Where shall we meet? The Ship, Wandsworth

Weekend lunchtimes can be bleak times spent sleeping off the night before or sitting in the Ikea traffic jam. Or you could head for the river. The Ship stands in an island of old buildings amid the rubble of commerce. At the south foot of Wandsworth Bridge, it's a quick walk to the weird car auctions on the other side. This pub was one of the first colonised by the Colefax and Fowler gang as they moved in to Fulham and Wandsworth, partly because of its unspoiled interior and partly because its large terrace, fronting the river, gives a sense of being in docklands without having to risk the paintwork on the GTi. Wear a thick woolly and leave your softer friends at home.

The Ship, Jew's Row SW18 (081-870 9667)

(Photograph omitted)