On a Wednesday evening, my colleague Emma and I headed to Clapham Old Town to enjoy an a la carte meal at The Apollo Arms.
We arrived at the pub just before 7pm and were welcomed in to a dimly-lit, relaxing ambience with plenty of people tucking in to their chosen dishes and drinks for the evening.
The restaurant itself has plenty of seating areas and is particularly spacious – considering most things in London are compact and on top of each other. It’s a perfect spot for big groups.
As we pondered over the range of dishes available on the menu, we enjoyed a cold glass (or two) of pinot grigio – my favourite alcoholic beverage.
From steak tartare to honey salmon, and classic beef burgers to oysters, The Apollo Arms has something for everyone on the menu, including a selection of vegetarian options.
For my starter, I chose the burrata with sauce vierge, basil, chives and crispy shallots, and Emma chose the scallop, crab, and basil raviolo with lobster bisque and leek fondue.
Of course, we both had to have a taste of each other’s dishes.
My burrata was creamy, tender, and presented as beautiful as it tasted; Emma’s raviolo was bursting with flavours and had the most delectable sauce.
Our waitress for the evening, Lily, was extremely attentive, friendly, and recommended my delicious main course for the evening, the homemade pappardelle with Tuscan pork and beef ragu, crispy breadcrumbs and parmesan – this is priced at £25.50.
The beef quite literally melted in my mouth and the pappardelle was fresh and a little al dente - just the way I like it.
Emma’s choice, the chicken schnitzel with creamed potato, sauce Diane, tobacco onions and fried hens egg was the star of the show – it was gigantic and mouth-wateringly good – this is priced at £23.50.
Again, we tried each other’s dishes - that’s the perks of eating out with your friend.
We were both full to the brim after enjoying our dinners and sadly couldn’t stomach a dessert, despite how delicious the sticky toffee pudding with banana and vanilla ice cream looked on the menu.
I for one was exceptionally satisfied with the menu as well as the service; Lily made us feel welcomed throughout our time at the tranquil pub, as did the other staff members.
We soaked up the buzzy atmosphere as well as the remainder of our wine and got lost in conversation and spent roughly two and a half hours inside.
The price point is high at the Apollo Arms, so it’s the ideal spot if you’re looking for somewhere more lavish and sophisticated than your usual pub.
Nevertheless, the food and service was maintained to a high standard throughout our dinner, and I would most certainly visit again.
Address: 13-19 Old Town, Clapham SW4 0JT
Website: apolloarms.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here