A friendly, sprawling pub in an ever-improving area of South West London, The Leather Bottle is great for a variety of reasons and it has one of the biggest and best beer gardens for miles around.

The Venue
In a somewhat isolated location, up the road from Earlsfield overland station, this typical Young’s pub is a popular stop along the South West pub trail. It’s a huge venue with a homely, traditional pub feel – comfy couches and fireplaces are hidden away in cosy corners and photos from days of old grace the ochre, timber and chartreuse walls. It’s elegantly rustic, with the freshly painted walls and neatly arranged furniture achieving a comfortable and casual yet polished feel.

A bistro-dining area filled with natural lights sits out the back and it has floor-to-ceiling doors that open out onto the outstanding, giant beer garden that’s the jewel of this pub. It’s enormous, and can seat up to 250 people – a number few pubs in London could manage to fit in their garden. Raised decking provides seating for outdoor eating and out on the grass there are dozens of picnic tables and a BBQ area. With gazebos for summer shade and heated patios for cooler nights, it’s great for all seasons.

The Atmosphere
Like all good Young’s pubs, The Leather Bottle is chilled out and friendly. As it’s slightly off the beaten track, it attracts locals and those settling in for a long jolly on a Saturday or a drawn-out Sunday lunch. Hog roasts, BBQs, boules tournaments (on one of the three courts they’ve got) and the awesome garden guarantee large groups and a festival atmosphere in the warmer weather while for frosty days, you can’t get much more comfortable than on a couch by the toasty fireplaces inside. Regular events like poker on Tuesdays, a quiz night on Thursdays, and screenings of major rugby matches keep the happy punters coming to this Earlsfield institution.

The Food
An impressive menu mixes British pub classics like pork belly and bangers and mash with more imaginative, designer pub meals like roast pheasant casserole and Scottish Highland venison, fig and chestnut pie with buttered kale and chips. Good-quality products and well-crafted dishes make for an enjoyable gastronomical experience at the Leather Bottle, although a limited menu on Sunday, albeit with the inclusion of their formidable roasts, is a touch disappointing.

Their goat’s cheese and beetroot salad is delicious, with the richness of the cheese and beetroot contrasting beautifully with crisp peppery rocket and pine nuts with grain mustard dressing (£11). Although the food, on average, is better than most Young’s pubs, it is little pricey with most mains around the £10-£15 mark (although there are sandwiches and wraps throughout the day for around £5-£7).

The Drink
As always, Young’s is associated with quality ales and the Leather Bottle has all their signature ales on tap, like the light, dry and refreshing Young’s Bitter and the amber Young’s Special. Lager-wise there is also Foster’s, Kronenbourg, Peroni and the German Erdinger Weiss Bier on tap, amongst others. A notable inclusion by the bottle is the amusingly-named Waggledance (£3.60), also from the house of Young’s.

Their lengthy wine list (and additional fine wine list including predominantly French bottles upwards of £18) starts from £3.85 for a small glass and £15.50 for a bottle and includes some enticing options, like the bright and fresh Les Moulins a Vent Pouilly-Fumé at a reasonable £4.45/£17.00 (one of three Sauvignon Blancs on the menu) and the medium-bodied and fruity Bodegas El Coto Rioja Crianza (£5.35/£19.50) – great for matching with meatier dishes like lamb. There is also a small choice of rose and a good selection of sparkling wine and Champagne.

The Last Word
Although Garratt Lane continues to sprout a small collection of decent eateries and bars, the Leather Bottle is still one of the best spots along here, offering an idyllic haven from the gritty, bustling high street.

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