More Al Fresco Frolics - Frank's Cafe

This may be posisbly the most over-used phrase of the summer, but what the heck is up with the weather?! Autumn is trying to take over and just when you think that the pathetic excuse we've had for a summer is over, the sun comes out blazing  and your wardrobe dilemmas continue to exponentially increase. I've essentially crippled myself with back ache of late because of the growing size (and weight) of the handbag I've been hauling around so I can be prepared for all eventualities. I was in boy scouts after all.

It's not an overstatement therefore to say that we Londoners have been clinging on to summer as if our lives depended on it. To that end, I am continuing on the theme of al fresco destinations in London that don't often crop up on the 'top 10' list but that are definitely worth a visit, even if we just have to face the fact that it's not really summer anymore after all.

A few weeks ago, it was Becca's birthday celebrations and I was excited to hear that Frank's Cafe was the venue of choice. I'd heard about it before but being an East London girl, Peckham Rye is not a frequent destination for me. In fact, I'd never really been there before except once by accident when I got a night bus in the wrong direction but the less said about that, the better.

Frank's Cafe is on a carpark rooftop about a minute's walk from Peckham Rye station, a short hop on the overground from London Bridge. It's confusing, you have to follow a red line I think. Don't do what I did and go up the first set of stairs you see, that is a fire exit for the nearby cinema, they won't appreciate you trying to get in there. Once you've negotiated the car park ramps and steps and reach the roof, you are rewarded with an amazing view of London, you can see every landmark there is from up there and it's great trying to identify them all and realising that many of them are not where you thought they were (in relation to Peckham at least!). Perhaps it would be more accutate to say, Peckham's not where I thought it was in relation to everything else. Anyway, the view is ace.

The bar itself is great too, lots of choice, lots of Campari and lots of lovely staff. They serve Greenwich Meantime, what could be better? The queues were long but you didn't wait long to get served and the food was fantastic BBQ fair. My favourite being the sweetcorn with lip-smackingly good paprika butter, something I've since tried (and failed) to recreate at home. Not having a bbq was obviously the problem. Probably. It's a really fun place and a fun time was had by all. There is an awning to protect you from the worst of the rain but it is exposed up there so take a rucksack of jumpers and blankets and those rain ponchos that tourists wear (or an umbrella) and you'll be set. 

I thought it was only open for the summer but I think it might be open all year round... so worth a visit then whenever the mood strikes except maybe not in the snow. Although saying that, in the snow I think it would be a bit like being in an Alpine lodge, albeit in Peckham but how nice!?