afterwards you're not allowed to have one. If she goes through the flavours though, take it from me it's game over. Obviously they're incredible, but after being full to the brim with pizza I really oughtn't to have done it.
I did do it though and I'm so glad I did, so should you. The best thing I can say about the Beautiful pizza boy is that their pizzas are as good as their gin. Go to Peckham and eat fantastic pizza, if you live in Chessington wait till they open one in Wimbledon.
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