Best of South London

South London has historically been the less-visited side of the Thames, but that's changed considerably — it now contains some of the city's most interesting food, art and neighbourhood experiences. Here's the best of it.

Brixton

Brixton Village and Market Row make for one of London's best market lunch experiences — diverse, affordable, genuinely excellent. The neighbourhood's Afro-Caribbean roots are present in the food, music and culture in ways that feel authentic rather than performed.

Bermondsey

Maltby Street Market on Saturday morning is the food-focused highlight — comparable quality to Borough Market with a fraction of the tourist crowd. The Bermondsey Beer Mile (Saturday afternoon) and White Cube gallery make it worth staying into the afternoon.

Dulwich

Dulwich Village has the feeling of a Georgian market town transplanted into London — wide streets, the Dulwich Picture Gallery (England's oldest public art gallery, opened 1817) and Dulwich Park. The Gallery holds works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Gainsborough and Poussin and is almost never crowded. A short Overground or rail journey from London Bridge.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace Park contains full-size Victorian dinosaur sculptures — the first attempt to reconstruct prehistoric creatures in three dimensions, from 1854, charmingly inaccurate by modern standards. The park is free; the neighbouring Crystal Palace area has a developing independent restaurant and café scene.

Getting Around South London

South London is underserved by the Tube but well-connected by Overground, National Rail and buses. The Overground is the most useful rail route across the south.

Tips

• Dulwich Picture Gallery is consistently underrated — go on a weekday for a genuinely quiet world-class gallery experience.
• Combine Bermondsey (morning) with Brixton (afternoon) for a full South London day.
• The Crystal Palace dinosaurs are free and bizarre — worth the trip alone if you have children.