peckham rye park cafe

[bald marauder]

anyone know what's happening with the cafe in the park?

[Marmora Man]

According to notices it's going to complete (that's the building as opposed to actually opening for business) in late July - so by my count they have about 9.5 hours left!

[Bellenden Jo]

Was up the 1 o'clock club this afternoon and asked the builders when it was supposed to be complete, they told me 4 more weeks.

[Nero]

I heard that the man behind Jacks was going to go in to run it. Not sure whether that is the case. Nero

[Crystal Tips]

Great - if the bloke from Jacks is running it we can rely on it closing early on Saturdays when the 6th formers work experience has finished, not being open on Sundays, closed for weekends in August and of course being open during the week when most of us have to work for a living. That being said Jack's is great when its open and if the new place approximates this it'll beat Dulwich Park Cafe hands down

[bignumber5]

Crystal Tips Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Great - if the bloke from Jacks is running it we

> can rely on it closing early on Saturdays when the

> 6th formers work experience has finished, not

> being open on Sundays, closed for weekends in

> August and of course being open during the week

> when most of us have to work for a living. That

> being said Jack's is great when its open and if

> the new place approximates this it'll beat Dulwich

> Park Cafe hands down

Harsh but fair - Jacks is great when open but the choice of hours seems odd for a mostly residential area

[dungdag]

I can't understand why they've built the new cafe next to the car park and the recycling area? It's almost as though they went out of their way to find the most unattractive spot in the whole park!

[ednerd]

I love Jacks - the unpredicabilty of opening hours only adds to the excitement. It's the cafe interpretation of playing hard to get. Where's ya sense of adventure?

[ednerd]

But to get us back on track... Mr Jacks is not running the Peckham Rye cafe. He turned it down (not sure if it was formally offered, but he was approached)- was concerned about the threat of vandalism.. or something along those lines.

[Marmora Man]

Where is Jack's - seems to be popular?

[SeanMacGabhann]

It's on the Lordship Lane end of Pellat Rd - Small frontage but I love the place

Has been featuring in Time Out's pick of the South London bars/cafes for last few weeks too

It's not a fryup greasy spoon type caff tho..

[LostThePlot]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It's on the Lordship Lane end of Pellat Rd - Small

> frontage but I love the place

>

> Has been featuring in Time Out's pick of the South

> London bars/cafes for last few weeks too

>

> It's not a fryup greasy spoon type caff tho..

At ?6.95 a breakfast it certainly isn't !

Melbourne Grove Cafe is the winner there.

Having said that though I do like the place for a leisurely afternoon coffee

& Sticky bun

[DG]

James, who runs Jacks, is usually in there himself, and he has small children. Hence a) not opening all hours b) very child friendly cafe and menu c) no slip in standards that you see in some other ED eateries!

[bald marauder]

I don't get Jacks. Average prices for below average food, made by sixth formers who just don't put any love into what they're doing. You get the feeling it's run for them more than for their customers. Compared with Petitou on Choumert Road, it's a joke.

[Mark]

Petitou on Choumert Road, been there thrice and it's never been open. OK, it may have been a Sunday or Saturday but it was definitely closed. Went to Jacks once too and it was open, seem to remember paying lots for scrambled eggs on toast but we could sit outside and it's quite (traffic) quiet.

Back on topic, who's going to run the park caf? then? Any ideas?

[bald marauder]

Don't know, but despite the location (hopefully the recycling bins can be screened off...) I'm hoping it's going to make a great a space to hang out on sunny days. Like the Dulwich Picture Gallery cafe but without the ladies who lunch, and hopefully a bit cheaper too. DPG cafe is really nice though, and actually won an award for its architecture. Great for Sunday afternoon tea.

[Crystal Tips]

DPG - now that's an over-priced experience if ever there was one - I would be very interested to know about plans for who is going to run the PRPC and agree with some of above about site - I suppose how they screen and landscape around is the key - if indeed there is a plan to do any such work - does anyone know??

[Ondine]

walk over the hill and come to seymours tea rooms at the bottom of Grove Lane. OK not a park but nice little back garden with grape vines for shade, very child friendly, wireless internet access. I was there for lunch with a friend the other day and his salad took a while to come - cos the manager ran out to get more parmesan. Now that's what we like!

[alm]

To those complaining about the location - the question is where else would you put it? Anywhere in the park - which was only recently expensively redone - would involve substantial environmental damage. The Common site does not have this problem. The view out the front towards the handsome houses on Peckham Rye with the spires of East Dulwich in the distance is rather fine. Of course, it would be good if they got rid of the car park altogether (put on my tin hat), but that is another question.

[Scruffy Mummy]

I heard it was being run by the same people who run the cafe in Russell Square Park - or maybe it was that it was built by the same people who built the Russell Square Cafe??? Anyway - the location is fairly central to both the Peckham Rye Park and to the common - so that I guess people using the Common to play sports on, the people going for walks in the Park, the parents using the 1 0'clock club, etc will all have good access to it.

[citizenED]

Ah, a subject very close to my heart - local cafes. I am so glad there is going to be one on Peckham Rye. It has always needed one. Look forward to it, whoever runs it.

citizen

[dungdag]

I think a much better location is the area of wasteland just south of the "circus" formally planted section of the park then we could look out and admire the new school to be built opposite! But I guess it's too late now.

It looks, in style, pretty much like the cafe at Peckham Pulse - PLEASE lets hope it's not run by those people!

[United]

Apparently the running of the cafe has been put out to tender. I know that Blue Mountain have applied but don't know whether they have it yet.

[boosboss]

The cafe was designed by local architects and park users, Knox Bhavan who also designed the Russell Square Cafe.

The tenders for running the cafe have been reviewed and there are two very strong forerunners, but as they haven't been told yet, it'd be unfair to say who. What I can say, is that one of them is local, well known and has a proven track record in providing good food and a high quality of service. The latest on timescale is that the cafe should be open at the end of august/ early september.

The recycling bins are to be relocated and The Pulse people are not in the running.

The building will also house two sports changing room facilities at the rear.

[Crystal Tips]

What's the update on the cafe? Boosboss you seem particularly well informed can you update? Do we know who is going to run it finally? I was driving past today and the shutters were up and a door open and by the time I could gather myself to have a nosey round and hopefully ask someone what was happening the shutters were down. Mrs Tips is keen to know as another option to take the wee'un and rendezvous with mum chums.