BRUNCH IN CLAPHAM

SOME BELTERS HAVE OPENED THEIR DOORS

Front of Bobo & Wild, a Clapham brunch spot

I have to admit the words ‘brunch in Clapham’ do not fill me with joy.

I lived there and know what that can mean (pretty s**t places only offering the chance of getting sloshed – and that’s fine, but I wanted more). That being said, the last few months have seen some fantastic brunch spots crop up in my old hunting ground – I’m a little jealous they weren’t there earlier.

Not wanting to sound like an absolute arse, but most guides to a Clapham brunch are either meh or outdated. Or both. The below is anything but that – we’re confident you’ll have a wonderful time, be it sober or boozy.

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Best for brunch
Best for bottomless brunch

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Brew & Barrel

MY CURRENT FAV
OLD TOWN & NORTHCOTE RD


Brew & Barrel are an independent, family-run espresso, brunch and cocktail bar. That’s on their website. Whilst true, I’d argue they’re a little more than that: they’re on their way to becoming a Clapham staple. They’re already many locals’ favourite brunch and community hangout.

I’ve been a fan of Brew & Barrel for some time, having first visited a running club that stopped by (I hate myself for even saying that). Whilst I never returned to running, I kept going back for brunch.

Their Old Town venture has proved to be so popular, they’ve recently opened a second branch on Northcote Road. New branch, standards just as high. 

This isn’t one of those ever-increasing brunch spots that prioritises style over substance. We’ve all been to those kinds. I’m getting bored of them. Brew & Barrel have exceptional stands on both looks and taste.

They’ve got an extensive brunch menu catering for all sorts, including Bowls (acai, granola, etc), Eggs, Vegetarian and Vegan, and B&B specials (we’re talking a banging french toast, shakshuka, banoffee pancakes, and more). 

My favourites so far are the pulled pork benedict (the pulled pork is incredibly tender and juicy), as well as the chorizo and scrambled eggs (incredibly simple but hits the spot), and ofc the full english B&B.

Truth be told, I’m pretty convinced you can pick any item off the menu and you’ll be happy. 

Drinks wise, they pride themselves on their coffee and rightly so. They’ve also got your regular drink suspects: teas, smoothies, juices, bloody marys, mimosas, and prosecco.  

Quite simply, along with Bobo & Wild, Brew & Barrel has become my favourite Clapham brunch spot.


The London Butler tip: Go boozy for £35pp at Northcote Road. This gets you 1.5hrs of bottomless prosecco, mimosas or beer. 1pm – 4pm only.


36A Old Town OR 124 Northcote Rd; Brew & Barrel
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Bobo & Wild

A BRUNCH DESTINATION


Established in Shoreditch, Bobo & Wild’s Clapham venture might have only recently launched, but it’s already attracting the same level of acclaim that its Shoreditch branch is known for.

Bobo & Wild was born out of lockdown. Bobo, an experienced chef, wanted to create a go-to brunch destination and, well, without blowing too much smoke, he’s fully on his way to creating a go-to brunch brand.

A stone’s throw away from Clapham Common Station, Bobo & Wild offers a menu that’ll have you and your mates salivating for round 2, 3 and more. We’re talking the likes of field mushrooms on sourdough (throw a poached egg in and you’ve got my fav), truffle eggs, smoked salmon hash and delicious coyo hotcakes, not to mention some all-around brunch classics.

Not in the mood for a hearty brunch? Head to the counter where you’ll find plenty of cakes, pastries and focaccia goodies.

Wash it down with a proper coffee roasted by Bobo & Wild themselves – they don’t buy in brand-named roasts as they want to have quality control oversight. And this says it all.


The London Butler tip: Walk-ins only. Oh, and the beef pastrami sandwich is seriously good.


18 Clapham Common South Side, SW4 7AB; Bobo & Wild
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Willows

BRUNCH SMORGASBORDS


Taking inspo from their Copenhagen travels, Willows has injected smorgasbord-style eating to Clapham brunch.

What does this actually mean? Well, you get a menu with bakery, dairy, protein and greens sections – each of these contains a range of small(ish) items and you simply mark what you want. This allows you to build your own platter just the way you like it.

When I was first told about Willows, I thought it was a bit of a gimmick. After visiting, I’m sold.

