Although I am firmly a North London gal born and bred (so north, in fact, that you can walk 10 minutes in the wrong direction and find you’re no longer in London), my boyfriend Max lives in South London, which is a horribly long commute but also means I’ve gotten to discover another part of the city. In fact I’ve come to think of the Battersea/Clapham area as a second home of sorts. A second home with more blokes in rugby shirts, yummy mummies pushing strollers, and some rather delectable grub.

THE DRAFT HOUSE

One of my favourite South London eateries, The Draft House is a cosy pub/restaurant just over the river selling a selection of standard diner grub such as burgers, hotdogs and wings. My most recent trip was actually the first time I’d tried a veggie burger (the veg double cheese, complete with smoked cheddar, brie, onion rings and battered pickles), and was surprised to find I really enjoyed it, so much so that I barely noticed the lack of meat. I’d also recommend the cajun fries (share em unless you’re really hungry, they’re huge!). Plus, battered gherkins are the best thing ever. Why has no one ever thought to batter and fry them before? SO GOOD. If Battersea is a bit far, they’re got a bunch of other locations all over London too.

The Draft House
94 Northcote Road
London SW11 6QW

THE LIGHTHOUSE

More a family-friendly restaurant than a traditional pub, The Lighthouse is a great spot for a Sunday Roast, with huge portions and a great selection of roast options (beef, chicken, pork, lamb or veggie!). The pork was delicious, and you can’t beat a giant Yorkshire pud! They also come with a hefty serving of veg, so you can feel smug about being vaguely healthy. Although I’ve only ever been for lunch it’s also very cute at night with fairy lights on in the windows.

The Lighthouse
441 Battersea Park Rd
London SW11 4LR

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE

The first time I came here from Sunday lunch there were a couple of very cute dogs running around like they owned the place, which meant it was an automatic winner in my books. Eat a great Sunday roast, and pet doggies? Perfect. The roasts are decent, but I’d definitely recommend the banana waffles with toffee sauce and honeycomb ice-cream. Overall this is a nice family-friendly pub thats ideal if you’ve been walking the pups in Battersea Park and need to refuel.

The Duke of Cambridge
228 Battersea Bridge Road
London SW11 3AA

THE LATCHMERE

Max and I went here once on a Friday night, and it was positively buzzing. This place is very much a pub/restaurant with plenty of people milling around the bar, and its set in a beautiful big building on the main high street. Admittedly the food was only so-so, (we liked the pork croquettes, my sweet potato, mushroom and ricotta Wellington was a bit bland), but this is one thats worth visiting for the atmosphere.

The Latchmere
503 Battersea Park Road
London SW11 3BW

If you’re in the Battersea area and are looking for somewhere more formal, I’d also suggest the beautiful Le QuecumBar for tasty French grub and live music, or La Isla Bonita for Latin American food in a kitschy fun setting.

Let me know if you’ve been to any of these, or if you have any more South London recommendations!