The Rosendale

Makeover artists Mark & Sharlyn van der Goot, the couple behind The Greyhound at Battersea, have turned this former Victorian coaching inn into what is arguably the best pub with a SE postcode. The classy makeover provides a relaxed, convivial setting for excellent food at reasonable prices, with simple salads, grilled steaks & burgers serving the bar-area well, & elaborate, attractively presented dishes bestowing distinction upon the dining room. Home-smoked eel with apple jelly & anchovy mayonnaise is a light but flavour-packed way to start, while a main of pork belly & loin with celeriac remoulade, black pudding, peas & dried apple slices is a terrific balancing act of complementary ingredients. Desserts keep up the momentum, while the global wine list is admirable for its breadth of choice & fair mark-ups.