The Walrus Bar & Hostel

You're in that weird pocket of South London where tourists and locals actually collide—right on Westminster Bridge Road, with the Houses of Parliament looming across the water. The Walrus does what a good local should: serves honest pints at prices that won't make you wince, does decent pub food, and somehow manages to be both a proper drinker's bar and a hostel without feeling schizophrenic about it. The crowd's mixed—backpackers sharing tables with South Bank regulars, which creates this surprisingly fun energy that feels less touristy than you'd expect given the location.