Having proclaimed Earlsfield as one of the brightest up-and-coming night spots in South London in last week's edition, it seemed only fair to try out another watering hole tucked away within this asphalt jungle this time around.

I must confess, I'm still not sold on Earlsfield itself (to me, it's still just a busy main road joining Wimbledon to Wandsworth, and little else) but its nightlife is slowly but surely winning me over.

Having sampled two excellent pubs lying within this pollution-soaked, commuter belt neighbourhood, The Halfway House and The Wandle, I decided on this occasion to venture out to The Pig and Whistle, located about 500 yards off the main drag at the bottom of Penwith Road.

This place is well off the beaten path but, rest assured, an everybody-looks-up-when you-walk-in redneck bar this most certainly is not.

Indeed, the clientele had a distinctly international feel to it as I swaggered in. But, then again, this is Earlsfield, a neighbourhood where the locals are about as English as Dick van Dyke, and probably the one area of South London where you will have the best chance of finding a citizen from just about every nation in the world listed as a resident.

The Pig looks as if it may have had a major revamp quite recently, such is the cleanliness of the décor and the smoothness of the bar.

The place was fairly busy during my visit, with a friendly, laid back atmosphere, an almost surreal mixture of different accents and languages punctuating the air. Unsurprisingly, I was able to detect a South African accent or two among the mix but, unlike in downtown Wimbledon, this unusual sound was all but drowned out by other, more intriguing tones.

Being a firm real ale aficionado, I was overjoyed to see an array of Young's offerings on tap, as well as Directors and Bombardier. There are also a host of ales and bitters available in bottles, as well as several lagers which, to be honest, simply didn't register. I went for Young's London Gold, and what a fine beer it was.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the Pig's number one attraction is its eye-catching beer garden. An immaculately clean affair, there is a grassy area with the usual tables and benches, but this is surrounded by a series of log cabin-like booths which run along the perimeter of the clearing.

The booths reminded me of old-fashioned beach huts, and are an intimate place to sit and chat with mates or, in equal measure, to spend a romantic evening with a date or partner.

In all my many, many years of pub reviewing – and I can still vaguely remember the days of £1.50 pints and shove ha'penny tournaments - I can't recall ever seeing such a welcome and unique touch in a beer garden. Bravo, the Pig.

Aside from all that, the pub offers a menu full of traditional pub favourites and there are television screens showing Sky Sports, so two important boxes ticked there.

With its multi-national clientele, fine range of ales and intriguing outdoor furnishings, the Pig has got a lot going for it, and is well worth checking out.

Pig and Whistle, 481 Merton Road, Earlsfield, SW18 5LD.

Décor: Plush and shiny. The recent recipient of a revamp, methinks. 4 Staff: A little slow, but friendly enough. 3 Atmosphere: Felt like a United Nations conference, such was the array of languages on show. 4 Drink: A fine selection of ales, both draught and bottled – so excellent! 4 Price: Beer prices were average. 3