The Best Clapham Restaurants

Go to Clapham…

… and you’ll do a lot more than just applaud the meat.

Because SW4 has a very respectable restaurant scene to offer, from neighbourhood Italians to cosy Parisian wine bars, alongside a picturesque terrace for Sunday roasts with BYOB and one of the finest brunch spots in the capital.

So without further ado, we present our pick of the best Clapham restaurants:

Soif

Soif is the third sibling in the the Brawn & Terroirs family, so it’s no surprise that it’s kind of an overachiever. You’ll find it parked at the northwestern edge of Clapham Common, packed with exceptional, lesser known wines from small, independent growers. This is a restaurant guide, though, so you’ll also want to visit for the hearty French cuisine. Expect the likes of roast chicken croquetas with aioli; sea bream with fennel and brown shrimp salad; chargrilled pork collar with spring greens and chilli; and charred watermelon, feta and black olive salad. Plus, there’s chocolate mousse or a crack at the cheeseboard to finish.

Details: 27 Battersea Rise, SW11 1HG | Book here
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Sorella

Nic Crilly-Hargrave

Sorella is Italian for sister, which is fitting considering this is the latest edition to the Robin Gill family/micro-empire. It’s set in the same spot as his old restaurant The Manor, where he ripped everything out… and, well, left it that way, giving the whole place a stylishly undone aesthetic with exposed brick walls and distressed wood tables. The food has had an equally dramatic shift, too, focussing on Amalfi-style cuisine with a glut of Italian aperitivi and spritzers.

Details: 148 Clapham Manor Street, SW4 6BX | Book here
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London Stock

You’ll find London Stock in the Ram’s Quarters, a development on the former site of the Young’s Brewery. And while both the restaurant and the development are relatively new, the chef heading up the kitchen isn’t exactly wet behind the ears – Cordon Bleu graduate Sebastian Rast comes fresh from the kitchens at HIDE. And it shows on the plate. The dishes all attest to the attentive treatment of simple ingredients, whether you’re swinging by for lunch or the eight-course tasting menu. And the interiors – exposed brick walls, cast iron girders – are quite handsome, too.

Details: 2 Bubbling Well Square, Ram Quarter, SW18 1UQ | Book here
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Minnow

Minnow is one of Clapham’s gems.

And it’s not just a big fish, small pond, thing.

Not only do the interiors give you the blissful impression of being inside a giant macaron, the food is brilliantly executed – from the Sunday evening roast (with BYOB) to the stilton gnocchi, confit pork belly and moules marinière that they plate up the rest of the week.

Details: 21 The Pavement, Clapham Common, SW4 0HY | Book here
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Trinity

Adam Byatt doesn’t really care for labels. So his flagship restaurant Trinity is, quite naturally, divided up into two parts. There’s the downstairs, which is a fine dining spot that doesn’t consider itself to be a “Michelin Star” kind of restaurant (despite the fact that it does indeed have a Michelin Star). It means there’s no air of snobbery, and no snootiness about what constitutes good food. It’s just simple, seasonal, and made to a crazily high standard. Then there’s the upstairs, which is more casual still, covered in lush greenery, and offering small plates & dishes starting at just a quid a pop. And frankly, if you can’t find what you’re after in either of them, then you’re impossible to please.

Details: 4 The Polygon, SW4 0JG | Book here
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Juliet’s Cafe & Bar

Brunch runs in Juliet’s family, so if you’ve dropped into the Tooting branch before (or noticed it in our London brunch guide…) then you won’t be shocked to hear its new sibling restaurant in Clapham is equally adept at the breakfast/lunch hybrid. On the menu: picturesque pancake stacks, an open hot smoked salmon sandwich, immaculately-done egg dishes to your desire with a heaping of hollandaise (scrambled on sourdough, Benedict, florentine, royale). There’s also a healthy  range of juices and smoothies (literally, too), while the courtyard – designed by Turner Prize nominee, Anthea Hamilton – is a beautiful spot for some life musings over a sandwich and coffee.

Details: 1A Nelsons Row, SW4 7JR | No bookings – find out more here

Like dining out in London? Check out the best restaurant in every London neighbourhood