This Clapham favourite prides itself on using its kitchen residencies to deliver great food cooked by passionate people. Recent street-food vendors to set up shop here have been the modern Indian cuisine-influenced Rotli Crew, Dogtown London and Slap & Pickle, but currently leading the kitchen is beloved grilled cheese specialist The Cheese Truck. As for drinks, it boasts 12 keg lines, six hand-pull taps and fridges bursting with various craft beers, as well as an extensive wine list and cocktails.
High standards with a bit of quirk – that's what you'll find at this refurbished Victorian boozer, which has an eclectic collection of taxidermy to keep you company while you eat. Its kitchen residencies for the new year are still hush-hush, but we can tell you they're worth waiting for.
Hipsters are slowly starting to trickle south of the river, as evidenced by this former-job-centre-turned-trendy-pub in Deptford. It's been revamped with 70s-style interiors and a record player, but still operates a job noticeboard. London-brewed beers and good cocktails mean it's a local favourite, and during the week, food is supplied by the local organic deli. Weekends are where it gets interesting, though: there's a 'kitchen hijack' on Friday and Saturday nights – previous occupants have included Colonel Tom's Gumbo, the Cheese Truckers and and Sticky Beaks.
Dalston favourite The Three Compasses hosts regular games nights, shows all kinds of sports, and even hosted a weekly Game of Thrones watch-along for the show's last series, so it's no surprise that the food offering here is based on a series of rotating residencies. The latest, Claw, celebrates the humble crustacean in all its delicate meaty glory, with crabs from Start Bay in Devon going into signature burgers.
We do love a good-looking menu, and Lucky Chip's brightly coloured offering at The Old Queen's Head is no exception – although that might be thanks to a killer burger lineup that includes the Woody Harrelson (portobello mushroom, aubergine and pepper) and the El Chappo (aged-beef patty, smoked bacon and blue cheese). Lucky Chip's residency is still going strong, complemented by the pub's impressive cocktail list that includes a gingerbread sazerac and a cranberry and elderflower collins.
