John the Unicorn

Bar in Peckham

7 / 10 from 1 review

Address
157-159 Rye Lane
Peckham
London
SE15 4TL

Map

History

Telephone
020 7732 8483

Region
Peckham

Nearest Station
Peckham Rye
0.15 miles

Category
Bars

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Peckham's first 'super-pub'? With three floors of fun it kind of feels like it. Music, food and dancing!

All In London

Situated slap bang in the heart of Peckham on Rye Lane, John the Unicorn or just ‘John’ as he is known to his friends, is the neighbourhood’s newest hangout.

John the Unicorn flaunts a interior of industrial brickwork, exposed beams, textured wallpaper and marble surfaces. A spacious lounge and bar welcomes you to congregate, whilst upstairs ample banquette seating calls out for the company of afternoon brunchers, evening diners and night – time drinkers.

The bar stocks local and regional real ales, craft beers, fine wines and spirits. With a variety of handpicked beers from some of South East London’s best microbreweries, as well as some indispensable classics, plus our very own brews from Volden – beer lovers are spoilt for choice.

Foodies can now procure quality grub from the Unicorn’s Kitchens as John The Unicorn’s modern cookhouse serves a modern and traditional British Menu including favourites and quirky edits suitable for all palates.

All In London Review

For big group meets and good times

It says a lot about the name of this bar that when we mentioned it was our next destination to the barman of the pub we were drinking in, we gave us the sort of look he’d probably usually reserve for someone asking for a gin & coke. If you’d like to know more about that look, it was a cock of the head and a confused smile that wasn’t really a smile but a thinly veiled attack that said, “I see five idiots standing before me”. Anyway, on we went to John the Unicorn and right old tie was had by all.

Located on Rye Lane, the argument goes that this brash new pub/bar from the Antic Group doesn’t fit the look of the street. And while yes, the garish sign and its four-foot tall letters, is in your face, Peckham Rye is just the sort of place where people shrug that sort of stuff off and move with the times. Inside, it’s as ‘Antic’ as you’d expect, which means a stylishly disheveled, industrial interior verging on the point of looking half finished, a pub that looks like its forever about to turn itself into a club at night but yet not quite doing so. Huge, the bar itself has plenty of space to accommodate sit-down drinkers at one of its three defined areas and multiple floors, covered with tables and chairs. You can now also eat at some of these tables from the newly opened kitchen, which claims to serve a form of a modern British menu. Beer from the bar is a good mix of local draught ales, lagers and pale ales and serves the produce of its own exclusive brewery, Volden.

John the Unicorn might have one of the more embarrassing/ ridiculous/ cringe worthy/amazing names around but it is nothing if not a safe bet for good beers, group meets and the promise of always being able to find a seat.

Reviewed by T.A.O anonymously
Published on May 16, 2016