Clapham pubs
Unspeakably hideous area of south London, populated by a gruesome alliance of dinkys, nimbys and members of parliament. Too much money, too little grace.
| The Alexandra, 14 Clapham Common South Side, SW4 7AA |
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My first visit to The Alex was in the summer of 1996, to watch England play Scotland in the match where Gazza scored
that goal. Quite a lot has happened in the intervening years, not least to Mr Gascoigne. It's been a few years since I was last here and I was somewhat concerned that the pub would have gone the way of so many other decent boozers and succumbed to trendification to please the Clapham set. As we ambled up the street my fears increased as I noted the sign hanging outside had been updated, but as we entered I realised nothing else had changed. Dirty wooden furniture encircles the central bar, a few unobtrusive TVs show the football and music plays at a reasonable volume. The selection of beer is limited, unless you're a lager person and the main bar can get very crowded but there is another bar upstairs which is generally quiet and doesn't have any TVs. Instead it has several photos of former Prime Ministers.
They say you should never go back, but for once it was a pleasant experience returning to this former haunt. In an age where it seems every pub is refitted each year with the latest trendy fonts, pastel shades and strange furniture, it's nice to see a pub can still be successful without resorting to the latest fads.
Reviewed by Doogal Bell, Jan 2005
Telephone: 020 7627 5102
Nearest station: Clapham Common, Zone 2 (40 metres)
| The Belle Vue, Clapham Common Southside, SW4 7AA |
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Not reviewed yet.
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Telephone: 020 7498 9473
Nearest station: Clapham Common, Zone 2 (40 metres)
| Bread And Roses, 68 Clapham Manor Street, SW4 6DZ |
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Not reviewed yet.
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Telephone: 020 7498 1779
Nearest station: Clapham North, Zone 2 (520 metres)
| The Coach and Horses, 173 Clapham Park Road, SW4 7EX |
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As I enter the pub there is an ear-splitting shriek of female laughter. After blushing and checking my flies were done up (they were). I realised that the source of the noise was a large table full of very drunk women and that the cause of the hilarity was not me but an unfortunate side effect of the cheap Happy Hour cocktails. Despite the fact that it's barely 5pm on Friday afternoon, wave after wave of 'trendies' descend on the pub like grannies at a Cliff Richard concert. In Clapham the words traditional and pub are not often found in the same sentence and this place is no exception, although it does at least lack the pretentiousness of a lot of the other local establishments. It's dark and music is pumped from the speakers. It's loud, but not excessively so. Two small televisions are pitched in corners of the room near the ceiling. The watching of sport would require bionic eyes from certain quarters. Rather unusually, there is a machine dispensing enormous Cuban cigars on one wall. The food and beer are OK, and staff and clientele alike are a friendly bunch. It's probably not saying much but this is one of the better pubs in Clapham.
Reviewed by Paul Melton, Oct 2005
Telephone: 020 7622 3815
Nearest station: Clapham Common, Zone 2 (540 metres)
| Falcon, 33 Bedford Road, SW4 7SQ |
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From a distance its awning, terrace and pastel exterior resemble an Italian restaurant. It isn't. On entering, it becomes apparent that we are in yet another trendy bar, one of many that have sprung up all over Clapham in recent years. It's a formula that is all too familiar: subdued lighting, dull beer and a clientele consisting of musos and media types. There is a terrace at the back for those wishing to escape the blandness of it all.
Reviewed by Paul Melton, Feb 2005
Telephone: 020 7274 2428
Nearest station: Clapham North, Zone 2 (90 metres)
| Inigo, 642 Wandsworth Road, Clapham, SW8 3JW |
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Not reviewed yet.
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Telephone: 020 7622 4884
Nearest station: Queenstown Road, Zone 2 (960 metres)
| The Prince of Wales, 38 Clapham Old Town, SW4 0LB |
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Stuff hangs from the ceiling and some people have to sit on garden furniture. It's all wearyingly pointless.
Reviewed by Fred Flange, Feb 2005
Telephone: 020 7622 3530
Nearest station: Clapham Common, Zone 2 (360 metres)
| The Rose and Crown, 2 The Polygon, SW4 0JG |
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I was actually looking for another pub in the area, but it was shut so I ventured in here instead. I strolled up to the bar and surveyed the fine range of hand pumps delivering the likes of Green King IPA, St Austell HSD, Caledonian 80/- and Golden Hills Exmoor Gold. As I was contemplating which beer to try, a young boy sitting on the bar stool next to me said it's report day. Having just had a job interview myself, I could quite readily identify with his nerves and knew only too well what it was like to be scrutinised. I settled for a pint of Exmoor Gold and set about trying to find a seat. This was not as easy as I thought it would be. Four o'clock on a Monday afternoon and Im struggling to find a seat. This is the sign of a good pub. Another good sign was the pleasantly mixed clientele which created an entirely genial atmosphere. Not just the usual beardy types you normally expect to find in an establishment that serves excellent ale, but young people and erm women too. Welcome to Clapham Common.
Reviewed by Paul Melton, Jul 2004
Telephone: 020 7720 8265
Nearby pubs: The Tim Bobbin, 1-3 Lillieshall Road (320 metres),
The Alexandra, 14 Clapham Common South Side (330 metres),
The Sun, 47 Old Town, Clapham (70 metres),
The Prince of Wales, 38 Clapham Old Town (80 metres),
The Belle Vue, Clapham Common Southside (330 metres)
Nearest station: Clapham Common, Zone 2 (290 metres)
| The Sun, 47 Old Town, Clapham, SW4 0JL |
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A wooden shed filled with wankers.
Reviewed by Fred Flange, Feb 2005
Telephone: 020 7622 4980
Nearest station: Clapham Common, Zone 2 (310 metres)
| The Tim Bobbin, 1-3 Lillieshall Road, SW4 0LN |
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In our humble opinion, the best pub in London. Food fantastic. Not too busy (particularly not full of the loud city snots that overcrowd most of Clapham High Street and Common boozers). Sister pub of the wonderful Bedford at Balham. Keep it a secret or they'll all be wanting to go there
Reviewed by Jeremy Boucher, Apr 2002
Telephone: 020 7738 8953
Nearest station: Clapham Common, Zone 2 (590 metres)
| The Windmill, Windmill Drive, Clapham Common Southside, SW4 9DE |
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Clapham Common is not the most appealing of London's open spaces, particularly on a grey January afternoon. It is more akin to the Essex landscape than South London. Thankfully it has a pub, and a decent specimen it is too. It lies on the southern edge of the common and is set some distance back from the busy road. The interior sprawls across several large yet cosy rooms. Its décor is a pleasant mix of Georgian and noughties minimalist, a style much liked by South London celebrity interior designer Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen. The beer is up to the usual Youngs standard with Bitter, Special and Winter Warmer on tap. The clientele include rich folk with boisterous dogs and blokes in for a quick pint after a kick about on the common. This place really comes into its own in the summer when it has the common as its beer garden.
Reviewed by Paul Melton, Feb 2005
Telephone: 020 8673 4578
Nearest station: Clapham South, Zone 2,3 (580 metres)
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