The best pubs in South London

There’s nothing quite like the pub culture found in our little London town. You’ll find locals sitting down for their usual, city slickers spilling out onto the street in Soho and regulars so dedicated that they wear a pub’s merch like it’s part of their identity.

The pub is so versatile. From birthdays, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, dates, and leaving dos, to the fact that it’s a Sunday, most celebrations start or end at the pub. And in South London, we’ve got an abundance of pubs on our doorstep, including one of the seven wonders of our capital, the Bermondsey Beer Mile – that famous strip of London that has around 20 stops for a bev along one mile from start to finish.

I want you to imagine if the whole of South London could be condensed into that Beer Mile, all your favourite boozers within walking distance of each other – like Barbie Land but instead of plastic, there are pints.

I’ve put together the best make-believe South London Beer Mile, like if I could step outside of the Alma in Crystal Palace and head straight into the Marquis of Granby in New Cross, with a stop at Battersea’s the Latchmere on the way.

Let's start this back-to-back pubbing on the Bermondsey Beer Mile. For the first stop, it’s a drink at Southwark Brewing Company. Perched on an empty keg, sip on Wish You Were Here without texting it to your ex. The pale ale has a citrussy hit and mellow bitterness and is as fresh as it gets as it's brewed onsite.

Next, we move to Brixton and the Duke of Edinburgh, which has one of the biggest pub gardens south of the Thames. For this part of the journey, it’s summer and maybe there’s some sporting event on so we can sit in front of one of the seven big screens in the pub and feel that collective hope of wanting to win and drinking the same amount regardless of triumph or disaster.

Other than a good garden, what makes a great pub for me is what’s served out of the kitchen. Soul food slingers Bando Belly are residents at the Duke of Edinburgh, serving pub burgers on another level. Are you taking the Honey Butt, Buff Ting or Cali Queen? Be sure to add some tots.

While we’re on pub grub, it doesn’t get much better than a Sunday roast at your local – and there are a few contenders for the “roast dinner” stop of this South London Beer Mile.

For a trad roast vibe, the Angel Oak in Peckham offers a plate that comes with all the trimmings and all the sauces: mint, bread, apple and horseradish cream. If you like it saucy, this pub roast is for you.

Stockwell’s Canton Arms has a Sunday menu for people who might say they don’t like roast dinners. It has an elevated pub menu with the likes of porchetta, East Coast hake, and seven-hour roasted meats, minus all the trimmings but still a solid Sunday dinner.

And then there's Buster Mantis in Deptford, marrying the Jamaican Sunday dinner with the British roast – “borrowing some bits that we like from both”. Each roast is served with seasonal veggies, rice and peas, a Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and gravy. Mouth-watering stuff.

For wine lovers, we're often stuck with the house, which isn’t quite the pet nat or natural vino we normally order, but over at the Camberwell Arms, you’ll find an extensive wine menu by the glass or the bottle, including blush rosé, sparkling and skin-contact wines.

For the best pint of Guinness in South London, I’m under good authority from Guinness-drinking pals that Skehans in Nunhead is as smooth as it gets. As for the best cocktail menu this side of the river? Queen of the South in Tulse Hill fully takes the crown – sister to Prince of Peckham. Both are pub-cum-bar locations that truly do it all and do it well.

For pubs hosting events, it’s Deptford’s The Dog & Bell. I mostly go here for one of their special festival days like the mild ale festival, sausages and cider festival, and the pickle festival. You heard that correctly. The pickle festival is even celebrating its 28th year.

The pub is regularly packed out during these celebrations, where you get the chance to taste, judge and enjoy. Don’t forget to get the t-shirt.

The need for some good music on this South London Beer Mile is growing, ready for when you start throwing your arms around your mates for a gentle sway. Well, the Fox and Firkin in Ladywell has a jam-packed events schedule, with Northern Soul, dub clubs and bands taking to the pub stage to put on a show.

And if we’re talking live music, The Wandle in Earlsfield is a worthy mention. With acts on every Friday and Saturday night at this southwest London pub, it’s ideal for when you go “out for a quiet one” but end up screaming “So, Sally can wait” as "Last orders!" is called.

Finally, it’s Peckham’s the Greyhound, the best end-of-the-night pub, mostly because it’s got a basement dancefloor. The weekend nights are called The Greyhound House Party because downstairs that’s exactly what it feels like, except it boasts different DJs and not your friend of a friend on the decks who was a DJ for one month three years ago. A “proper South London boozer, reimagined” during the day, then mad sets when the sun goes down – and karaoke every other Sunday.

Contrary to my go-to song, that actually does impress me much.

Editor's note: Spot any incorrect information? Or have an article idea for HeadBox.com? Get in touch at submissions@headbox.com