The Roebuck, Trinity Street, South London

When the sun is shining, the outside tables of the Roebuck pub are well positioned to catch the rays and are far removed from the traffic.

Westow House, Crystal Palace, South London

 

Something of a local landmark, Westow House is a large pub and hotel at one point of the triangle of roads at the heart of Crystal Palace. It is popular with local bohemians.

The White Bear Theatre Pub, Kennington Park Road, South London

 

Squeezed in between venerable early Victorian terraces, the White Bear is a 250-year-old pub with its own theatre on site. Owned by Young & Co.’s Brewery of Wandsworth, this is a South London institution.

The Trafalgar Tavern, Greenwich, South London

Overlooking the Thames and awash with nautical paraphernalia, The Trafalgar Tavern is a lively pub and restaurant selling good value beer.  Although it can be swamped with tourists and day-trippers at weekends, there should be just about enough seats, either inside or out, in which to make yourself comfortable.

Steak Night at the Prince Regent, Dulwich Road, South London

On a Thursday night, the Prince Regent pub has turned its menu over to mouthwatering steaks. A hefty and delicious 9oz sirloin steak (£18) arrives with some decent chips,  a crisp green salad and a moreish Béarnaise sauce. Served in the elegant and well-heated Victorian dining room, you can enjoy your hunk of meat with one of the fine beers on tap. Although the service can be a bit haphazard, it is well-meaning and welcoming. 8/10

The Guildford Arms, Guildford Grove, south London

In a quiet residential area not far from Greenwich's tourist traps, the Guildford Arms is an elegant pub in a curvaceous Georgian building on a corner plot. It is flanked by a large leafy beer garden spread over multiple levels broken up with grasses and white birches. It is a peaceful spot late afternoon on a week day, but the renowned kitchen doesn't open until 6pm. Before then, it is crisps or nuts.

The Flying Pig, East Dulwich Road, south London

One for alpha males, the Flying Pig majors on meat and beer. This East Dulwich pub's menu has a broad selection of burgers and baps, backed up by more comfort food, such as macaroni cheese with cauliflower or beer battered fish and chips. Some of the dishes have a bit of a kick, such as 'the spicy pig', a chorizo and jalapeno burger served with chilli mayo (£13). Among the pulled pork buns, the whole hog (£13), is probably best avoided. It packs in chorizo, streaky bacon and jalapenos, meaning there are too many flavours going on inside the bap - they overwhelm each other. The burgers and baps are served on wooden platters with some excellent handcut chips and delicious aioli. If you are hungry, the mac 'n' cheese side dish is tasty and huge for £3.50. You can wash it all down with one of the pricey British craft beers on tap, such as the Freedom Four (a very dry, but decent lager, at just 4% proof) and London Pale ale. 

The Bishop, Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, south London

Well-placed to serve shoppers on Lordship Lane, the Bishop is buzzing on a Saturday afternoon with a healthy mix of hip and square middle class families, couples and groups of friends. The interior, with its bare black floor, its wall of mirrors and large black and white prints, is slightly Hammer House of Horror. The food menu looks good and there are some decent beers on tap, but dropping in for a drink and a snack isn't cheap. A pint of Budvar, the king of beers, for example, is £3.80, while the crisps come in fancy flavours in a fancy cylinder at £2.50 a pop. You're better off getting a bowl of fat, salty chips for three pounds. Still, the tap water is free and the young, quirky bar staff are pretty good with kids. 7/10