We’re loath to tell you about The Buxton, lest we’re not be able to get a seat at its beautiful burgundy marble bar again. Rare is it we find a menu we can’t fault, but every dish we ate at this teeny Brick Lane pub-with-rooms was better than the last – from gnocchi with parmesan-and-rosemary-dusted wild mushrooms to fluffy doughnuts fresh from the fryer served in a brown paper bag (nice touch). Drinks-wise, swerve the pints and head straight for the Davenport, a peachy East Sussex white wine, and a dessert-worthy Naughty Alexander cocktail of cognac, cold brew coffee liqueur and condensed milk to finish.
Further south, The Great Southern has just (re)opened in Gipsy Hill, transforming a very non-classy local into a properly nice beer-led boozer (craft, cocktails and garden). With genuinely great service, crowd-pleasing food (we demolished the hearty beef and ale pie), and nice touches – like the live train times running above the bar – it’s the perfect “meet you by the station” venue for a catch-up with mates. ● Words by Jenny Tregoning and Kat Poole