Rising up between the seas of Clapham and Balham, The Avalon, named after the mythical island at the heart of the legend of King Arthur, finally becomes more than just folklore.
Owned by Tom Peake, Mark Reynolds and Nick Fox, who have breathed life in to this ‘blessed isle’ famed for its delicious apples, The Avalon public house, with its stunning dining room, embraces its iconic English heritage, in keeping with its sister venues The Bolingbroke in Battersea, The White Hart in Kennington and The Stonhouse and Abbeville, both in Clapham.
The food, courtesy of head chef Marez Loukal, previously of Chez Bruce and Quaglinos, nods back to the 19th century with many hearty, slow cooked dishes, bold flavors and a dedicated steak section, all of which is aged in-house. Hefty cuts of beef are served with your choice of pepper, béarnaise or bordelaise sauce and hand cut chips. Choices include hanger, Scottish fillet, rump wagyu and a chateaubriand for two. Robust starters on the dinner menu include cold ox tongue with baby beets; woodpigeon with chanterelle and thyme jus; and winter vegetables with deep fried duck egg and truffle mayonnaise.
Mains include ten-hour lamb shoulder with anchovy and caper sauce; home-made pie of the day; stuffed courgette flower with aubergine and tomato coulis; and confit leg of venison with sautéed runner beans and star anise jus. Delicious desserts include apple crumble; coriander and hazelnut roasted pear with crème fraiche; and banana tatin with rum ice cream. True to form, traditional Sunday roasts include roast beef with Yorkshire puddings and roast loin of pork with Norfolk apple, both served with classic British trimmings.
A weekday lunch menu introduces more simple fayre with dishes such as fish and chips with mushy peas; braised white cabbage with brown shrimps on toast; and bacon, egg, broad bean and crouton salad. For more informal dining, the bar menu brings a choice of oysters (common London street food during Victorian times) from The Wright Brothers as well as a classic hamburger; Cornish pasty; pint of prawns; and scampi served with tartare sauce.
All menus are complemented by a strong international wine list divided rather usefully by style rather than region or grape variety. Choose from ‘fresh, light and easy drinking’, ‘quaffing fruity reds’ and ‘floral and aromatic’ to name but a few. Allowing for experimentation, over 20 bins are also available by the glass or carafe. A rotating list of top British cask ales such as Doom Bar from Cornwall, Hooky from Oxfordshire and London Pride as well as classic cocktails will also be on offer.
Taking design cues from the heady days of the Victorian empire, The Avalon mixes elements of a traditional tavern with the industrial and luxurious, thanks to a successful collaboration between Tom Peake, artist Adam Ellis, Concorde BGW and interior designer Hannah Lindsay. The striking highlight of the split level bar area is the bespoke hand coloured wallpaper created by fusing together a number of Sir Edward Coley Burne Jones (1833-1898) paintings. This includes ‘The Last Sleep of King Arthur’. Swathed in light by four large bay windows, each decorated with unique a-symmetric curtains, the room features a brand new 15 metre walnut bar accentuated by copper lamps, antique white crackled glazed tiles, original floor boards, two recently unearthed Victorian fireplaces, an olive velvet chaise and chocolate Van Der Hoe chairs.
The equally stylish adjoining dining room is marked by three metre wide, male and female chandeliers created by award winning designer Jericho Hands using reclaimed parts of naval ships, from the time when England ruled the waves. A bespoke five metre wide wrought iron mirror punctuates the end of the room which also features a silver ceiling, mahogany display cabinets filled with antique spirits and beer bottles as well as tiled walls imaginatively inlaid with illustrations from the 1853 editions of the Illustrated London News.
Previously the insalubrious pub The George, this striking new venue complete with skillful cooking, elegant design, charming service and competitive pricing dictates The Avalon is destined to attract more than just the locals.
The Avalon
Fact Sheet
Name: The Avalon
Address: 16 Balham Hill, London SW12 9EB
Tel: 020 8675 8613
E-mail: info@theavalonlondon.com
Web: www.theavalonlondon.com
Nearest station: Clapham South
