Comedy club, live music venue and games room all wrapped up in the guise of The Selkirk. And with NUS and NHS discounts on food and drink, it's a bargain, too.

The Venue
Ask a Tooting resident what they think of The Selkirk and you may well be met with a blank stare. Although it’s only a three minute walk from Tooting Broadway Station, it is slightly off the beaten track on a road off the High Street, so unless you’re inclined to taking exploratory tours around the area, you’d be forgiven for never stumbling across its path.

As you near The Selkirk, the large sign in the beer garden slowly comes into view. In the evening you may find you cannot get a seat in the main bar, but thankfully there's always the conservatory and a second bar area, not to mention the beer garden. Although the two main rooms are separate, there is just one bar that extends to cover both.

The smaller room is great if you want a little privacy as it’s the quietest, especially if you sit in a booth at the end. The conservatory is an intimate room looking out onto the beer garden and comprises a long table and a few smaller ones.

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere here is lively and friendly, even on a quiet weekday afternoon when you’ll mainly find students taking advantage of the 10 per cent NUS discount. Nurses and teachers can enjoy this offer as well, so expect to spot the odd St George's Hospital staff member popping in for lunch.

Regular events are also held here, including a jazz night, weekly live music, a quiz night on a Thursday and fortnightly comedy. Behind the bar is a stack of board games from Risk to Scrabble and in the larger room is a dartboard and a television showing most major sporting events.

Outside in the beer garden is a sandpit for kids and a bowling green for those whose third pint has given them the confidence to challenge their friends to a game.

The Food
The Selkirk serves a refreshingly wide choice of food until 10pm every day, and changes its menu regularly. Typical items include rainbow trout pate with toast to start, 8oz rib eye steak and chips as a main course and a delicious cheesecake to finish. The filling beef burger is a favourite with regulars, and although it’s a little pricier than other places in the area, you can taste the difference between this and cheaper pub food.

There is also the option of choosing a selection of Selkirk Sliders to share, which are essentially mini versions of main courses, and you can get one for £4 or three for £10. The menu is divided into meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, making it easy to select what you want, and there are a few creative dishes for non-meat eaters, including mushroom risotto cakes and root vegetable crisps.

The Drink
Thanks to the long bar, there are plenty of beers, ales and ciders on tap. In the larger room you will find Tribute Ale, Wandle, Becks, Aspalls, Kronenbourg and Staropramen. Next door, draught options include Hoegaarden, Addlestones, Stella, Kronenbourg Cold, Guinness and Guinness Extra Cold. There are plenty more bottled beers to choose from too.

The wine isn't especially cheap with the house white Arien costing £3.70 a glass and a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir setting you back £4.30 or £16.50 a bottle. There is also Champagne available.

The Last Word
It's so easy to eat and drink the day (and night) away at The Selkirk that you might be disappointed when they finally call last orders at midnight.

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