Canton Arms

"EastEnders superfan or not, most people know that a pub is always at the heart of the action. At the Canton Arms on the South Lambeth Road, you won’t find any balding, perma-angry brothers or pints being thrown. But you will walk into a boozer that feels a little like it’s from another era. Where old boys toddle in for a glass of red and a haggis toastie, and families get together in the front bar, in the back dining room, or wherever they can fit. The food is a touch European and a touch British—think a plate of braised peppers and burratina, only combined with a pint." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna

"Have a pint of harden the eff up. That’s what they’d say back in the day. Apparently. But what if you don’t want to harden up? What if you want to have a nice pint of lager, or lime and soda, and some whipped cod’s roe, or house terrine, in a lovely warm and covered pub garden? Snowflake? No, it’s just nice to be like, dry, and warm. If you think that sounds much nicer too, then get a table out the front of the Canton Arms in Lambeth." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak

"Without doubt one of London’s finest gastropubs, the Canton Arms is the kind of place we’d like to spend the entirety of December. It’s boozy, full of molten Breville-style toasties, and has a fireplace that absolutely insists on “one more quick drink”. Christmas sees warming classics like chicken and smoked ham pie, dauphinoise, and a totally unnecessary but also necessary cheese board." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna

"The pub. The pub! Remember them? The scene of many a Friday night, as well as Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday ones too - depending on your industry, of course. Well the pub is still and always will be a good option, especially if its kitchen is as good as The Canton Arms. Foie gras toasties, roasted fish with Mediterranean vegetables, and hand cut chunky chips regularly feature on the Stockwell boozer-cum-restaurant’s menu. Also, there’s plenty of outside seating and it’s heated as well." - jake missing

"You don’t really know a great deal about this person, apart from that theirs is a lager and a pack of ready salted. In that case, going to the pub makes the most sense for all involved. The Canton Arms is an old-school-feeling gastropub in Stockwell that makes homely, Mediterranean-influenced food in its casual dining room, and killer toasties in the bar area. You know what you’re getting in a place like this, which is helpful when you don’t know the person you’re with all that well." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak