Tucked away in the heart of Balham, once you enter Blithe Spirit, you may not want to leave...

The Venue
Blithe Spirit’s décor is very tasteful and eclectic. In the main part of the bar some of the walls have exposed brickwork and Andy Warhol-style pop art prints pepper the walls. There’s also lots of atmospheric lighting and large fleshy plants. Venture down a couple of steps and you will find a much more relaxed area with lots of squashy leather sofas and more art and there’s evan an attractive display of pottery. This is a great spot to hang out if you don’t fancy propping up the bar. There's also a mezzanine area which is largely for dining and with its large flat screen, it’s an ideal place to watch all the sports events. As if this isn’t enough variety, there are two, yes two very pretty outside areas for when the weather is nice or if you fancy a quick ciggie.

The Atmosphere
This pub attracts an older clientele so no ravers here, thank you very much. The average age is late twenties upwards. Predictably, the busy times are at lunch, after work and at the weekend.

The Food
The food is good, honest pub grub. There are some offers available such as one dish from the sharer menu and a bottle of wine (or 2 pints of Becks Vier) for £15. And there are some £4.95 meals available with choices like ham, egg and chips or brie and vegetable tart. For a choice of mains, the rump steak with onion rings, tarragon butter and salad leaves, priced at £10.95, is a really tasty dish and comes highly recommended. Most of the puddings are from £3.95 and include the usual options like sticky toffee pudding.

The Drink
There's a reasonable choice of draught lagers and ales, which are regularly rotated. Pints start from £3 and upwards. You can also order from a varied wine list; the cheapest starts at £3.65 per glass /£13.25 per bottle for a South African chenin blanc. Prosecco is £17.45 and the real stuff will set you back £46 for a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.

The Last Word
A great pub with lots of room both inside and out. A little gem in this busy London suburb.

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