The Thieves

Walk into The Thieves and you're immediately in someone's idea of what a London pub should actually be—no craft beer posturing, no Instagram-baiting cocktails, just honest drinking and eating. Situated on Lavender Gardens in Battersea, it's exactly the sort of place where you'll find regulars propping up the bar on a Tuesday afternoon and mates gathering for a proper night out come Friday. The food's straightforward and done well, the beer selection doesn't try too hard, and there's a warmth to the place that feels genuinely earned rather than designed.