The Nightingale, Balham, SW12

This place dates back to 1853, designed by one Thomas Wallis, his name and date visible to a gable; the exterior displays some lovely polychromatic glazed tiles along with pretty etched windows. PSM and Quinno would no doubt be disheartened to know that since their visits from 2009 and 2013, the inevitable has happened, the pub having succumbed to one of Young’s utterly repetitive by-the-numbers makeovers which I can’t be bothered to outline; you can view it on their gallery or read my description from the King’s Head (SW15) which matches all their other pubs; customers were affluent locals, mixed in age. The ale choice amounted to Special and London Original, the once drinkable option – Proper Job – replaced by the horrible ‘juicy’ Gipsy Hill’s Trail, so it was yet more Oil at £3.65 a half. This isn’t the worst pub in south-west London, but I see no reason to return.

Official site of The Nightingale - www.thenightingalebalham.co.uk

Official site of The Nightingale - www.thenightingalebalham.co.uk

An attractive looking pub in a largely residential area with a small amount of outside seating at the front, there was a good crowd in on our recent Friday evening visit and it was nice to see a couple of guys playing darts to the right of the bar counter when so many pubs in the vicinity seem to be almost entirely given over to food. Etched glass on the windows was an attractive feature. Décor wise it is perhaps traditional with a more contemporary twist; sanded wooden boards on the floor, a dark, wood panelled bar counter that curved around in a sort of U shape to serve both the front and rear of the pub, pale wood cladding on the lower part of the walls and a deep shade of aqua blue above. White painted wooden panelling was on the ceiling, whilst seating was a mixture of regular tables and chairs, stools and some high chairs along the front in the window. A number of old pictures were on the walls, including several old black and white photographs of the locale. A TV screen was mounted up in the corner, but fortunately this was not in use on our visit. Beers on tap were primarily from Young’s with their London Original, London Special and Drop Gold and these were joined by Sambrook’s Wandle. The solitary cider meanwhile was a rather disappointing Aspall’s. Overall though, a pretty decent local’s pub and I’d happily pop in again if passing.

Young's pub with a bare boarded interior and a U shaped bar. 6 real ales and food served.

Young's pub with six hand pumps with their usual offerings. Lounge and tap room with the bar in the middle. TV not on, happily. Some outside seating.

Attractive Youngs house, partly opened-out inside to form a 'J'-shaped bar with three connected seating areas to the rear. Unfussy decor. Patio beer garden with a few tables out front. Five of seven handpumps in operation, including Adnams Topaz Gold (£3.84) as a guest. A nice place for a pint, giving the impression of being a valued community pub.

This is a Grade II listed Young's pub, dating back to 1853, that has thankfully survived the brewery's penchant for destroying this type of pub with over the top refurbishments, leaving a wonderful, community based pub that is well worth seeking out. The interior, despite having no physical demarcation, is essentially a two room affair, with a U shaped area to the right which wraps itself around the servery and seems popular with the locals, and a more open space to the left with a lot more room and a mixed clientele. The area around the servery boasts some lovely etched glass windows and a huge Nightingale mirror. A few button backed pews and standard banquettes provide a bit of seating for those who decide not to line the bar counter. There are old paintings on the wall, all in keeping with the pub's traditional feel and I noticed a big TV screen which was turned off on my visit. In the furthest corner there is a dartboard, but you'd need to visit at a much quieter moment than I did to stand any chance of playing on it. The rest of the pub is essentially a decent sized rectangular room split by a few structural pillars and walls. Banquettes and standard chairs provide most of the seating options although there are a few centrally placed armchairs that look worth bagging if you arrive early enough. More old pictures can be viewed on the walls, as well as cigarette cards, a lovely painting of the pub and a display of the Young's bottled beer range. There is also a large cheque on the back wall which I believe shows the amount raised by the 'Nightingale Walk' - an annual charity event run by the pub for over 30 years. A small extension at the rear has a few stools along a ledge and leads out to a garden which I didn't bother to explore in the dark, although I did notice posters promoting garden parties. The pub does food and there were a fair few eating when I arrived. I didn't manage to spot a menu, but the specials board listed a few very tempting meals. The ale selection here is encouragingly not exclusively restricted to Youngs beers, although Ordinary and Special were both available. Guests on my visit were Adnams Topaz Gold, Robinsons Dizzy Blonde and McMullen's Cask Ale. I gave the Dizzy Blonde a try and it was in great shape. Keg options included Meantime Yakima Red and Aspalls Cider. I have been meaning to pay this pub a visit for ages but it's slightly isolated location meant that I never got round to it. I'm really glad I finally made the effort to get out here as it's a really well run pub that serves a good cross section of the community well. I was really impressed and will be back sooner rather than later.

This is an attractive double gable fronted pub which unusually has an unsymmetrical appearance due to one gable being smaller than the other. Built in London yellow stocks, the front elevation also has a pair of panels of probably original Victorian tiling. L-shaped inside, the front entrance marked "Saloon Bar" leads into an area with a dartboard, a picture of the pub, the 1899 pub cricket team and a couple of cartoon style drawings of an old boy fishing. The longer area beyond the bar returns back quite some way leading to an add-on which in turn leads on to a pleasing sunny rear garden with cover, patio heaters and unusually a second dartboard. This rear area has a few more framed cartoons, some cigarette cards as well as a wall dedicated to the pub's chosen charity, guide dogs. Seating is mostly of the traditional type plus bar stools although there is one long high table in the rear area and a pair of armchairs. Central is an unusual high level island fireplace. The add-on section has a hop sack on the wall with a host of pump clips around it confirming that although this is a Youngs pub, they have a very good guest rotation policy. Beers on were Youngs Ordinary (Bitter), Special was turned around, Sambrooks Wandle, Doom Bar and Twickenham Honey Dark. Behind the bar were various bottles of Meantime beers from Greenwich. Food specials menus on the tables have suggested beer companions, eg oven baked whole baby plaice (Meantime Pilsner); lambs liver, bacon and mash in red wine gravy (Meantime Chocolate Porter). I thoroughly enjoyed my short stay in this welcoming proper pub, the overall ambience enhanced by the TV showing horse racing with a few animated locals urging their bets on, the small black dog lying in its corner with a few toys and a bowl and just seeing groups of friends drinking, chatting and enjoying the day. Highly recommended.

A small traditional Youngs pub with the ghost of the old two-room layout, with an island bar. On a dreary December afternoon this place was very welcome – a cosy interior, real fire and a lovely atmosphere. Ales were the usual Youngs plus a welcome sighting of Tribute, which slipped down a treat and was in great form. There were also a wide range of Youngs bottled beers available. The barman was friendly and on-the-ball. A dart board was available and the TV was thankfully turned off. The pub seems big on charity events with a section of the back wall plastered with photos of past events. I really liked the windows at the front of the pub and am pleased in general that the Youngs pub-wrecking crew have been kept out of here. I had a great time in here as did my drinking companions and I’d be more than happy to go back at some point. A proper pub.