Dog and Fox

Restaurants offering a standard of cooking this high for over 20 years are few and far between, and the numerous regulars of this smart, friendly neighbourhood spot are a testament to its perennial popularity. The reasonably priced menu features traditional, carefully prepared dishes that showcase quality seasonal produce. The wine list is skilfully chosen and features some well-priced rare wines, with an interesting selection by the glass, while a corkage option allows guests to bring a bottle from their own cellar.

There's an endearingly personal touch to this intimate Japanese restaurant run by a husband-and-wife team. The menu takes an omakase format, beginning with a series of otsumami dishes and followed by nigiri sushi. It's the latter that proves to be the stand-out, each individual piece delivered one by one to the enraptured diners; you can expect the pure, delicately flavoured seafood produce to include the likes of chutoro, otoro, hamachi and scallop. There's a sake pairing available for pre-order if you want to enhance the experience.

Situated in the Merton Abbey Mills development – which was once a 12th-century priory, then spent time as a mill and is now a thriving cultural quarter – Black Radish is an intimate, well-run restaurant with space for just 12 diners. A chef’s table for two is ideal if you want a ringside seat. The cosy atmosphere provides a backdrop for cooking that’s grounded in top-drawer ingredients – be that Orkney scallops with yuzu kosho, XO and finger lime or terrific Silver Hill duck with complementary quince and salsify.

This popular neighbourhood restaurant may have started life as a pop-up but it’s now a well-established member of the Tooting dining scene. Located on a High Street corner, it’s a fairly simple place in design, but benefits from the energy emanating out of its open kitchen, friendly team and contented diners. Seasonal British produce and a few pickled and preserved elements form the backbone of the cooking – which takes the form of two lengths of tasting menu that are also available in pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan forms. Look out for their occasional 'Burger Nights' too.

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