Tooting has its own celebrity ecosystem. David Walliams once owned a pub here, and the Misery Bear YouTube shorts were filmed in a local flat. But the real star is the Tooting Market cat—a fluffy ginger who patrols the aisles like a furry mayor.
Fun fact: The area was originally called “Totinge” in the Domesday Book, meaning “people of Tota.” Tota presumably didn’t have a Pret, but they did have a river (the Graveney) that still flows under the high street. Nerdy, but cool.
The Nightlife: Low-Key but Lively
If you’re after a raucous night out, Tooting won’t deliver. Instead, you get cosy pubs like The Castle and The Grosvenor, where you can nurse a pint of local ale and listen to a folk band. Or try Twenty Nine Bar for cocktails that are almost too pretty to drink—almost.
For something different, Escape Bar on Mitcham Road hosts comedy nights that often feature future stars. One evening, you might see a guy juggling fire, then a woman doing stand-up about her cat—it’s that wonderfully random.
