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Clapham may never fully shake off its reputation as the stomping ground for young professionals and rugby-obsessed Aussies, but one thing that is changing is its propensity for dreary chain restaurants and identikit bars. Dig a little deeper beyond the nightlife-obsessed high street and you¡¯ll find a slew of independent restaurants helping this leafy pocket of south-west London to carve out its place on London¡¯s foodie map. From homespun Chinese street food to Michelin-starred plates worth crossing town for, here¡¯s our pick of the very best restaurants in London’s Clapham.
Sorella
Until recently, star chef Robin Gill had a serious monopoly on Clapham¡¯s dining scene ¨C but with the knock-on effects of lockdown crippling the restaurant industry, Sorella was the only restaurant in his three-strong stable to emerge unscathed (thankfully, his flagship, The Dairy, hasn¡¯t gone forever ¨C it¡¯s relocated to Bermondsey, now named Bermondsey Larder, located on the ground floor of Bermonds Locke hotel). Fans of Gill will recognise his cooking style here: his love for fermenting, pickling and preserving shines through in an Amalfi Coast-inspired menu of home-cured coppa or saucisson with tangy chutneys, whole smoked mackerel with preserved lemon and Negronis mixed with home-brewed vermouth. If there¡¯s only one thing you order (aside from the superlative truffle arancini), make it the rich ¡®nduja and pork ragu served over hand-rolled pappardelle ¨C it¡¯s the ultimate comfort-food fix.
Address: Sorella, 148 Clapham Manor Street, London SW4 6BX
Telephone: +44 207 720 4662
Website: sorellarestaurant.co.uk
Sorella at Home, with Sorella favourites and meal kits, is open for local delivery (within two-mile radius) and pick-up via order.storekit.com
MamaLan
A true supper club success story, MamaLan is the product of owner Ning Ma¡¯s childhood spent rolling noodles and filling dumplings at her mother¡¯s street-food stall in Beijing. When she moved to London as a teenager, she craved the authentic flavours of home ¨C and after a stint running a restaurant out of her sitting room, she eventually snagged her first bricks-and-mortar site in nearby Brixton Market. Her Clapham offshoot serves up fluffy prawn bao buns doused in sriracha mayo, restorative bowls of chicken soup and plates of her mother¡¯s legendary miso chicken wings. Food arrives as soon as it¡¯s ready; the space is pretty cramped and you¡¯ll probably have to queue for a table, but for a deeply affordable, casual supper, this place really hits the spot.
Address: MamaLan, 8 The Pavement, Clapham, London SW4 0HY
Telephone: +44 20 7498 8288
Website: mamalan.co.uk
Mama Lan is open for delivery via deliveroo.co.uk
Tsunami
Squirrelled away down a poky side street opposite the railway tracks, this place could easily be missed. But with Mayfair-quality sushi at neighbourhood prices, it¡¯s worth heading off the beaten track for. A den of dark wood, black lacquer and flourishes of gold, the Japanese restaurant attracts a glamorous crowd ¨C plenty flock here for the elaborate cocktails finished with puffs of candy floss or flourishes of dry ice. Decadent flavours dominate the food menu: there¡¯s truffled rib-eye, lobster maki, miso black cod (almost as good as the Nobu original) and thickly cut, soft-as-butter sashimi ¨C plus a serious selection of sushi.
Address: Tsunami, 5-7 Voltaire Road, Clapham, London SW4 6DQ
Telephone: +44 20 7978 1610
Website: tsunamiclapham.co.uk
Tsunami is open for delivery via tsunamiclapham.co.uk
CLAPHAM RESTAURANTS CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR LOCKDOWN
Trinity
The holder of Clapham¡¯s only Michelin star, Trinity has had South Londoners aflutter since it opened 15 years ago. At the helm is chef Adam Byatt: his creative, deeply seasonal and French-imbued menus might include scallop dumpling in a frothy crab bisque or Anjou pigeon served with beetroot and a rich foie-gras and truffle sauce. Those in the know always call ahead to pre-order his signature tarte tatin for pudding ¨C only eight are made per day, and they sell out fast. Despite Trinity¡¯s pedigree, it¡¯s not all starched linen and buttoned-up suppers; upstairs, Byatt¡¯s small-plates spin off (aptly named Upstairs) serves tapas-style BBQ pluma, sea-bream ceviche and pig trotter croquettes to anyone yearning for his food at a more accessible price point.
**Address:**Trinity, 4 The Polygon, Clapham, London SW4 0JG
Telephone: +44 20 7622 1199
Website: trinityrestaurant.co.uk
St Clair
Clapham¡¯s newest restaurant has kept relatively under the radar since it opened last year. It¡¯s a seriously smart fishmonger, oyster bar and restaurant all rolled into one, where locals pop in to pick up blushing-pink langoustines to go, stay for a glass of Champagne and a round of oysters (we¡¯d go for the Gillardeau) or settle in for a full-blown supper. Ceviche is the real star of the Japanese-Peruvian menu: butter-soft tuna tataki scattered with crunchy cashews and drizzled with truffle oil; wafer-thin sea bass in tangy tiger¡¯s milk and some of the biggest, juiciest prawns we¡¯ve laid eyes on. Don¡¯t skip the larger plates: butterflied sea bass becomes a receptacle for a velvety mussel sauce and a side dish of lettuce with pistachio cream is a revelation, both serving as an extraordinary showcase of the team’s creativity and skill. Sparkling Carrara-marble-edged interiors add to St Clair¡¯s properly polished, grown-up feel.
