The Spencer Arms SW15

Simple things done well is a hallmark of the best British cooking. It's a maxim which the owners of this gastropub by Putney Heath – who also run Notting Hill's Zucca – seem to have taken to heart.

We visited on the sort of cold winters’ day when you long for some kind of winter warmer. Help was at hand in the form of an excellent warm cider punch, after a sip or two of which the world took on a much friendlier hue. This was a good thing as the sparse – almost New England – styling of the room is pleasant enough, but not especially cosy. The waiter was not particularly embracing either.

The menu was so simple as to inspire a double-take. Our selection included the fanciest choice to be had – salmon fillet – alongside such delights as macaroni cheese, a burger and chips and a bacon butty. Our expectations at this point were frankly not high.

Any concerns, though, were entirely scotched by the arrival of the grub. What greater culinary delight is there than a bacon sarny… if it's excellent bacon, served on moreish brown bread with a delicious pickle (a home-made selection of which are a house speciality) and a keenly-dressed green salad. A macaroni cheese ordered for a five-year-old was quite unlike any variation of that dish she had seen before: an eye-opener for how just satisfying simple food can be. Burger and salmon were less revelatory, but still very good. Ditto our dessert of home-made ice cream and plum pudding.

When more pubs can deliver effortlessly delicious, simple dishes such as this, British cooking will truly have rediscovered its roots. On a more practical note, this is an excellent Putney all-rounder, and a great family destination at weekends.