1756 Part of the Balham renaissance, the Bedford has been revamped and is no longer the old codgers' pub it once was. The main bar is cosy, with a good buzz.
Food is high quality and reasonably priced.
Still home to the famous comedy club Banana Cabaret. Definitely worth a butcher's. As the first permanent home of the Workers' Beer Company, a trade union offshoot that has long watered the masses of the festival circuit, there's a good selection of beers here. Regular music, comedy, poetry and theatre events too, including Mwalimu Express, a programme of laid back sessions combining vinyl and live music, drumming, dancing or, for children aged four to 11, story telling workshops. It's a chance to investigate the music and cuisine of a particular part of Africa.