SUN & DOVES

Oh, for a local like this. The Sun andDoves has long been a Camberwell doyenne. Its artsy vibe, spaciousness, busy social calendar (quiz night on Wednesdays, films on Tuesdays, special events on special days), beer on tap (think Old Speckled Hen, Kronenberg Blanc) and solid pub food attract a steady stream of pleased punters.

The first thing that strikes you is the space. There’s room to swing cats. There are high ceilings and airy expanses. The battered wood floor is filled with chic leather armchairs, leather sofas, wooden chairs and tables, and a few parquet-lined diner-style booths. Walls are decked with huge blown-up photos, a table-football set, and changing art
exhibitions. And a huge hurdy-gurdy fairground-style ‘Coldharbour Lane’ sign reminds you where you are. Location, location, location: this also explains why the clientele here feels more eclectic and interesting – old and young, arty and anorak – than in a similar pub in, say, Clapham.

Summertime and smoking see the two terraces come into their own. Out front the blue-painted tables and benches are surrounded by rosemary bushes, while the larger, walled back garden, art exhibits spill out from the interior, and there’s a wooden column-of-eyes totem pole. Indoors, it’s the kind of place you’d feel quite happy whether on your own (taking advantage of the free wifi) or in a big companionable group. Loudish music keeps it lively, ranging from golden oldies like Portishead to a housey rumpus, and you’re bound to find something tasty to silence any stomach rumbles, with pub grub ranging from steak and Guinness pie to baba ganoush.