Kat’s guidebook - some of our favourite local and London places
Food scene
Cafe Oscars
48 Ladywell RdFantastic coffee and lovely food - with great vegan options.
Fantastic pizza locally. We also like the original Mamma Dough in Honor Oak Park.
18 locals recommend
Mamma Dough - Ladywell
40 Ladywell RdFantastic pizza locally. We also like the original Mamma Dough in Honor Oak Park.
Good as Gold
209 Mantle RdGreat coffee and food
Marcella
165A Deptford High StA fantastic local restaurant.
Open on Saturdays, wonderful food and takeaway lunch options, as well as organic produce to buy for eating at home.
101 locals recommend
Brockley Market
Lewisham WayOpen on Saturdays, wonderful food and takeaway lunch options, as well as organic produce to buy for eating at home.
Lots of great restaurant and brunch options here. Especially lovely on Wednesdays (when Deptford Market is open) and the weekend.
82 locals recommend
Deptford Market Yard
Deptford Market YardLots of great restaurant and brunch options here. Especially lovely on Wednesdays (when Deptford Market is open) and the weekend.
A great foodie area, which is really quick to get to from ours via train. We love the restaurants and vibe on this street.
263 locals recommend
Bermondsey Street
Bermondsey StreetA great foodie area, which is really quick to get to from ours via train. We love the restaurants and vibe on this street.
We think it's the absolute best coffee in London. Lovely place to sit outside on a sunny day as well.
56 locals recommend
Browns of Brockley
5-6 Coulgate StWe think it's the absolute best coffee in London. Lovely place to sit outside on a sunny day as well.
Brickfields
293 Brockley RdFantastic local cocktail bar. Local but fields like you are in Soho!
Owned by three of our best friends, so we may be slightly biased, but a lovely place for a glass of something with some delicious food.
Peckham Cellars
Owned by three of our best friends, so we may be slightly biased, but a lovely place for a glass of something with some delicious food.
Our favourite Spanish Tapas restaurant. No reservations, get there early (before 7pm) if you don't want to queue. Fantastic food and great atmosphere.
160 locals recommend
José
104 Bermondsey StOur favourite Spanish Tapas restaurant. No reservations, get there early (before 7pm) if you don't want to queue. Fantastic food and great atmosphere.
One of our favourite local restaurants, and also owned by three of our best friends (we are biased, but the reviews are excellent!)
Peckham Cellars
One of our favourite local restaurants, and also owned by three of our best friends (we are biased, but the reviews are excellent!)
Great place for views over London, with interesting art installations and space for children to run around during the day.
257 locals recommend
Frank's Cafe
95A Rye LnGreat place for views over London, with interesting art installations and space for children to run around during the day.
Sightseeing
A great museum. A fantastic kids gallery called the Ahoy Centre (for 0-7 but you must book) but also lots of interesting spaces for adults too.
373 locals recommend
National Maritime Museum
Romney RoadA great museum. A fantastic kids gallery called the Ahoy Centre (for 0-7 but you must book) but also lots of interesting spaces for adults too.
Hilly Fields
12 Montague AvenueOur favourite local park with great views over London.
One of the best views across London. A popular place to walk all year round.
736 locals recommend
Greenwich Park
One of the best views across London. A popular place to walk all year round.
A short train ride away - you can go from Ladywell direct to Charing Cross station in 13 minutes. From Charing Cross it is a 7 minute walk to Covent Garden. Full of great places to eat, drink and wonderful street performers.
955 locals recommend
Covent Garden
41 James StA short train ride away - you can go from Ladywell direct to Charing Cross station in 13 minutes. From Charing Cross it is a 7 minute walk to Covent Garden. Full of great places to eat, drink and wonderful street performers.
We love visiting here on a Sunday. You can easily get from Brockley overground to Hoxton - and from Hoxton it is a short walk to Columbia Road Flower market. It runs from 8am - 2pm and it's best to get there early before it gets super busy!
1660 locals recommend
Columbia Road Flower Market
Columbia RoadWe love visiting here on a Sunday. You can easily get from Brockley overground to Hoxton - and from Hoxton it is a short walk to Columbia Road Flower market. It runs from 8am - 2pm and it's best to get there early before it gets super busy!
Beautiful views across London. Great food market on a Sunday.
395 locals recommend
Horniman Museum and Gardens
100 London RoadBeautiful views across London. Great food market on a Sunday.
Tate Modern
BanksideOur favourite London gallery.
Must visit! Best historic sight in London, without a doubt (and we have been a few times).
1372 locals recommend
Tower of London
Must visit! Best historic sight in London, without a doubt (and we have been a few times).
Wapping
Dulwich Woods
A little snippet of the countryside in South London
Fascinating history of the London bus and tube scene. Great for children. Outside there is fantastic free opera and entertainment in Covent Garden. A very easy journey from Ladywell straight to Charing Cross station.
95 locals recommend
London Transport Museum
The PiazzaFascinating history of the London bus and tube scene. Great for children. Outside there is fantastic free opera and entertainment in Covent Garden. A very easy journey from Ladywell straight to Charing Cross station.
