The Bellevue, Clapham Common  

A few years of steady evolution have slowly transformed the Bellevue from a fairly decent swanky pub into arguable one of the best all-round watering holes in Clapham. The changes have been gradual and piecemeal, with a steady erosion of the mismatched pictures, gimmicky drapes and cumbersome furniture that once gave the interior a high-class junk shop feeling. Now the focus is very much on providing a comfortable, not eye-catching, experience hence the proliferation of simple oak tables/benches and padded chairs. The best elements of the Bellevue have also been maintained, with the bar continuing to serve a wide range of lagers and cask ales, and food that remains extremely succinctly, if a bit on the dear side. Equally, for those who like a bit of glitz with their bottle of Leffe, the Bellevue does retain its basic polished wooden fittings and smooth decor, its just that this nod to swankville is not as false nor in your face as in the past. Indeed, this pub deserves congratulations for pitching its tent successfully in the tricky middle ground between swanky pub and solid boozer.

reviewed:
27/4/2007

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

disabled facilities

ATM on premises

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