A Herne Hill to die on: A day in the South London neighbourhood

One of my favourite things about London is how different one spot can be from the next. Hackney compared with Clapham, a Camden versus a Croydon. Each place with its own personality.

If Herne Hill was a person, I’d try to make it my bestie.

Beginning the day at Brockwell Lido, a place to cool off in the summer months and a place for the brave in winter. The swimming spot can be traced back to 1892 when a local group built a pond for bathing.

All these years later, you can still enjoy a dip in the Grade II listed building, with striking Art Deco redbrick walls – but beware, the 50m pool isn’t heated but that doesn’t stop year-round swimming.

Post swim, you can continue an active morning with a coffee and walk around Brockwell Park, which plays home to some of south London’s best festivals each year – if you haven’t already got your Groupla ticket for Mighty Hoopla next year, what are you doing?

For your caffeine fix, Herne Hill offers several coffee spots to satiate you. Perks & White is ideal for those who like the science behind a roast, experience a taste of the Med at the Sicilian Delicatessen, or keep it classic with Blackbird Bakery.

Every Sunday, the Herne Hill Market pops up, offering sweet treats and baked goods from businesses like Fingal’s Bakery, you can pick up olives and deli snacks from Olive & Co, shop for vintage clothes and accessories with Regal Rags, or grab a new scent for your home from the Flora Lab.

Just around the corner from the market location is Bunhead Bakery, which specialises in sourdough buns incorporating the flavours of Palestine – you can’t miss the queue leading to the shopfront.

Now, we Londoners queue for a few things. I’ve regularly spent the best part of my Saturday morning standing in single-file, hoping my favourite pastry hasn’t sold out yet.

I don’t need to say that queueing for Bunhead Bakery is worth it when I can let their flavours do the talking, like a fully loaded pistachio bun, rolled in pistachio frangipane, topped with light pistachio cream, and a crumbling of candied pistachios with crispy butter katafi pastry. I also recommend the olive oil and labneh cake and the strawberry, labneh and sumac bun. Chef’s kiss.

Being in Herne Hill on a Sunday also only means one thing – a roast dinner. And the Half Moon is the saving grace. This pub makes roasts made to be shared. You can order a whole roast chicken or a roasted rib of beef for the entire table, with enough sides for everyone, including roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. A place that serves up a cauli cheese as standard on the plate is one that truly takes the biscuit. Stunning.

Turns out Herne Hill is a place that has it all. Maybe if I stay long enough, we’ll become pals.

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