Wimbledon Studios

You’ll find warmth and generosity aplenty at this family-operated Korean restaurant run with palpable pride. Some tables have their own barbecue, allowing you to cook your choice of meats right in front of you, including pork belly, short ribs and Wagyu beef, all at sensible prices. Don’t worry if you’re on a standard table though, as the bansang dishes are surefire winners, offering delicious main components such as fried chicken or grilled mackerel served with three side dishes and top-drawer kimchi. Leave room for the silky smooth matcha crème brûlée to finish.

Snugly slotted into a busy South London street, this bustling Indian restaurant comes with a wonderfully relaxed, vibrant atmosphere and dishes you’ll want to eat again and again. The concise menu keeps things simple and is all the better for it, starting with moreish onion bhajis and continuing with a knockout Thanjavur chicken curry. What makes it even better is the mightily appealing prices, meaning you can share a broad range of dishes with friends and come away without your wallet feeling too bruised.

The Harwood Arms is a pub at heart, so bar snacks are a must: munch on homemade crisps or a venison Scotch egg while you peruse the menu with a pint. The cooking at this pub may be highly accomplished, but it still does what pub food does best: leaves you feeling eminently satisfied. The menu is British to the core and the owners supply much of the expertly cooked deer and game. Well-balanced dishes burst with flavour and allow each main ingredient to shine by keeping things simple.

It should go without saying, but be sure to ask for a seat on the terrace at this icon of London's Italian restaurant scene. The on-view kitchen with its wood-fired oven dominates the stylish and buzzing riverside room and the menu bursts with authentic Italian flavours which make one’s mouth water in anticipation. The honest, hearty dishes have a rustic Italian simplicity, relying as they do on the quality of their ingredients, whether that be clams, crab or wild sea bass. Arguably the best Italian wine list in London is the icing on the cake.

A rightly popular neighbourhood restaurant, this is a place you can’t help but fall in love with. Located close to Clapham Common, it’s an intimate operation where the open kitchen lets you in on the action. Kick off with a G&T made using their house distilled gin, before enjoying fine British produce crafted into deceptively complex dishes packed with bold flavours. The inventive 'sardine bolognaise dumpling', for instance, showcases consummate seasoning and meticulous attention to detail in every element. The smooth service team bring welcome personality to proceedings.

Chef Claude Bosi returns to his Lyonnaise roots with this buzzy ‘bouchon’, where the tables are tightly packed and the walls are adorned with colourful posters. The menu could scarcely be more French if it was emblazoned with the tricolore: vol-au-vent, andouillete, frog’s legs… take your pick. It’s all executed with great skill and packs in plenty of flavour, while the service is delivered with a certain ‘bonne humeur’. The set menu is remarkably good value, as is the 'plat du jour', and the well-chosen wine list contains some notable French producers. There's another, larger branch in Maryle

The French bistro spirit is strong at Ploussard, a true neighbourhood spot for the residents of Clapham. The look has a smart elegance to it, alongside the archetypal bistro simplicity, with blonde-wood panelling bringing an almost art deco touch. Francophiles will be pleased by the menu, too, which offers dishes such as white asparagus with vin jaune hollandaise or duck leg pithivier – all underscored by seasonal, high-quality ingredients. The knowledgeably curated wine list may not be the longest, but it’s got some brilliant choices.