The Dining Room at The Cyclist

Moments from Balham station, this self-styled ‘modern British pub’ has all the hipster trappings you could wish for: craft beers, small-batch gins, artisan wines and a street-side covered terrace for posing and people-watching. It also does excellent food, with a vegan-friendly all-day menu of seasonal small plates (obvs) and gastropub classics – from pig’s cheeks with peas and ‘nduja or spiced aubergine with coconut yoghurt, pomegranate and flatbread to ‘nourishment bowls’, cheeseburgers, beer-battered haddock or rump of lamb with Jersey royals, broad beans and sheep’s curd. Daily specials such as chorizo with harissa-spiced chickpea purée and kale should also get your juices flowing. After that, take a sniff at the weekly cheese selection or get a sweet fix from puds such as strawberry and blueberry pavlova. Saturday brunch and Sunday roasts complete a high-quality local package.