Check the season before you travel, since Frank's runs only from mid May to mid September. It is walk in, and sunset on a clear evening draws a queue, so arrive early for a spot at the edge.
Frank's Cafe crowns the top deck of the Bussey Building multi storey car park on Rye Lane, a summer only rooftop bar run by the arts charity Bold Tendencies. Bartender Frank Boxer and chef Michael Davies started it in 2008, and since 2009 it has returned every summer with Campari cocktails, simple Mediterranean plates and one of the widest open views in south London. The art commissions on the floors below are part of the same nonprofit.
This is a seasonal pilgrimage rather than a year round local. It rewards a clear evening, a group and a tolerance for queues at sunset, and it closes entirely once the weather turns. If you want a view, a negroni and a only in summer Peckham ritual, Frank's is the original.
The space is raw concrete and scaffold simple, with bench seating, a shipping container bar and a 360 degree view over the city. Secret London calls it the original Peckham rooftop, built on vibes, views and Campari rather than polish. The art organisation Bold Tendencies stages commissions on the lower decks, so the climb up doubles as a gallery visit.
Peckham context is the whole story. Frank's helped turn a car park roof into a south London summer institution, and the unfinished aesthetic is deliberate, keeping the focus on the skyline and the drinks.
Campari is the house spirit, so the negroni and Campari spritz lead the short, seasonal list. Cocktails sit around 9 to 11 pounds, with wine and beer alongside. The kitchen keeps it simple with Mediterranean sharing plates that change through the summer. Order a negroni, find a bench facing west, and time it for sunset. Skip it on a grey day, since the open deck offers no cover from London weather.
A young south London crowd fills the deck, a mix of Peckham locals, art goers and groups chasing a summer view. Clear evenings and weekends draw queues that build toward sunset. The mood is festive and casual, the dress is whatever works for a concrete roof, and the energy peaks as the light drops.
A clear evening from June to August, arriving before sunset to beat the queue and claim a west facing bench.
What to order
- 01
A negroni
- 02
Campari spritz
- 03
A seasonal sharing plate
- 04
A cold beer with the view
