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Hattie Lloyd 12/07/24


The Best Clapham Restaurants

As London’s unofficial nucleus of Aussie expats, it’s unsurprising that Clapham gives good brunch.

But the other meals of the day are duly catered for as well, thanks to a restaurant scene that seems to be going through a kind of renaissance.

Old neighbourhood stalwarts like the Michelin-starred Trinity and Robin Gill favourite Sorella have recently been joined by the first south London branch of a growing Italian empire; an elegant wine bar with Parisian-style small plates; and a candlelit date spot with East London DNA.

Here are the Clapham restaurants you should be booking right now:

Crispin at Studio Voltaire

crispin studio voltaire clapham restaurant

After years of gathering critical acclaim for their Spitalfields restaurant, the Crispin team have another stone-cold hit on their hands. Their Clapham restaurant is housed in a fairly challenging industrial nook tucked beneath the brilliant Studio Voltaire gallery, which they’ve managed to mould into an exceptionally atmospheric bistro with shades of St John. Add in zippy small plates, tender steak and a carafe of low-intervention wine, and you’ve got the world’s classiest pre-drinks for Infernos.

Details: 1A Nelsons Row, London SW4 7JR Book a table at Crispin

Sorella

sorella

Nic Crilly-Hargrave

Sorella is Italian for sister, which is fitting considering this is part of Robin Gill’s family/micro-empire of restaurants (Darby’s, Bottle + Rye, and the like). 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. And it’s good – the place has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand (the Star’s more relaxed cousin) for years.

Details: 148 Clapham Manor Street, SW4 6BX | Book a table at Sorella

Minnow

Minnow restaurant clapham

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. Brunch is served pretty much all day, all week – all the better enjoyed in their dinky little courtyard.

Details: 21 The Pavement, Clapham Common, SW4 0HY | Book a table at Minnow

Lina Stores Clapham

lina stores restaurant clapham

Soho’s deli has taken a cool 75 years to live up to its name, having been a singular store for all that time. Since expanding to include a restaurant in Soho, though, there’s been no stopping them – and now they’ve opened a fifth restaurant in Clapham. They’ve dressed a two-storey space on the corner of The Pavement and Bromell’s Road in their trademark green colours, custom-made marble tables and opalescent lighting, where they serve fresh pasta dishes like 30-egg yolk tagliolini al tartufo with black truffles and a citrusy crab linguine dripped with juice from Amalfi lemons. And for early-risers, Lina Stores Clapham does breakfast on weekends from 9am…

Details: 22 The Pavement, London, SW4 0JA | Book a table at Lina Stores Clapham

Tamila

Tamila comes to us from the same team behind both Tamil Prince and the Tamil Crown – a pair of South Indian-style restaurants that share a laid-back gastropub vibe up in North London. And sure, this one may be stripped of its titles, but it’s still royally good. The space is simple sleeve lined with a few tables, and a couple of booths. There are a few paintings on the walls, but it’s not the decor you’re here for, it’s the food. And that food is reasonably priced, flavourful, and satisfying. The menu is short, but plays all the Tamil hits: roti, curries, tandoor specials, you name it. Definitely worth a shout.

Details: 39 Northcote Rd, SW11 1NJ | Book a table at Tamila

Trinity

trinity clapham

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 that, despite intentions to remain low-key, have still won a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The Sunday Lunch Club is a treat, with three courses for £40.

Details: 4 The Polygon, SW4 0JG | Book a table at Trinity/Upstairs

Bistro Union

bistro union clapham

Trinity became a very literal trinity when Adam Byatt opened another standalone restaurant in Clapham’s Abbeville Village, Bistro Union. It’s the definition of a neighbourhood gem: relaxed setting, friendly waitstaff, and a menu that bears all the hallmarks of Byatt’s Michelin star touch, while remaining deeply satisfying and unpretentious. Dishes like rare-breed sirloin & chips to share; duck confit with puy lentils; chocolate mousse with whipped cream and a cherry on top… and a stash of crayons, which some call “nice for the kids”, and we call “a great artistic opportunity.”

Details: 40 Abbeville Road, Clapham, London SW4 9NG | Book a table at Bistro Union

Knife

knife clapham

Every neighbourhood needs a good steakhouse – and Knife really cuts through the noise. They source all their beef from the ethical Lake District Farmers (who also supply triple Michelin Starred The Ledbury, triple Michelin starred Core by Clare Smyth, and triple Michelin starred Le Gavroche, which has now closed – but not because the beef wasn’t good enough). Fair to say, this will be some of the best steak you’ve ever had. Cuts on offer include a Shorthorn chateaubriand to share, Bluegrey sirloin and beautifully marbled Holstein beef bavette. The sides are just as mighty, with Stinking Bishop mac & cheese and roasted corn crème brûlée among the signatures. And if you’re wondering, yeah, the Sunday roasts are pretty good.

Details: 160 Clapham Park Road, London SW4 7DE Book a table at Knife

Berberè Pizza

berbere pizza clapham

Sometimes, you’re hit with a hunger that only pizza can satisfy. And for those occasions, you need a place like Berberè: a direct import from Italy where the team run 12 pizzerias across the country. They’re still using the same mother yeast from when they opened their first restaurant back in 2010 – which is a good thing, despite sounding precisely the opposite – and fold it into dough to ferment for 24hrs before topping it with quality Italian produce.

Details: 67 Venn Street, Clapham, London SW4 0BD | Book a table at Berberè

Brickwood

brickwood brunch restaurant clapham

Now a sprawling micro-empire across South London, Brickwood’s Clapham café is where it all started. Here you can enjoy the OG brunch menu that captured so many hearts, from home-baked banana bread with espresso butter to fluffy blueberry pancakes; hangover-busting breakfast burritos; and an exemplary avocado on toast. And because this is a bona fide Antipodean spot, you can bet they take their coffee seriously too.

Details: 16 Clapham Common South Side, London SW4 7AB No bookings

 

Heading up towards Clapham Junction…

Soif

soif clapham

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 a table at Soif

Ploussard

ploussard clapham

Anyone who knows their wines will come into Ploussard with grape expectations. And while the list here is phenomenal – orbiting around the Jura region where the Ploussard grape grows – they also turn out some fantastic food. Designed to share, dishes include the likes of beef tartare with smoked mussel & fried potato; lamb, goat’s curd & nettle French toast; oysters with frozen strawberry & elderflower… the menu reads like an adventurous flavour encyclopaedia, and it all just works. Take out the pain of decision-making by going for their Carte Blanche tasting menu, and instead bask in the elegant midcentury style surroundings, with warm, wood-panelled walls and soft globe lighting.

Details: 97 St Johns Road, SW11 1QY Book a table at Ploussard

 


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