The Gowlett Arms — Restaurant in London

🚇 Peckham Rye 🍺 £5.80 Cruzcampo

Tucked away on a quiet backstreet at the southern tip of Peckham, you’ll find The Gowlett Arms. The nearest station is Peckham Rye.

The pub’s been around since 1883, named after the street it sits on — itself named after Henry Gowlett Smallman, a local builder and publican. After closing in 2017, it thankfully bounced back just a few months later in February 2018.

Inside, it’s all traditional charm with a rustic twist. The single bar is painted pale blue, L-shaped, and glowing under spherical pendants. To the left you’ll find a fireplace and piano, while opposite sit a few poser tables and a DJ booth ready for the weekend. Head right and things open up — loads of seating, leather banquettes, lovely wall panels, a bar billiards table, and a tartan carpet that’s an absolute showstopper. Out back there’s a small walled garden with decking, while the front has plenty of chunky benches for street-side pints.

The beer list is stacked with familiar favourites plus three cask ales for the more adventurous. I grabbed a Cruzcampo — a cracking pint at a reasonable price. Food’s all about pizza here, with ten options to from, all are around the £10 mark, and reviews are very favourable.

I arrived just after 12pm on a warm, cloudy Saturday lunchtime. Doors had only just opened, but a few locals were already settled in. The vibe was laid-back and friendly, with a cosy neighbourhood feel. The service was spot on too — a friendly team member made me feel right at home.

All in all, this is a belter of a backstreet boozer. Proud as punch on its corner, warm and welcoming inside, and great to see a bar billiards table. Great beers, friendly service, and plenty going on at the weekend. Loved it here — whack it straight on your must-visit list.

📅 30th August 2025

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My daughter, with her knack for unearthing hidden gems, led us to The Gowlett Arms – a cozy British pub where the locals looked at me, the stiff German, with a mixture of curiosity and polite amusement. Amidst the warm atmosphere, I found myself staring at a billiard table dotted with mushroom-shaped pegs, a sight that defied all my logical understanding.

Too shy to ask, I held back, but my daughter, braver and clearly more adaptable, didn’t hesitate. She struck up a conversation with two chaps who, sensing my bewilderment, graciously explained the rules of Bar Billiards. It’s a game, they informed us, that rewards cunning over precision, punishing anyone bold enough to topple a mushroom. I didn’t play – likely for the best – but left with a newfound respect for British games that humble even the most orderly minds and a quiet admiration for my daughter, who embraced the whimsy where I held on...

The place is nice, we went to celebrate a friend's birthday and the first three employees who served us were very attentive and pleasant (two blonde girls and a guy with long hair and mustache). After a while, a girl with short brown hair who was sitting at the counter (I thought she was a customer), went inside the counter and started working. She was very rude with all the guests, in the service, when we were singing happy birthday, she asked us to stop, and when we left, we were waiting for the uber quietly and she came to us at the exact moment we left and said “Could you wait for the other one street side? Because there's no one else out front but you, I'd like you to go there", and I was like "WHAT?", but our uber arrived right away (thank God). And on top of that I'm a gluten allergic person and they didn't have any gluten free food, they didn't...