South
THE EARL OF DERBY
Telegraph Hill boozer the Earl of Derby has got a new lease of life, being completely revamped and restored to the much-loved neighbourhood pub it once was. It’s part of the Parched group, run by four friends who own a collection of small, independent South London pubs including The White Horse in Peckham and Grove House Tavern in Camberwell. Behind the bar, The Earl of Derby is championing locals, offering beers from nearby breweries like Gipsy Hill Brewery and Brockley Brewery alongside low-intervention British vineyard organic wines. Heading up the kitchen is chef duo George Genn and Laurence Pengelly, who were former chefs at Brockley’s busy brunch spot Good as Gold. Coming together to form ‘Gengelly’s’, the pair serves up inventive takes on trad dishes, like the leek bhaji with brinjal chutney and the Yorkshire tea ice cream & warm whiskey sauce with crumble. There’s also a Sunday roast offering too. The Earl of Derby is already a big hit with the locals, and we predict it will only become more popular as time goes on. A trusty pub in the heart of a South London neighbourhood, what’s not to love?
SKEHANS
There should be more pubs like Skehans in London. In fact, ALL pubs should just be exactly like Skehans. Located on a quiet residential street in Nunhead, Skehans has got it all: pool table, darts, sports on the telly, and a great beer garden out back. The drinks list is a good mash up of your standard beers like Heineken and Fosters together with Beavertown and Hop House 13 lager. They also do a banging little menu of Thai food, probably some of the best we’ve had in London. Add to that regular live music, a jukebox and general good vibes and you’ve got one of the most fun pubs in London.
THE KINGS ARMS
It’s traditional all the way at this Waterloo boozer; it’s on a proper old street, it’s split into public and saloon bars and it’s got nine real ale pumps on the bar. There is a bit of a twist when it comes to the food in that it’s Thai rather than classic pub grub but it’s both great and reasonably priced. The only problem is a lot of people seem to like the Kings Arms, so it can get busy but we’ll just call that atmosphere.
THE CAMBERWELL ARMS
If you want a top Sunday roast make a beeline for The Camberwell Arms. It comes very highly rated (number one by the Guardian in 2017 in fact) and is the perfect place to head for a big group feast as mains like roast chicken with creamed cabbage & roast potatoes; roast pork with braised carrots, roasties and apple sauce; roast lamb with creamed cavolo nero and roasties; and dry-aged beef rump with garlic butter, creamed cavolo nero and roast potatoes are all designed for sharing. The rest of the food coming out of the kitchen is also top notch, with as much made in-house as possible. The Camberwell Arms is still a pub though, and in fact there are two bars inside. Downstairs is the place for a pint and a snack, whilst the upstairs keeps it going until late.
EAST DULWICH TAVERN
They know their beer down at EDT – there are ten hand pumps serving real ale with more local brews on the bar and in the fridges, earning them a spot in the Camra Good Beer Guide 2018. If you’re after a spot of food, you’ll be well looked after in that department too and the spacious interior, with vintage and upcycled furniture, boasts two open fires, so you can get real cosy.
THE IVY HOUSE
Instead of standing by and letting the place close back in 2012, the local community raised £1 million to keep The Ivy House open, turning it into London’s first co-operatively owned pub. They’ve got a changing selection of keg, bottle and cask beer, vino from Liberty Wines, and Old Spike coffee at the bar; traditional pub grub coming out of the kitchen; and everything from open mic nights and pub quizzes to knitting circles and yoga throughout the week.
THE ANGEL OAK
We challenge you to find a leafier beer garden in London than The Angel Oak (formerly known as The Rye) in Peckham. Yes, this one is an ACTUAL garden with real-life grass and trees, and it’s absolutely huge. With enough picnic tables to seat half of Peckham, table tennis and a BBQ area, there is no better place to spend a sunny afternoon. Luckily they’ve also got a fully stocked bar and gastropub menu to keep you going inside if the weather isn’t cooperating.
DUKE OF EDINBURGH
The Duke of Edinburgh has one of the biggest beer gardens in South London and it comes with a huge outdoor bar and BBQ pit. With lots of ales and cask beer on rotation, this one is a good spot for beer geeks. It’s super chilled and a great place to spend a sunny afternoon.
THE FAT WALRUS
The Fat Walrus is a fave amongst South Londoners with the FOH team completely re-building the interiors when they took over in 2016, adding the beer garden – and it’s a complete sun trap. YES! With plenty of beers on tap and in the fridge, plus a big cocktail list (including frozen ones) there’s lots of choice, and there’s knockout food from Whole Beast in the kitchen – don’t miss the Nashville hot chicken.
TRINITY ARMS
Tucked back on a little square, this boozer is a great one to have up your sleeve, especially if you’re looking for a pre-gig pint rather than a pre-gig scrum at the bar. They extended upstairs to give more space for diners and added a fire pit to the beer garden, so you can hang out back there all year round. It’s a Young’s too so you can be sure of a decent pint.