Elisa Rossi, @happyskinkitchen, in Tooting Market
(Picture: Matt Writtle)We moved to Tooting 11 years ago. To be honest I wasn’t very enthusiastic about the area. We had been living in Earlsfield, we wanted to buy a place; we were first-time buyers without a massive budget and at the time it was just much cheaper.
We bought a terraced house in a terrible condition, which we have slowly renovated, and I grew to love Tooting. It has changed a lot, too. When we moved here there was not a lot going on in terms of going out, but a lot of new restaurants and cafes have opened and it is a much more fun place to live now.
Best eating and drinking
Meza is a Lebanese restaurant. The cuisine is big and friendly — you can get lots of delicious dishes and it is very affordable.
There are lots of Indian restaurants, which I think are some of the best in London. Spice Village has some great vegan options.
Vegan Express is one of the few 100 per cent vegan restaurants in Tooting and they do hearty dishes like lasagne.
For a drink there is Tequila Mockingbird, which is a kind of dive bar with a long happy hour.
Where I work out
During the pandemic I got really used to home workouts, but I do also like F45, which is a really high-intensity 45-minute workout with cardio and weights.
For a culture fix
There’s not a lot in Tooting, but there is a cinema in Streatham and its so easy to get to central London.
To commune with nature
We are lucky because we have Tooting Bec just around the corner, and it goes all the way to Balham and Streatham.
And there is Tooting Bec Lido, which is lovely in the summertime.
Grocery shopping
One thing I love about Tooting is the multiplicity of different cuisines on offer from all around the world.
Whatever you’re looking for, I am confident you can find it. For spices I go to VB & Sons on Mitcham Road, they have got a huge selection. I also love Istanbul Food Gate, where you get the best tahini, so much better than the supermarket.
In Tooting Market there is a stall called BYO where you can refill jars and bags with dry ingredients. I like supporting a business like this that is trying to do better.
Getting around
In Tooting I walk everywhere and it is so easy. If I am going into central London, it is always the Tube; it is much faster than anything else and we’ve got Tooting Broadway and Tooting Bec both on the Northern line.
Dream street
I love the streets like Emmanuel Road, which face Tooting Bec on the Balham side. They have these big, beautiful Victorian houses on them.
Something you only see in Tooting
There is such a multitude of people here from very different backgrounds and different ways of life, all living together peacefully.
You get people who have been here 50 years and younger people who have just moved in.
What’s the catch
The street cleaning could be better.
In three words
Multicultural, fun, diverse.
Schools
Gatton Primary School, Tooting Primary School, St Anselm’s Catholic Primary School and Hillbrook Primary School are all rated outstanding by Ofsted, while the majority of Tooting’s other primary schools get a good report from the watchdog.
Choices for older pupils are trickier. Graveney School is another outstanding option and Burntwood School is rated good by Ofsted. But Ernest Bevin College “requires improvements” so parents with older children will need to study catchment areas closely.
What it costs to live in Tooting
Buying in Tooting
Average flat price: £468,619
Average house price: £886,318
Renting in Tooting
Average flat price pcm: £1,706
Average house price pcm: £2,608
