The Best Restaurants in Balham, Greater London, United Kingdom (2025)

There’s not many places where you can enjoy a dinner in the pouring rain, but Caminata is one of them. The food is always on point, but the service is what makes this place a local favourite. Giuseppe made sure that we had the best time, even sat outside on a rainy July evening. We cannot thank him enough for making our Friday night!

Had a work meal here which was planned last minute and they managed to fit us in last min for table of 9, we then miscounted and had 11 which again they managed to squeeze some extra chairs for us We had a mix of pastas and pizzas on the table and shared starters Food was great Servers nice Would defo visit again Good value for money too Worked out about £30 pp with a main each, soft drink and a shared starter

We were recommended to come here by a friend. The restaurant is slightly hidden, in a fairly peaceful location, at the edge of a more residential area, just at the end of the "high street". The atmosphere of the restaurant is pretty cool and welcoming and you can sit outside as well, which we did. The staff was super welcoming, kind and polite. They helped with recommendations and were flexible when it came to swapping toppings on the pizza. We ordered a starter and two mains. The starter was a burrata (£11) which was pretty pricey, especially considering the size with a very limited amount of bread and tomatoes on the side but it was not a big issue. The two mains we ordered was a pizza & pasta. The pizza was lovely, the sauce tasted good, and the size was decent. The dough was actually pretty good too. The pasta portion was also all right, it was certainly fresh and nice, but the flavour could have been a bit more exciting. The presentation was also nice. The overall experience was good, but I felt like the food could have been just a tiny bit better for the price. The restaurant also has a takeaway menu with fairly reasonably priced options (£7/portions) which sounds great but it is strictly takeaway. I would consider coming back overall and maybe try something else.

wow amazing! We went this Friday and the food was incredible. We will definitely be returning or ordering a takeaway. I have allergies and the team were very helpful and knowledgeable. Gluten free pasta was delicious too. It was a shame the gluten free pizza were out of stock, so look forward to trying next time. Despite the place being very busy staff were attentive and food came out swiftly. We had 2 starters, 2 mains, bottle of wine and dessert and came to about £48 each.

The people are lovely that work here. I love there salads and they make great flat whites. I tried their vegetarian breakfast and it was delicious with it's North African inspired flavours. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a cheerful delicious meal!

The shakshuka here is absolutely divine! Incredible large serving size as well. Cozy atmosphere. Great brunch spot.

Amazing food, the tea was amazing. Really put a great impression on British Breakfast. I recommend the Chicken and Waffles. Their homemade syrup is delicious. I had the English Breakfast Tea and the Mint Tea, both were amazing. They had good gluten free options for my mom. Definitely a need to visit place.

Amazing Family run restaurant that make you feel welcomed. Food is amazing and the staff are very friendly. Never had a bad meal here. Really recommend this place. Space is limited so can be busy and sometimes there is a wait. However worth the wait.

One of the best Italian restaurants in south london! Bucci went above and beyond hosting my bday. Food was great, service was quick and efficient, atmosphere was lovely. Will defo be coming again ! Thank you Bucci

As soon as we entered, the staff were so welcoming. Despite the restaurant being busy, they took time to talk us through the menu and ensure we was confident with our orders. The food was delicious, I was compelled to order more for takeaway. Overall a 10/10 experience, I can’t wait to return.m.

I tried Bucci for the first time for a midweek dinner after work. The place had filled up by 7.30pm and I can understand why it is so busy. The staff are very friendly and the food is great. They have a lovely wine list and their portion sizes are very generous. I will definitely be back again

My husband and I had a fantastic time at this restaurant today. All the dishes we had were beautiful and the customer service was great. They were very attentive and it made a difference. Also the setting was intimate and personal. We will certainly be back and will recommend. Thank you.

Lovely spot for some fresh authentic Italian food. Had the bruchetta pizza starter, which was spot on. The seafood marinara was packed with flavour, and the pasta was cooked to perfection. The homemade tiramisu was a great way to end it. Would definitely recommend

What a great experience. Was lucky to get a table for 2 on Saturday. The waiters were super friendly and the food was authentic and reasonable. Highly recommend.

Excellent meal in busy restaurant. Highly recommend this place. Only complaint is when you pay by card the minimum service charge is 15% - maybe I'm just old and usually give 10% - 12%.

Absolutely unbelievable food. Pricey end of pub food but the food is incredible. The pheasant small plate is a firm favourite, alongside the carrot cake. Can't rate the food enough. Lovely pub and atmosphere

We went on a Sunday for lunch booked in advance which was easy online, big old boozer with a massive garden which I imagine gets packed in the summer. We were greeted and seated and a wonderful couple of hours eating delicious food love my vegan roast and the wine flowed. Great service and banter couldn’t have wished for more Cheers

I visited The Dev last week for a relaxed, sober evening, and I couldn't have been more pleased. The selection of 0% beers was impressive, and I chose the Guinness, while my friend went for the Lyre's Spritz. We both had burgers, and they were absolutely delicious— perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The atmosphere was welcoming, the staff were friendly, and it was just an all-around great pub experience. I'll definitely be back!

