Elephant Park

Elephant & Castle is undergoing a transformation like no other. With the introduction of the new Cycle Superhighway 6 alongside the already excellent tube and rail connections, London really is your oyster.

Whether you prefer a walk in the park, dinner with friends or a spot of yoga; as you’d expect from a vibrant neighbourhood in the heart of London, Elephant & Castle is buzzing day and night. With an abundance of new shopping, dining and socialising opportunities due to the ongoing regeneration of Elephant & Castle, coinciding with the fantastic selection of retail destinations already in place, this thriving area of London has something for everyone.

For the coffee lovers, don't miss out on Hej to kick start your day with an amazing brew. For dining, you're spoilt for choice with a range of incredible restaurants with cuisine from around the world including italian Mercato Metropolitano, KOI Ramen Bar, Tasty Jerk or Ethiopian Beza Vegan Food.

Eating and drinking

Foodies are spoilt for choice in and around Elephant & Castle. From award-winning restaurants to brunch options that will make you want to hop out of bed at the weekend, there’s plenty here to keep you nourished.

Social butterflies are well catered for, too, with plenty of bars, pubs and clubs in which to enjoy craft beers and quirky cocktails. Many offer late-night licences, which will please night owls.

Coffee lovers will find a great selection of independent outlets providing the perfect spot to catch up with friends over a coffee and cake, or a welcoming space in which to plug in your laptop for a couple of hours.

One destination that will have you coming back for more is Mercato Metropolitano. Noisy, friendly and bustling, it’s impossible not to be won over by the charm of this undercover food market, and with dining options spanning the globe it’s the perfect place to meet a group of friends with different food tastes – or simply to try something new.

• Louie Louie, Elephant & Castle
• Hej, Elephant & Castle
• The Elephant and Castle pub
• Mercato Metropolitano, Elephant & Castle
• Paladar, Elephant & Castle
• The Electric Elephant Café, Elephant & Castle
• CheeMc

Green spaces

With its leafy landscape and access to green open spaces, it’s hard to believe Elephant Park is in Zone 1 London. But it is. With excellent transport links into the city and beyond, and London’s largest new green space for 70 years on your doorstep, at Elephant Park you really can have it all.

Park life is booming here, with weekly free Parkruns to get involved in, endless walkways surrounded by green space and fun-packed children’s playgrounds all just steps from your new urban address. After a busy week at work, the area’s parks provide the perfect setting in which to relax, whether you prefer to sit with a book, enjoy the big outdoors or talk a walk with a friend.

Wildlife enthusiasts are catered for, too, thanks to the area’s green infrastructure, including living roofs – they provide the perfect habitat to encourage birds and invertebrates to make Elephant Park their home, too.

• Elephant Park, Elephant & Castle
• Burgess Park, Walworth
• Kennington Park, Kennington
• Dickens Square Park, Elephant & Castle
• Faraday Gardens, Elephant & Castle
• Nursery Row Park, Elephant & Castle

Getting around

London really is your oyster with Elephant & Castle as your base. This zone one and two address benefits from excellent transport links, making travel in and out of the city a breeze. The Highwood at Elephant Park is just a five-minute walk from Elephant & Castle station. Served by the Northern and Bakerloo lines, you can catch a tube and just four minutes later be enjoying the buzz and attractions of the South Bank. Or stay on the Bakerloo line and arrive in the vibrant West End in less than 10 minutes.

There is also a mainline train station connecting you to the rest of the UK for those times when you want to leave the city, plus a first-rate bus service with a total of 28 routes serving the area.

If cycling is your preferred mode of transport, then you’ll benefit from the recently-extended Cycle Superhighway 6, which connects Elephant & Castle to King’s Cross, taking you through Blackfriars and Farringdon stations on the 5km route.

• Elephant & Castle tube station
• Elephant & Castle mainline train station
• Cycle Superhighway 6, Elephant & Castle

Walk

With so many great places on your doorstep, you’ll probably find that walking is your preferred method of transport. If you stride at a medium pace, you can head out of Elephant & Castle along Newington Causeway, which leads on to Borough High Street, and be in the colourful Borough Market in just under 20 minutes. As London’s oldest food market, it’s a popular destination for foodies and is loved by locals and visitors alike, who seem to appreciate exceptional produce from dedicated producers.

Bus

There’s perhaps nothing more iconic in London than the sight of the traditional double decker making its way along the capital’s busy roads. Elephant & Castle is served by no less than 28 routes across the city, making it a fantastic alternative to the underground or mainline train services.

Hop on a bus to nearby Bermondsey and sample beer from some of London’s finest independent micro-breweries on the Bermondsey Beer Mile. The Kernel Brewery was the first to open in 2009 and, since then, the number of independent brewers has expanded. It’s a great day out if beer is your thing.

Going Out

Just as you’d expect from a vibrant neighbourhood in the heart of London, Elephant & Castle is buzzing day and night. From museums bursting with history and leading live theatre to traditional pubs serving fine ales and bars – where you can relax with a cocktail or glass of chilled Chablis – there’s plenty to keep you entertained around the clock.

Fancy hitting the dancefloor and not returning home until the small hours? Look no further than the world-famous Ministry of Sound for the ultimate clubgoer’s night out. Luckily, it’s on your doorstep, so just a seven-minute walk home.

If it’s a more chilled-out vibe you’re looking for, you’ll be spoilt for choice with plenty of inviting places to enjoy a drink, whether it’s a quiet evening out for two or a long overdue catch up with friends over dinner. If you’re look for quirky craft ales, classy cocktails or fine wines, you’ll find just the spot in Elephant & Castle.

• Southwark Playhouse, Elephant & Castle
• Ministry of Sound, Elephant & Castle
• Corsica Studios, Elephant & Castle
• IWM London, Kennington
• The Cinema Museum, Kennington
• Escape Plan, Elephant & Castle

Shopping

The new shopping opportunities in and around Elephant Park will really put Elephant & Castle on the retail map. Shopping doesn’t get any more local than this, with a mix of high street brands, independent outlets and convenience stores just a few steps from your door.

It’s not just the newer areas of Elephant & Castle that will make you want to indulge in some retail therapy, though. Once called home by Michael Caine and Charlie Chaplin, a trip down vibrant Walworth Road is a shopping must. Foodies will find everything on their list and more, with Caribbean bakeries and Lebanese street food all in the mix. Running south from the Elephant & Castle roundabout, almost as far as Burgess Park, it’s impossible not to be impressed by Walworth Road’s rich history, with some of London’s oldest retailers still trading there today. You can indulge your interest in art, recharge in a quirky café and, if you’re heading out for an evening at one of the Elephant’s bars or clubs, you can pick up some choice breakfast items for the morning after the night before.

• Elephant Park Retail (opening throughout 2019)
• Elephant & Castle Town Centre
• G.Baldwin & Co
• Pullens Yards, Elephant & Castle
• QueArts, Kennington
• Tesco, Elephant & Castle