Welcome to The Regent, a delectable addition to the already thriving pub scene in Balham. This pub confidently competes with the area’s established venues thanks to its great atmosphere, wonderful drinks list and first-rate food menu.

The Venue
Initially, The Regent seems surprisingly similar to the Balham Tup, the pub that previously occupied these premises. In reality, The Regent builds on the (figurative) ashes of its predecessor to create a new space, which becomes increasingly different and distinct as you move from the front door towards the back area and the outdoor patio.

In the front, where drinking mixes with casual eating rather effortlessly without the need for dedicated areas, the brown Chesterfield seats and mix and match of tables and chairs remind you of the Balham Tup. Yet the devil is in the detail and the elegant accents are there to testify to the change of hands in management and atmosphere. Look out for light features dangling from the ceiling, large mirrors with elaborate frames on every wall, big candle vases and chopped wood in front of the metal fireplace, and you will know that this late Victorian pub has undergone a delectable revamping. The stained glass separating the space may look slightly incongruous but the large flower arrangement, including the tropical birds of paradise, and the ceiling-to-floor velvet curtain in pastel sage green keep things elegant and classy.

In the back area, things have changed even more: one wall shows exposed brick while another is covered in fashionably delicate wallpaper. Raised booths and high tables fill the space while vintage railway coat hangers add a strong personal touch. The outdoor patio, private despite flanking the street, has as much personality and a certain sophistication, with a mix and match of furniture and a retro touch from outdoor bistro chairs.

The Atmosphere
The friendly atmosphere is definitely one of the high points of The Regent. Young, unpretentious Balhamites in their 30s meet here in family-like groups which often become larger and larger during the night as more friends drop by. Some are eating while others are simply sipping on pints, engrossed in conversation. Clearly everyone is having a good time, as the air is filled with chit chat. The Regent is nicely busy on Friday nights but not to the point of packing punters like sardines: you will still find a table or will be invited to share one with someone else.

Slightly dark, the space is equipped with two plasmas TVs, and four projectors, so big sport events are popular here. The music, in fact, speaks volume for the sociable nature of The Regent - chilled out, upbeat tunes are the background at the beginning of the night, while some chart music is also blasted, a little too loudly, as the evening progresses.

The Food
The Regent gets full points for presentation and choice. The menu is concise and yet it includes many excellent, unexpected dishes. From the starters (£3-£6.75), you can pick traditional honey and mustard sausages, baked whole Camembert with sourdough and tapenade, or opt for an innovative baked pepper, fennel, celery, goat’s cheese and aubergine salad. The bread with marinated mixed olives comes served on a wooden tray with oil, vinegar and it is great value for money (£2.95).

The battered Cornish calamari with lime and rocket salad is another worthy investment. The batter is crispy and light, the calamari are served as strips (not rings) and they are clearly very fresh and only taken out of the fryer seconds before landing on your table. The vegetarian sharing platter mentions houmous, falafel and wholemeal pitta but in reality it comes served with extra baba ganoush, red pesto, olives and roasted pepper. This is available in two sizes: small costs £4.50 and a larger portion to share costs £8.

Within the mains (£6.75-£14), you can go traditional with beef burger, Caesar salad or char-grilled rib-eye, but you can also experiment with field mushroom and basil pesto fettuccine, tiger prawn fettuccine with roasted peppers, pork fillet wrapped in smoked bacon and more. The beer-battered Cornish line-caught hake is a nice change from cod and the hand-cut chips are fat and soft. The red chilli vegetarian burger, instead, is meaty and it is served with a quality sourdough bun, which makes chewing a bit hard but it is much better than any soft, industrial burger bun. There’s also a decent selection of sides (£3-£3.50) and the grilled vegetables are plentiful and excellent: smooth, oily and full of flavour, they are an ideal match to the burgers.

It is unlikely you’ll have space left for dessert (£4.50), which include homemade toffee cheesecake, caramelised apple pie and chocolate mousse. The latter seems the lightest option as you expect it to have a fluffy, airy consistency. It comes fashionably served in a Martini glass and its colour is just mouthwatering. However, there is nothing airy or fluffy here: the mousse is really rather hard and it is more like melted chocolate reminiscent of gooey brownies. The taste is very rich and as unconventional as it is, it may fit the bill for chocolate lovers.

The Drink
The Regent has a fruit machine but it’s the type that squeezes oranges rather than displays them on a winning line. The drink list is comprehensive and fits everyone’s bill with cocktails (£6.50-£8), a more than decent wine list and several interesting beers. If a simple pint is what you are after, you can choose from Red Stripe, Becks Vier, Staropramen, Heineken and Hoegaarden on draught (£3.50-£4.40) or opt for bottled San Miguel, Peroni, Sol, Budweiser, Tiger and others (£3.50).

There are also over two dozen bottles of wine from New and Old World (from £14-35 a bottle, with small glasses at £3.70-£5 and large ones at £5-£6.50). Try the Verdicchio for something unusual. Sparkling wine is just as moderately priced with Prosecco starting at £25 and a bottle of Bollinger setting the upper limit at £60. The Regent has also a separate clever bin-end selection including ten wines reduced from £17-£22.50 to £15-£18.

Finally you have a dozen cocktails to choose from. Many are classics (think Mojito, Cosmopolitan, Caipirinha, Old Fashioned) while others are twisted: the Bloody Smooth Mary includes vodka, port and Pimms beside for tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. Other tasty options are Swiss Time (Baileys, Frangelico, Kahlua, milk and honey) and the Raspberry Comet (Creme de Cacao, Chambord, cream and raspberries).

The Last Word
Whether you want to have a meal, enjoy a drink with friends or watch the match, The Regent has got everything you need for an enjoyable visit.

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