‘Steak is what we do’, says the blurb, but don’t come here expecting the dark, sultry glitz of a US steakhouse. Arlo’s is a bright, clean-lined child-friendly spot where the owners seek out the more obscure grass-fed native British breeds and offer three cuts (bavette, hanger, rib-eye) with various sides – although we’d pick a zingy salad over their washout hand-cut chips and sourdough ‘trenchers’.
June 2019: We’ve added two more options for Balham’s pub-loving foodies – The Dining Room at the Bedford and The Dining Room at The Cyclist. Elsewhere, there’s decent Nepalese cooking to be had at the affordable Gurkhas Diner, while snacks and socialising are the twin attractions at Full Fat – a small but friendly bricks-and-mortar café from the guys behind popular 'breakfast chappati' stall The Balham Kitchen.
Balham – that lovely little place between Tooting and Clapham – is packed to the rafters with stellar places to eat and drink. There are neighbourhood restaurants, banging gastropubs and specialty coffee shops on just about every corner. Here’s our guide to the best of the best.