Address: St Clair, 22 The Pavement, Clapham, London SW4 0HY
Telephone: +44 20 7498 2636
Website:stclairuk.com
Minnow
The flower-festooned exterior may lure in Instagram-obsessed Claphamites, but there¡¯s no sense of style over substance at this popular all-day eatery: owner Chris Frichot¡¯s parents opened Michelin-starred Knockinaam Lodge in Dumfries and Galloway, so he¡¯s got hospitality in his blood. It¡¯s a riot of millennial pink, pretty pastel-green panelling and monochrome mosaic, with tables spilling out onto the pavement opposite the Common and a teeny fairy-light-lit terrace out the back. Expect brilliantly assured modern European cooking: starters of wild mushrooms drizzled with truffle oil and piled on top of squidgy focaccia; mains of slow-cooked ox cheek with buttery parsnip mash and vegetarian-friendly plates of sage gnocchi served with roasted root vegetables. Come for Sunday roasts, cocktail-fuelled Friday nights ¨C and everything in between.
Address: Minnow, 21 The Pavement, Clapham, London SW4 0HY
Telephone: +44 20 7720 4105
Website:minnowclapham.co.uk
Bistro Union
One of the most long-standing restaurants on heavily gentrified Abbeville Road, Bistro Union has all the trappings of a perfect neighbourhood bistro. There¡¯s a superbly priced three-course menu packed with elegantly unfussy, seasonal British-led dishes: crispy curried hogget arancini, plump scallops in an umami-rich XO sauce, pork chop paired with sticky glazed fig and BBQ sirloin roasted on the bone and served with the fluffiest, crunchiest chips. Puddings are done exceptionally well too, with crumbles or plum-and-almond tart arriving in skillets with jugs of custard to pour on top. It¡¯s owned and run by the same team as Trinity (see above), and there¡¯s not an ounce of Michelin-starred stuffiness: daily-changing snacks and specials are scribbled on thick rolls of brown paper hanging from the walls and simple wooden shelves are laden with wine bottles ¨C and if you get here before 7pm, you can snag a ¡ê5 cocktail from the dinky metro-tiled bar.
Address: Bistro Union, 40 Abbeville Road, Clapham, London SW4 9NG
Telephone: +44 20 7042 6400
Website: bistrounion.co.uk
Mommi
If you¡¯re a picky eater, scope out Mommi: every dish on the menu can be made gluten-free; most are vegan and plenty forego dairy, too. Sharing-style plates riff on the flavours of Peru (aji-smashed corn, cassava chips, toasted sweet potato, chimichurri-slathered steak) and Japan (soft salmon sashimi, sticky miso-glazed chicken, edamame gyoza). There¡¯s funky street art on the walls, cosy black-leather booths for groups and a theatrical open robata grill where you can sit and watch the chefs at work. At weekends, Mommi transforms into a popular late-night drinking spot with guest DJs before laying on lively boozy brunches the next day.
Address: Mommi, 44-48 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UR
Telephone: +44 203 814 1818
Website:wearemommi.com
Joe Public
This no-frills pizza joint does a roaring trade as a pit-stop for hungry commuters ¨C the smell of wood-fired dough is the first thing that hits as you emerge from Clapham Common tube station. Sourdough pizzas come by the slice or as mega 20in pies; grab a stool at the counter, perch on one of the wooden tables outside or ask for a takeaway box and head out onto the grass. Traditionalists might prefer the signature pepperoni ¨C zhuzhed up with Parmesan and chilli flakes ¨C but if you¡¯re feeling adventurous, the decadent mushroom, crispy shallot, truffle oil and Parmesan topping on a creamy chive base is an unexpected delight. If it¡¯s too early for pizza, grab a coffee and bacon sarnie seven mornings a week.
Address: Joe Public, 4 The Pavement, London SW4 0HY
Telephone: +44 207 622 4676
Website: joepublicpizza.com
Knife
Huddled between residential flats on a busy Clapham backwater, Knife feels like a delicious neighbourhood secret, permanently packed with in-the-know carnivores. Suppers or epic Sunday roasts always start with a round of mini Yorkshire puddings ¨C best dunked in a jug of rich gravy ¨C but it¡¯s the beef that steals the show: thinly sliced, perfectly pink and decidedly homegrown bavette, rump, ribeye and fillet sourced from butchers in the Lake District. Load up on sides, too: there¡¯s an uber-indulgent Stinking Bishop macaroni cheese, sugary-sweet roasted-corn cr¨¨me br?l¨¦e and lip-smackingly good buttery truffle mash. Come hungry.
Address: Knife, 160 Clapham Park Road, London SW4 7DE
Telephone: +44 207 627 6505
Website: kniferestaurant.co.uk
Keep scrolling for more pictures of the best restaurants in Clapham
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Cocktails at Bistro Union
Bistro Union
Pepperoni pizza at Joe Public
Mushroom pizza at Joe Public
Brunch at Minnow
Roast at Minnow
Mommi
Mommi
Mommi
Braised short rib ragu at Sorella
Tuna tartare, smoked almond at Trinity
Trinity
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