‘JHn. Davy Free Vintner’ reads the sign on the wall of an empty Borough side street, above an 071 number. It may as well read ‘Southwark 1184’ for all the modernity present within. ‘Hello, Sir,’ calls out Peter Common from behind a hatch as you enter, admiring the beautiful wood-panelled interior and occasional finely upholstered chair amid the wooden ones. A bowl of water biscuits awaits on the counter, where the promise of rare sirloin and cured ox tongue cold cuts is chalked up alongside game pie and fresh Newlyn crab meat, white only. The only London pub of the estimable Lewes brewer Harveys, this traditional Victorian corner tavern draws beer fanatics, and with good reason: the ales here, from year-round fixtures such as Sussex Mild to seasonals including Old Ale, are always in perfect condition. But the Royal Oak would be worthy of a visit even without the cask brews: this is a a lovely place to spend an evening. Now independently owned, the Glad is no longer a staid, empty corner pub.

While the Victorian prime minister from whom the place takes its name still glares from a massive mural on the outer wall, the interior is now funky, freaky and candlelit. Gigs take place at one end of a cosy one-room space; opposite, a bar dispenses pints of Red Stripe, Beck’s Vier, St Austell Tribute and Doom Bar, while pies provide sustenance, and a crammed back bar embellished by a retro ‘On Air’ studio sign manages to find space for bottles of Moretti, Sol, Corona, Peroni and Budvar. Rare is the evening – or, for that matter, the Saturday afternoon – when this place isn’t packed to the gunwales. The reasons for its popularity are plainly apparent: a handsome, old-fashioned room; and one of the best real-ale selections in London. Spend any time here, though, and its shortcomings will become obvious: the staff who don’t seem to have much idea what they’re serving, a shame given the huge variety of ales and the lack of a central board detailing what’s on offer;

and the lack of seats in the S-shaped room, which fosters not so much intimacy but discomfort. A haven of tranquillity in a Borough sidestreet bookended by Peabody Trust residences, the Lord Clyde is a lived-in home from home for middle-aged regulars and penny-conscious students. A Truman’s landmark – note the pub sign outside and the etched mirror within (‘Unrivalled Mild Ales & Double Stout’) – the Clyde now offers a multitude of brewery flagship ales: Young’s, London Pride, Adnams. Although the vaulted basement rooms are very attractive, the big draw at this underground bar is the German beer. There are seven on draught, plus more than a score by the bottle; among them is Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, a wonderful wheat beer, alongside a comprehensive selection of weissbiers and dunkels, kölsch beers, dark lagers, pilsners and more. The Hide Bar has ridden out the credit crunch with aplomb, filling to the gills from Thursdays onward with nine-to-fivers happy to be sinking quality mixed drinks near a transport hub.

Most cocktails are priced in the £6.50 to £7 range, including house specials such as the Passionate Englishman (Hendrick’s gin stirred with passion fruit purée), the Bermondsey Martini (Jensen’s gin and Noilly Prat) and the American in London (Knob Creek bourbon infused with Earl Grey tea, peach liqueur, Peychaud’s bitters and sweet vermouth).best wine bar sonoma The Woolpack is a down-to-earth alternative to the Garrison opposite, even if its website witters on about ‘unwinding in the heart of bohemian Bermondsey’. lg smart wine simThe location is prosaic – a side street branching off from the London Bridge rail estuary – but that shouldn’t detract from what’s a quality two-floor pub-restaurant. best wine bar angelBeer-wise, you’ll find the likes of Kirin Ichiban, Leffe and Thwaites Nutty Black, while the dozen-strong wine list (by the glass and bottle) includes a few unusual offerings.

Like most areas bordering busy stations, the food and drink options in London Bridge are a mixed bag — less village-like than Bermondsey to the west, more aimed at the City crowd than nearby Borough Market. But jostling up to all the steel-and-glass offices there are some great independents, reliable chains and neighbourhood pubs. So much so that we've left untouched for this piece Borough, to the west of London Bridge, as having so much going on that it merits a separate article. Note: we’re talking about London Bridge as the area surrounding the station, with the river to the north, down to Borough station in the south, and running from Borough High Street to the west to Bermondsey Street in the east. My Tea Shop is open from 6.30am, doing fried breakfasts in their tiny, unassuming space under one of the railway arches along Duke Street. Café Rossi (57, Borough High Street, SE1 1NE) does fry-ups from 6am on weekdays — maybe thanks to their Italian owners, with better coffee than most of the early-opening caffs in the area.

B Street Deli does soup, freshly-made sandwiches and – the main attraction for a lot of their customers – artisan flat whites made with Volcano Coffee. A few doors away there’s lunchtime competition from Eatalia, offering rigatoni bolognese and lasagna, among other pasta and vegetable dishes. Though both have space to eat in, get your food to takeaway when the weather's decent and head to Leathermarket Gardens across the road for a park lunch. London Grind has the artisan coffee and cocktails of its more established Shoreditch branch, as well as a full restaurant menu for the crowds taking full advantage of the sunrise through to midnight opening times. The delicately-named Fuckoffee also does organic and single source coffee, along with enough sandwiches and cakes to make it worth getting your espresso to stay. London Bridge isn't short of wine bars and cocktail joints for the after-work crowd. Jamie’s Bar and Heeltap are popular on weekday evenings, as is Roxy Bar and Screen, with low lighting, a dive bar feel and regular screenings.

On the pub side of things The King’s Arms and the Leather Exchange both have a good range of cask ale, or visit the George Inn or The Bunch of Grapes for craft beer by the can. But if burgers are just as urgent as beers, Bunsmiths — in charge of the food at the Miller — do the best in the area. For outside space The Woolpack's head and shoulders above the rest in the area — less for size than for how secluded the small beer garden feels despite being in the middle of busy Bermondsey Street. Just down the street there's the Garrison, extremely on the restaurant side of the gastropub spectrum - all sleek and glossy, with banquette seating and a menu featuring quinoa, guinea fowl and a lot of flourishes. Or choose between cheeseboards and full-on steak dinners at The Mug House, in their Dickensian surroundings under one of London Bridge's archways. Vivat Bacchus in London Bridge — younger sister of the busy Farringdon restaurant — has regular wine tastings and South African specialities.

Biltong and ostrich steaks are on the menu, as well as more standard gastropub burgers and steaks. If you like a more American hit to your smoked meat, the brisket, shortrib and chicken thighs at Texas Joe's should have you sorted, everything coming with a side of pickles and bread. Bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeno: optional extra. The area's strong on Spanish and Latin American influences — try Lobos Meat and Tapas for exactly what it says on the tin, and José tapas bar, where the tiny bar’s crammed with punters having a full dinner or cold beers and bar snacks. Foods of other nations are well-represented, with good-value Indian curries at Silka's Southwark basement, great Italian pasta and fish dishes at Giuseppe's Place and the Turkish mezze at the Borough High Street branch of the Tas Restaurant chain. For some of the best pasta in London, try Padella, although be prepared to queue (see our full review here). The slickest, shiniest restaurants in the London Bridge area are housed in The Shard.