London’s best foodie pubs

Forget overcooked lamb and overpowering mint sauce – championed by young inventive chefs, the classic Sunday roast is in the midst of a rightful renaissance. Beef & Brew’s handsome take (medium-rare rump, charred hispi cabbage, star-anise carrots) is a snip at £18. The proof is always in the Yorkshire pudding: the ones here are exuberantly tall and undeniably fluffy.

London department store Fortnum & Mason claims it invented this moreish picnic treat as far back as 1738. Its origin story hardly matters: wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden brown, this egg is the pub snack of kings. Best washed down with a crisp cider or two, The Opera Tavern‘s version is made with morcilla blood sausage for extra kick.

Don’t be surprised if your pie takes the form of a stew with a loose pastry lid – pubs sometimes take shortcuts to avoid the dreaded soggy-bottomed crust. Anything but humble, the Camberwell Arms’ chicken and leek pie is worth the trip south of the river. Expect feather-light flaky pastry, creamy mash and garden-fresh greens, but be warned – it’s only served during the pub’s award-winning weekend lunches.

Cockney slang for ‘cash’, bangers and mash are a long-loved working-class staple. Head to the East End for a plateful of the hearty, soul-soothing stuff. Right on Columbia Road Market, the Birdcage is a restored Victorian boozer with a striking green-tile façade. You can’t go wrong with this banger: the wild boar and apple sausages are served with a buttery dollop of mash and plenty of gravy.

Bread, cheese, onions and chutney: this packed lunch was once designed to be taken to the fields. These days it’s zhuzhed up with all manner of extras (pork pies, terrines and their ilk), but increasingly hard to find. Thankfully The Clarence – the Prime Minister’s local – keeps tradition going with a platter of punchy Sussex Charmer cheese, apple slices, mustard and a sausage roll.