Gay Camberwell

by Layla

I have been enjoying monitoring SE5 developments on my walk to work. A stroll through Camberwell Green brings me first to the ex-Silver Buckle, tentatively named Oberon, but now - if rumour is correct - about to be re-christened The Tiger. This is due to the new owners (the same ones who own the East Dulwich Tavern, apparently), having uncovered a beautiful old tiled display from the pub's bygone incarnation proclaiming its original name. Walking past it every day has been great fun. First the shiny dark green tiles emerged on its facade, then its lovely original signs - not for The Tiger a hideous and mis-spelled PVC computer-print sign ("Noodels City", I am referring to you). Suddenly there are windows: big and generous, and they are restoring original features inside and out with vigour. The owners intend this to be a proper pub, and you have to respect the efforts (and presumably expense) they are going to in order to restore it rather than quick fix dabs of paint as others have done before them. I am very much looking forward to seeing the result.

Further up the hill, I come to the other developing establishment: the Love Walk Cafe. Whose name I think you'll agree gives off a rather better tone than the Denmark Hill Cafe. On the former site of El Gallo/Willow, the Love Walk Cafe has been developing behind whitewashed windows for some time, but this week the whitewash is gone and my nose has been pressed against the glass, intrepid reporter style, to find out what's going on. It looks rather nice, actually. It seems to be a cafe, promising fresh juices and smoothies, as well as a nice-looking coffee set-up. The furnishing and decor looks purposefully eclectic and quite pleasant. It looks almost ready to open... With the lovely Cafe Bay starting to trade at the weekend, as well as during the week, perhaps this oft-neglected patch of Denmark Hill is about to become Camberwell's cafe district...

On the gay front, Camberwell is rather busy this month, thanks in part to LGBT History Month, and I'd like to think in part to Time Out proclaiming Camberwell 'London's new gay bar capital' a couple of weeks ago, in their glowing review of Angels and Gypsies. See the events calendar on the Gay Camberwell homepage and the history-themed films that we've programmed for Pink Screen Sundays . There are some interesting things going on, including a gay-friendly cabaret club night, Moona, on the 6th, a gay history walk on the 20th, a meet-and-greet Southwark Council LGBT-related workers on the 11th, and a launch of children's books at Peckham library celebrating same-sex parents and other types of families on the 17th. Enjoy!

PS We've done a few new restaurant reviews ourselves. Check out Angels and Gypsies, and Zeret Kitchen. And since Time Out positively reviewed  Silk Road last week (they can't stay away from Camberwell at the moment - their columnist proclaimed last week "inexplicably Camberwell has become a foodie destination"!), we'd better get down there and check it out. Got to keep that finger on the pulse you know! Queues out the door for Camberwell restaurants - it's happening now, folks! Better make a reservation...