Balham Area Guide
About the Area
Balham—pronounced, Ba-lahm, darling—has soared in popularity in recent years. A haven for young pros, families and people with frothy coffee coming out of their taps, this once unfancied corner of South London has gone from not-spot to hot-spot in the blink of an iPad.
Not quite suburb, not quite Soho, Balham is one of those great in-between areas boasting all the action of city life but with plenty of space to breathe. At night, you’ve got loads on your doorstep for a casual bite — think sushi bars and pizzerias — or chug on session IPA at Balham Bowls Club (a quirky haunt from the now legendary Antic collective). When the weekend comes, sway to late-night DJ sessions at Hagen & Hyde, where industrial decor meets classic cocktails and great things happen.
Round these parts, the bright lights of Brixton are a simple hop, skip and jump (we prefer an Uber), and get this: Balham is home to that rarest of South London species… a tube station! It’s bang on the Northern Line (get to Leicester Square in less than 20 mins) and with a National Rail station to boot, Balham’s a great location for work and play.
Oh, and there’s a massive Waitrose. Always a plus.
