Our seven favourite pubs in South London
There is nothing better in this life than finding a really good pub that’s near to where you live. There isn’t! The great British pub is an institution, and such an important part of life. A place to meet friends, to make new ones, to soak up the sun with a shandy in hand in summer, and cosy up next to a fire with a bowl of chips in the winter. They’re casual, easy, usually dog friendly and kid friendly, and really there’s no where I’d rather spend my time.
Living in London though, I’ve found it can sometimes be hard to find an actually good pub. So many are all show, with cool signs, snazzy interiors and fancy craft beers on tap with no substance. Or they’re super overpriced and not worth the money! I’ve spend so many disappointing afternoons in pubs that don’t have comfy chairs, and who’s gardens actually amount to nothing more than a concrete area next to the bins. In the past ten years that we’ve been living in South London we’ve really done the leg work trying lots of different pubs to find out which ones are actually worth spending time (and money) in. And these are by far our fave pubs, all located south of the river. A definitive list of what we think are the best pubs in South London.
The Sun in Carshalton: If you live in London, you might not have had much reason to get to Carshalton. Further south in the suburbs beyond Streatham and Wimbledon, it’s a quaint little market town. We grew up spending lots of time at our nan’s house in Sutton, so Carshalton was always on our list of places to visit at the weekend. As we’ve grown up and moved to South London, we’ve been on the look-out for a gorgeous cosy spot to meet friends and family at who still live in Surrey, and this falls slap bang in the right place that’s half way between both! But if you live further out in London we still think a trip here is worthwhile. It’s no exaggeration to say it’s one of our fave pubs of all time, because it ticks all those boxes you want: casual, comfortable, dog friendly, kid friendly and great home cooked food. Not too fancy, not too expensive, and right next to a cute park you can go for a stroll. We always feel welcome, and look forward to mid-week lunches here! Their lunchtime menu is 10/10.
The Alma in Crystal Palace: You’ve probably heard of The Alma in Crystal Palace because of Grace Dent! She visited a few years ago and gave it such a rave review, it was the talk of South London for ages. We were already regulars by that point and have been ever since we moved here five years ago, so it was amazing to see our favourite local championed by such a revered food critic. So why do we love The Alma so much? For starters, it’s an all around amazing place to visit in every season of the year which I don’t think many other pubs can say. In summer, their gin and tonics always hit the spot and they have a big garden area perfect for soaking up a few rays! In the winter, their garden gets covered over so you can still sit out there in bad weather, and they have cosy fires inside. And then let’s talk about the food! Their food is honestly waaaaay better than you’d ever expect for a locals pub. It’s much more than just pub grub, and is actually pretty inventive and always has new things on the menu. Their crispy fried cauliflower starter (something Grace herself raved about!) is such a winner. It’s fairly pricey these days, but meals there always feel worth it as everything is made from scratch which you can really tell. Head there on a Friday evening for a cosy dinner with friends and soak up the atmosphere. Also note, they don’t allow children.
The Mayflower in Rotherhithe: The Mayflower has a long and colourful history. It’s in the running for one of the oldest pubs in London; and has been in existence since the 16th century! It sits directly alongside the Thames in Rotherhithe which is an incredibly beautiful and historic area of London; the type of place you can literally feel the history as you walk through it. The shiny worn cobbled streets are lined with pubs and stairways down to the beaches that appear as the tide goes out; places you can imagine old mudlarks whiling away a few hours looking for treasure after they’d spent a few hours in the local boozer. The Mayflower still has that old world charm; it’s pretty small inside with traditional wooden beams and low ceilings that make you feel like you’re in an old book. But the crowing glory is its outdoor terrace! The terrace literally hangs over the top of the river, so much so that as the tide swishes in and out water actually sprays up through the floorboards. It offers you a 180 degree view up and down the Thames that makes it amazing for whiling away an afternoon with a few pints as boats come and go. It’s cheesy to say but stepping in here is really like stepping back in time.
The Plume of Feathers in Greenwich: We first visited this pub a few years ago after a search for old pubs in London. I just really fancied going to a proper boozer! This popped up on my search, and because it’s in Greenwich, it meant I could visit by boat which sounded exciting to me! Established in 1691, the Plume of Feathers Is the oldest pub in Greenwich (and has recently been voted the best pub in Greenwich by locals). It overlooks the park and is super close to the Observatory and the Maritime Museum which makes it nicely located if you’re spending the day perusing the local area. It’s super warm and friendly with all the charm you’d want; it has an original clay gate fireplace, stained glass windows, proper wooden bar, lots of maritime memorabilia, plus a cute little garden for the summer. All the food is home cooked, and they’re well known for their Sunday roasts! So much so, they often sell-out. I loved the classic ham, egg and chips.
The Montpelier in Peckham: The Montpelier is my favourite South London pub for actually DRINKING in. It has the kind of lively atmosphere you want when you’re settling in for an evening of pints with friends. On Friday and Saturday nights they have a resident DJ, and on Sundays they have live jazz, plus loads of other things going on in the week including dinner deals and laidback vinyl nights. In this age of fancy craft beers though, my favourite thing about this pub is that it actually serves Red Stripe ON TAP. I just like it ok! It’s always pretty hustle and bustle here so you might have to hang at the bar and wait for a table but there’s always a good atmosphere, and as it’s quite big, a space usually comes up pretty quickly. They also have some seats outside for when it’s sunny.
The Castle in Tooting: I don’t love this pub for its food or drink specifically (although it’s a Youngs Pub so it’s definitely nice enough and everything I’ve had there has been good!) I mainly love this pub, right next to Tooting Broadway tube station, because it has a reeeeeally nice garden area which is perfect when its summer! Unlike most pub “gardens” where you end up sitting next to an industrial sized bin, it’s actually been done up properly and is an absolutely lovely place to spend a sunny Saturday. It’s sort of like a little courtyard, with some of the tables underneath a wooden pergola that runs alongside the side of the main building, plus larger built-in booth areas you can book that are great if there’s a bigger group of you. It is completely paved and flat making it easy for buggies and wheelchairs, and sometimes has a food truck outside too. They’ve really spent time and effort making it lovely out there.
Westow House in Crystal Palace: Westow House has stood on the triangle in Crystal Palace for more than 100 years. During WW2 it was badly bombed and the top floor was so damaged it had to be removed; but just last year it was completely renovated and the top floor was carefully added back on. The architects took the time to take imprints of the outside of the building so the mouldings on the new floor look exactly the same! The interior was also completely overhauled, with a new event space added on the first floor, new boutique hotel rooms and gorgeous new loos! I know it’s weird to mention the loos but isn’t it nice when you find a pub with an actually nice toilet? Without doubt the team here are the friendliest bunch you’ll ever meet; they always make you feel welcome as soon as you walk through the door. The menu spans everything from brunch to Sunday roasts to brunches (with the biggest and best hash brown I’ve ever had in my life) and they host a tonne of different events so there’s always something going on there including quizzes, swap shops, and lots of baby-friendly events too.