Cutty Sark
King William WalkGreat insight into London's history as in maritime trading
London Eye
Neighbourhoods
We love walking around Greenwich, visiting the museum, the park and walking along the riverside.
541 locals recommend
Greenwich
We love walking around Greenwich, visiting the museum, the park and walking along the riverside.
Deptford is a really fun local neighbourhood with a local market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It has a very strong community ethos and is popular with artists and students. We like to pop down to the market and get a coffee or brunch. there are also some great places for cocktails.
13 locals recommend
Deptford
Deptford is a really fun local neighbourhood with a local market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It has a very strong community ethos and is popular with artists and students. We like to pop down to the market and get a coffee or brunch. there are also some great places for cocktails.
Great food and a great vibe. We recommend Copeland Yard and the Bussey Building as great places to hang out on the weekend or go out at night.
49 locals recommend
Peckham
Great food and a great vibe. We recommend Copeland Yard and the Bussey Building as great places to hang out on the weekend or go out at night.
A fun place to hang out in North London. Very near to St Pancras and Kings Cross stations so a good place to kill time before train journeys.
Granary Square, London N1C, UK
A fun place to hang out in North London. Very near to St Pancras and Kings Cross stations so a good place to kill time before train journeys.
A fun area with lots of street murals, restaurants and shops. We also love the historic Dennis Severs house which is in this area, an original 18th Century Hugenot house which you can visit.
Shoreditch High St, London, UK
A fun area with lots of street murals, restaurants and shops. We also love the historic Dennis Severs house which is in this area, an original 18th Century Hugenot house which you can visit.
Wellbeing
Rose and River
256 Brockley RoadThe best local beauty salon - a wonderful and friendly place for beauty treatments.
Kindred Yoga
Brookmill RoadWe love doing yoga classes here- a very friendly and inclusive place.
Family Activities
Great for families, but something for adults too! Really easy to get to and completely free. Feels like a little burst of the countryside in the heart of the city.
140 locals recommend
Mudchute Park and Farm
Pier StreetGreat for families, but something for adults too! Really easy to get to and completely free. Feels like a little burst of the countryside in the heart of the city.
Tots In London
Great new play cafe for younger children. Walking distance from us.
Another city farm, somewhere we love to visit. Great views across the river to Canary Wharf. Much easier if you are driving there but is accessible from Surrey Quays overground station as well.
89 locals recommend
Surrey Docks Farm
Rotherhithe StreetAnother city farm, somewhere we love to visit. Great views across the river to Canary Wharf. Much easier if you are driving there but is accessible from Surrey Quays overground station as well.
Brockwell Park Miniature Railway
A tiny railway for tiny people. Great for under 5s.
A great playground for all ages. Has pedalos (small boats) for hire in the pond next to it as well.
Greenwich Park Playground
A great playground for all ages. Has pedalos (small boats) for hire in the pond next to it as well.
Shows about space, as well as a chance to stand on the original Greenwich Mean Time line.
612 locals recommend
Royal Observatory Greenwich
Blackheath AvenueShows about space, as well as a chance to stand on the original Greenwich Mean Time line.
A really interesting history of London's East End, the docks, and the regeneration that followed the bombing during World War II. Has a great gallery for 0-8 year olds called 'Mudlarks' which has to be booked in advance.
217 locals recommend
Museum of London Docklands
Hertsmere RoadA really interesting history of London's East End, the docks, and the regeneration that followed the bombing during World War II. Has a great gallery for 0-8 year olds called 'Mudlarks' which has to be booked in advance.
Always a favourite, with a very popular dinosaur gallery. Will be busy whatever time of you day you go, but worth it.
1954 locals recommend
Natural History Museum
Cromwell RoadAlways a favourite, with a very popular dinosaur gallery. Will be busy whatever time of you day you go, but worth it.
Has some excellent play fountains outside and a great place to hang out and go for a walk along the river. There are always lots of street performers here in the summer.
436 locals recommend
Southbank Centre
Has some excellent play fountains outside and a great place to hang out and go for a walk along the river. There are always lots of street performers here in the summer.
Our local playground with something for all ages of children. Basketball courts next door as well.
Hilly Fields Playground
Our local playground with something for all ages of children. Basketball courts next door as well.
City advice
Getting around
London Public Transport
You can either purchase an Oyster Card from a station, or simply pay for the train through a contactless card or G**gle/Apple Pay. We use Apple or G**gle Pay.
We highly recommend the CityMapper App to help you navigate the public transport system. It will give you the quickest options for your journey from wherever you are.
We use a mix of the overground trains from Lewisham, and the DLR if we are going to Canary Wharf or Greenwich.
Brockley station is also about a 15 minute walk away and has good connections to East London.
We prefer the trains to busses as they tend to be quicker.
Getting around
Taxis
Most Londoners use either Uber or Bolt.
Uber is less used these days, it is usually quicker to find a taxi via the Bolt app.
Book before you go
Restaurants
It's best to book restaurants 5-7 days before you go as they often book up. In August things tend to be quieter though!
Travelling with kids
Docklands Light Railway
A driverless train - when you get on at Lewisham, walk all the way to the top of the platform and you can sit at the front and 'drive' the train.