Not all pubs were created equally. Some are all beer-soaked squishy carpets, ham, egg and chips while others, like the Prince of Peckham, have partnered with seriously cool Caribbean food vendors like White Men Can’t Jerk to bring you a wholly new pubbing experience.
The Venue
Thanks to a recent refurbishment, the Prince of Peckham (previously the Clayton Arms) is better than your usual. With a grand chandelier hanging above the bar, artfully mismatched furniture and warm orange lighting, this is a pub which will have you hoping for the colder nights to draw in so you can hunker down with a pint and a burger, which is coincidentally exactly what we felt like doing when we arrived.
The Prince’s charm isn’t just limited to the main space on the ground floor, but extended to a generous outside area, with both upstairs and downstairs spaces which play host to private events, yoga classes, exhibitions and live music; this pub is so much more than just first impressions.
Prince of Peckham gives good pub game from head to toe.
The Food and Drink
Taking a seat in the cosy back room, we were quickly greeted with the menu. Covering all bases (including a healthy smattering of vegetarian dishes), the menu is full of Caribbean classics with a twist such as the crispy coated, Red Stripe poached chicken wings; ultimately the first thing that we ordered. Not only were they massive, they were perfectly coated in a light but flavoursome batter - these are definitely more of a main event than just a starter and should be ordered at every visit. We followed these up with a trio of patties, filled with lobster and shrimp, lamb, and beef. While these were not as flavoursome as we’d hoped, they were pleasant, and a good intro to our next course.
For mains I latched on to the signature jerk chicken, rice and peas and coleslaw main which came with pineapple and mango salsa at £12 while my friend went for the fried chicken burger in a brioche bun at £11. The burger was just the right side of battered and came with a mountain of chips, all covered in a gluttonous cheese sauce and dusting of jerk seasoning. The jerk chicken plate was undoubtedly the best of the dishes we ordered. The chicken was juicy and covered in a crispy skin of bombastic jerk flavouring which was devilishly more-ish. I’m no jerk expert but this is plate jam-packed with flavour, the memory of which will stay with you for years.
This is big, hearty, colourful food which deserves to be celebrated, so make sure you visit with friends and lots of them. It’s food that also deserves to be accompanied by a drink - we ordered a nightcap of Bloody Mary's which came with none of the faff but all of the punch.
Caribbean flavours are at the core of this unique pub menu.
Summary
If you’re lucky enough to live nearby and happen to be looking for a new local which goes above and beyond, then check out the Prince of Peckham. And if you’re not close by, then go ahead and make the effort to visit. You won’t regret it.
