CLAPHAM NORTH

Just a hop and a skip from the tube station of the same name – literally (it’s right across the road) – this hip south London pub positively insists that you stop in for a drink on your way home from work. Quite a few people start off the evening here planning to move on to central London but never escape the gravitational force of the giant-sized leather armchairs in the main bar.

The interior is modern but moody – lots of dark hues, standard lamps and agreeably worn wooden furniture. It’s a popular London look, but potted palms and interesting light-fittings add a certain ’70s flair, matching the ’70s-flavoured funk and soul on the sound system. On Fridays and Saturdays, acoustic singers belt out homespun lyrics, while Saturdays feature DJs jamming with live brass and vocals.

This is a lager-drinker’s pub rather than an ale house, with half a dozen Euro imports on tap and more in bottles behind the bar. That said, plenty of people settle in for the night with a bottle of vino on the pavement tables on Clapham Road. Whatever your poison, the long bar and late license – till midnight most weekdays and till 2am Friday and Saturday – mean you won’t be stuck watching the clock while the guy in front of you gets served.

Football and lager go together like Cristiano Ronaldo and GOOOAAALS! On match nights, the back bar is given over to plasma screens and surround sound, while the beat goes on as normal in the main lounge. Factor in tasty pub grub, chipper Australian bar staff and room to swing a pretty big cat, and you’ve got the recipe for a good night out.