Had dinner here on Saturday evening. Sun was shining and the back garden was heaving. Had a few pints of estrella, hepcat and asahi as I’d been working on my house and was both hungry and thirsty. I had the schnitzel was very good, tender chicken and a nice crumb. The accompanying sauce was good too albeit I can’t remember what it was. The fish and chips and the steak bavette were enjoyed thoroughly and we had a side of bread and fries. All of the plates were clean which is a testament to the food. It’s good quality and decent pricing. Overall it’s a great pub with great atmosphere and great food.

Colleague and I popped in to Megan’s for a late lunch (around 4:30 pm) today. It was a very nice restaurant with lovely atmosphere and the service was very good too. Food was delicious, very nice presentation. I really enjoyed my late lunch today! This restaurant is also dog friendly so you can bring your dog along to enjoy your meal 😊

Met a friend and her daughter for lunch here and thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve been to a Megan’s before (in Kingston) but don’t remember enjoying it as much as I did this one. The place is a really good size, lovely bright conservatory, pretty decor and a fab menu. It was difficult to choose as everything sounds good but I ended up going for the veggie brunch. It was yummy as was my flat white with coconut milk (extremely tasty!), my easy green juice and my baklava & ice cream dessert. It’s a little on the pricey side for what you get but it’s in yummy mummy Balham so to be expected I guess. Either way, the service was friendly and prompt. I really liked it and I’ll defo be back!

I recently had the pleasure of interacting with Dev, and I am beyond impressed with the level of service I received. From start to finish, the team went above and beyond to ensure my needs were met promptly and efficiently. What stood out most was their professionalism, attentiveness, and genuine care. He listened carefully to my concerns, provided clear and helpful solutions, and followed up to ensure everything was resolved to my satisfaction. It’s rare to find such exceptional customer service these days, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. They truly set the gold standard for how businesses should treat their customers.

The decor is superb and the place has a premium and classy feel to it. Our waitress was amazing and had good recommendations. I ordered the open chicken kebab. It was way too filling. The choc brownie was delicious. Went here with a friend and definitely visiting again.

Went there for diner on a hot Saturday evening. The place was quite busy and service was good and efficient. I didn’t see on their website that it was bring your own booze but I saw it on people’s google review so brought a bottle. The food was delicious, my friend and I took the couscous and were both super happy with. The portions were very generous, we couldn’t finish it so took a doggy bag. Highly recommended.

This is place is incredible and we had such a good time. I had the lamb tagine with aubergine and my partner had the vegetarian tagine with goats cheese (which she said was delicious). My lamb was falling off the bone and the whole meal was superb. It’s also a BYOB place with no corkage costs. Would absolutely recommend this - service was great and decent price for amazing quality food - still thinking about it now!

Really nice food. I missed a bit of 🌶 ( my African side 😂) in my food. Lovely atmosphere, lovely staff. I couldn't finish my food and they even offered a plastic contener and a carrier bag for the left over. THANKS SO MUCH 😇

Lovely pub and amazing atmosphere! So much choice and the food came out so quick, we loved the quality and presentation. Service was so knowledgeable and attentive, they went above and beyond to accommodate us. We will definitely go back.

Absolutely gorgeous make over of this local so with beautiful interior design. New chef who has transformed the menu. What's made it really special is the lovely new team who completely on it. This is going to be such a nice cosy place as we head into darker nights.

Here for a Lost Souls open mic 🎤 poetry event upstairs where l performed .. first under night club floating lights and a bit of confusion in the dark. Atmospherics upstairs are definitely more nightclub, jazz cafe vibes than my kind of quiet reflective wordsmith sharing. Staff downstairs extremely kind afterwards guiding me to sit and enjoy the more chilled out space downstairs which is spacious and the bar stools extremely comfortable. No idea what the food is like as l didn't partake of any so l apologise if lve underscored there. The signage to toilets is quite clear though unexpected to climb an extra floor to reach them. I assume the downstairs area ones are more accessible. I liked the decor which was a mixture of quiet russet velvets, spring green and soft neons. The collages on the wall upstairs interesting. There's plenty of out door seating and tables to spill out into if inside is too busy. We couldn't take advantage of this as rain raged for a good hour. It's a fairly long walk back to the nearest tube and rail so for interlopers from north London it's something to consider if you want to visit and you're leaving post 10.30 pm.

Niamh / Neive was amazing, she’s been my waiter for bottomless twice now and always goes above and beyond, super friendly, helpful and hospitable, couldn’t recommend her highly enough, she deserves a raise! We also got free shots so kudos to the barman! Yummy food too, the Mac and cheese bites were wonderful

I reserved some space in the ground floor bar of The Exhibit for my 30th birthday a few months in advance. All the communication I had from their team (Eva in particular) was really helpful and friendly. I went in to check out the space with Eva who answered any questions I had. On the day, I was actually given a bigger space than anticipated which was great, and the team were really great getting the food out on time and helping with the cake. Such a nice venue and glad I chose to celebrate there! Thanks guys

Trendy venue, with a pleasant atmosphere. Came for a work event, so didn't try the food or cocktails. But I look forward to a visit on a busy evening. The only issue was the cold gallery and cinema room.