The Queens Arms

You'll find yourself in one of those tucked-away mews that makes you forget you're near the V&A. The Queens Arms has that rare quality of feeling genuinely neighbourhood-y despite the postcode—wood panelling, real ale on tap, and enough regulars propping up the bar to make you want to become one. The kitchen does proper pub food without the Instagram nonsense: think fish and chips that actually taste like something, pies that aren't ironic, and a Sunday roast that'll have you back next week. It's the kind of place where you can nurse a pint for hours without anyone fussing, or grab a table with mates and actually have a conversation.