2 minutes walk from Clapham Junction (the back entrance, not the front, which is an easy mistake to make it would turn out) is Suburb SW11, a restaurant and bar that offers a fun, relaxed environment for casual dinners, after work drinks and late night partying, all topped up with friendly service and an exciting set of food and drink menus at more than reasonable prices.
The Venue
The venue is chic and spacious, with distressed walls, angled mirrors, zinc drinks counters and a comfortable arrangement of lounge seating. Large windows let in the evening light, and elegant lighting within gradually replaces light lost from sunset. There are plenty of tables available for enjoying food or drinks, but it can all easily be swept aside when the volume is cranked and your dancing feet start to itch.
A chic-set up with an industrial edge gives Suburb SW11 a cosy, relaxed feel.
The Food & Drink
What makes this one of the best places to head for a post work tipple is the Happy Hour, which stretches all the way through until 10pm for cocktails making each drink on the comprehensive list of innovative and intriguing cocktails just £5 each. Dangerous if you arrive at 5pm when it starts and see it all the way through until the end.
As it was a hot night I started with a gorgeous Frozen Margarita made with maraschino, which was extremely refreshing and not overpoweringly sweet. It was beautifully presented, as was my Ginger Sour that followed; a slightly spicy take on the Whiskey Sour, with a sharp tang and a smooth froth on top. For the non alcohol drinkers, the Soft Ginger made with ginger, mint, lime, sugar, strawberry puree, apple juice and ginger ale is a complete winner, with the gorgeous summer flavours of the fruit and the gentle kick from the ginger.
With all of this affordable delicious alcohol flowing, it’s paramount that stomachs be lined, and for us we couldn’t resist the Volcanic Rock Dishes: steaks cooked at your table to your own preference on top of a block that sizzles away at around 350 degrees. It’s up to you how long you want to leave your steak cooking away, with a recommended 7 or so minutes for a medium cooked steak. I removed mine a few minutes before that and had one of the most perfectly cooked steaks I’ve had in months! It was succulent and juicy, and my knife cut through it like butter (I think that’s also testament to the super brilliant steak knives they supply!)
On the side we ordered a selection of fries (sweet and normal potato), a few side salads and a selection of peppercorn and blue cheese sauces. The blue cheese sauce was thick, salty and creamy; utterly stunning with the tender meat, while the peppercorn had a nice punch of warm spice. Each pot was scraped clean, if not by the meat, but by the hot crispy fries.
We ended the meal with one of the venue’s infamous signature sharing cocktails. The Peachy Moonlight was made with Italian Lager flambéed at the table with Grand Marnier, perfumed with vanilla, peach, lemon and bitters and topped with a few ice spheres. Being beer based, it was bitter and refreshing, with a subtle hint of sweetness from the lemon and peach. A fantastic spectacle to have conducted at your table and a perfect way to celebrate a special occasion… or the approach of a weekend!
Flambéed drinks and Volcanic Rock Dishes are a must at this impressive Clapham joint.
Summary
Above all else, this fantastic little venue wants to make sure you enjoy your experience, whether it be your meal, your drinks or a special occasion, and that is a wonderful reputation to have. The drinks menu provides something for every taste and every budget, while the food menu is intriguing and delicious. It’s certainly somewhere I’ll be returning to, definitely to enjoy that steak again, and probably to make my way through the rest of the cocktail menu, because I’m never one to miss out on a bargain!
