The Alma has long been a landmark in these parts, partly because of its location - it occupies a large corner opposite the entrance to Wandsworth Town train station - and partly because of its distinct, rounded frontage which looks unchanged certainly since the last world war. Moving with the gastropub times they now also offer fine dining under the guidance of head chef Martin O‘Brien.

The Venue
Similarly old fashioned but still smart, the interior is heavy on wood and divided into a U-shaped saloon and a small, more modern dining room seating about 20-30 patrons at the rear.

The Atmosphere
The Alma attracts a relatively smart crowd, especially in the dining room. Most are in the 30-50 demographic and it’s a mixture of locals popping in for a pint to mates, girlfriends and the post-work crowd from further afar all using it as a convenient meeting place. It’s relaxed and chatty in the main bar - noisy enough so that no-one notices the odd pint glass being dropped and smashed. It’s all a bit more low key and intimate in the dining area, not only more in keeping with eating but also very handy if you like eavesdropping on your neighbours‘ conversations.

The Food
It’s an impressively varied menu, with about 15 different main courses on offer and eight starters. Starting out with the roasted goat’s cheese, roasted butternut squash and pine nut salad (£5.95) proves to be a great choice - the squash is moist and rich and the dark oily dressing drizzled all over it works a treat.

You may deliberate over the grilled gazpacho soup (£4.95) because it’s an easy dish to get wrong, but choose it and you’ll be more than glad you did from the first mouthful onwards. Mains include a hearty but tasty beer battered haddock (£10.25), served with crushed peas and a fair amount of chips, although the vegetarian option of goat’s cheese, broad bean, pea and artichoke risotto (£10.95) is a tempting alternative. Opt for a roasted sea bass (£10:25) and you’ll be purring about its freshness. Rarely will you find better.

The desserts are also superlative: the raspberries and blueberries in the summer pudding (£5.95) are perfect, and the cider and berry sauce delicious too, while the home made ice cream (£5.25), again, leaves you singing The Alma‘s praises.

The Drink
A bottle of 2009 French red Domaine Virginie Lagrange Pinot Noir is one of the cheaper options on the lengthy list at (£22.50), but it is exquisite, woody and, indeed, moreish enough to hanker after another glass for an encore. Most of the wine list is above £20 but under £30, and although there’s an emphasis on French wine the vineyards of South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Australia and others are represented. The champagne/sparkling wine starts at £25-£200, and beer lovers will be delighted to discover that there’s Young’s, Bombardier, Peroni, Guinness, Hoegarden and others on tap.

The Last Word
The Alma really does it in style - a pub full of character, good beer and an imaginative menu of amazing tasting ingredients.

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