“That’ll be £5.45 please.” It’s considered bad practise to start an article with a quote. It’s disorientating; confusing – readers have to ask themselves questions like ‘who said that?’ and ‘what have you just bought that costs that amount?’

I bend to this bad habit to give a fair reflection of my addled state of mind at the time of hearing these words come from the barman’s mouth at The Waterfront, on Streatham High Road. It’s fair to say it felt like a knock-out blow.

I’m no mug – I know Fruli is a gimmicky – but tasty – fruit beer, but it is a guilty pleasure of mine. And seeing as The Waterfront has no real ale on tap, (it does, however, have an extensive selection of lagers and ciders), this was the next best thing to stick down my throat. But – wow – this was the most expensive pint I’ve ever bought in this fair land.

But let’s leave that aside for a moment, because it would be unfair not to make this clear: The Watershed is a nice bar.

The service at the bar was great – friendly, chatty and welcoming – and among the best I have come across on my boozy travels.

There are good indie tunes playing from the stereo – at a volume low enough to hold a conversation, but high enough to build an atmosphere – the decor is decent, with some nice touches such as rock-star photos adorning the wall.

The tables feel a touch functional but that certainly doesn’t stop there being a good, chilled vibe. The beer garden has the potential to be a very nice area (barring the noise from the High Road, which there’s nothing anyone can do about) – but there are a few overgrowing plants.

As for other drinks, there is an extensive wine and cocktail lists with bottled beer ranging from a reasonable £2.95 to – ouch – £5.20.

Other beers on tap, including Kronenbourg (£3.90), while still expensive, aren’t as astronomically-priced as the one mentioned above. The pizzas are around the £10 mark.

Still, the Fruli was, as expected, delicious and helped calm my nerves at the initial shock of the price. I’d come here again for a relaxing drink – although I’d be careful what I ordered.

The Waterfront, 426-428 Streatham High Road, Streatham, SW16 3PX

How the pub rates out of five:

Decor: XXX Good and there are nice touches, although it doesn’t scream ‘comfort’. The beer garden looks like it needs a trim.

Drink XXX Wine, cocktail and lager choice is extensive. The drink was very tasty. But there are no real ales.

Price: X I’ve never paid more than £5 for a pint before.

Atmosphere: XXXX There’s a good mood in there – and good music too.

Staff: XXXX Cheery service – despite the high price it came with.