The Clapham North, Clapham Common  

A microcosm for the gentrification of the area, this one's gone from being the rough hewed Bedford Arms to the über-loungey Clapham North. One of those places you presume spent as much time working out its décor as its drinks, what with the raised booths of the front of the pub giving way to the squishy sofas at the back. The battle over the colour charts saw a victory for brown and cream which does lend the belief that you're drinking inside a giant Aero. Drinks wise it's aimed at the shooters and cocktails market though it's no surprise to see Leffe, Staropramen and Hoegaarden on tap. Nothing too fancy in the food department: simple and hearty pub grub (big sandwiches, burgers etc) and they've also a policy of delivering lunches within fifteen minutes of ordering. Plasma screens keep the sports fans happy though their positioning does mean you can sit out of range if you want to. This one certainly pushes all the right buttons for such an aspirational area (Estate Agents will be rushing to include it in the 'local amenities' on their adverts for nearby minuscule studio flats) though we do wonder if it will keep hold of a regular crowd when the Next Big Thing hits this part of town. For us it just follows the makeover rule book just a little too closely - even down to the airing of David Gray on our visit.

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