I chose seeded sourdough w/ whipped butter, scrambled eggs, streaky bacon and a helping of mushroom pâté. Mrs Butler had banana bread and vanilla mascarpone with cherry bakewell granola. The concept may be a little left field but the flavours are bang on.

I said I was sold on the concept: it’s because you can mix and match; try savoury AND sweet without having to order too much food and pay a shedload. It just works.

Willows professes to be a champion of community and, if you’ve read any of our other guides, you’ll know this is what we’re all about. It’s an art that is fast becoming lost.

The staff are lovely, the food is banging, and the Clapham brunch scene has got itself a rising star.

Reyes Coffee & Brunch

BRUNCH IN THE SUN


I lived in the area so I can say this: brunch in Clapham isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. A lot of places prioritise style over taste, catering to Instagram rather than palates.

This is why I’m a big fan of Reyes Coffee & Brunch – it’s a little spot in Clapham Old Town that, whilst pretty, doesn’t have a primary goal of featuring on your latest insta reel. Instead, they’ve created a neat space to eat good food, catch up with friends and chill.

Reyes serves a combo of Spanish-inspired dishes and classics. My personal favourite is their Chorizo Hash (chorizo with sweet potatoes, red onion, poached eggs and sourdough) and Boston Beans (pulled pork with bacon, chorizo, red onions, beans, poached eggs and sourdough). As for classics, expect the likes of Eggs Benedict, Royale & Co, smashed avo on toast, blueberry pancakes, banana bread and more.

Now, Reyes isn’t the biggest of spaces and it can feel a wee bit crammed inside, but its front terrace is the perfect spot to grab brunch in the sun and enjoy the good life.

Last but not least, the bill. Good news! There’s not much of it. Reyes is extremely reasonable given its Clapham location and quality. So sack off Megan’s for once and give this quaint Clapham brunch spot a go.


The London Butler tip: Many head to Gail’s and miss Reyes – don’t make this mistake. We like Gail’s as a pit stop but it’s the era of independents. Support your locals as much as you can.

Nue Ground

COMMUNITY & WELLBEING


We’ve already mentioned that the subtle art of creating a community-led cafe is fast becoming lost. It’s a shame. But we do have the likes of Nue Ground fighting the good fight.

Created with holistic wellbeing in mind, Nue Ground is a community-driven space that aims to champion sustainability, healthy living and a sense of zen. Though this sounds like something out of a self-help book, they’ve managed to achieve this unlikely feat.

The space itself is pared back with neutral tones: it instantly disarms; a kind of ‘leave your worries at the door’ sort of vibe. It works.

The menu is very much on brand with a health focus: I plumped for a caffeine-free ‘super detox latte’ which was strangely satisfying. I say strange as I thought it was going to be pretty meh but, to my surprise, it was anything but – a life lesson in there I guess. Butler #2 had a vitamin boost smoothie and slurped it down so quickly that there was no need to question its quality.

Food-wise, their baked eggs (with rose harissa, sweet pepper, labneh and hazelnut dukkah) on sourdough is such a treat. It’s the perfect combo of being healthy and delicious. Butler #2 had a vegan breakfast and her ‘mmm’ sounds was all the feedback I needed.

It’s worth noting that the menu is pretty extensive and extends to things like healthy waffles, buckwheat pancakes, poke bowls, baked aubergine and alike. There are also sweet treats available like cookies, banana bread and chocolate tarts to name but a few. Oh, and all dietary requirements are catered for – a big plus point.

Overall, this is healthy brunching done the right way. They don’t force anything on you; everything is subtle (from the decor through to the menu), and community is at the core of their vision.


BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH



Ngl, if you’re after a delicious brunch in the Clapham area, look above – you won’t find a better list. But brunch means different things to different people: some want smoothies and coffee while others want cocktails and prosecco. If you’re in the latter part of the camp and your heart’s set on the area, check out our shortlist for the best bottomless brunches in Clapham

Bababoom

JUICY ‘BABS & FROZEN MARGS

Kebabs have long been getting a bad rap (somewhat reasonable given the 3am nightmares that plague the country), but they’re starting to get the reputation they deserve and that’s down to places like BABABOOM.

BABABOOM prides itself on offering kebabs packed with high-quality ingredients, cooked over charcoal, laid on pillowy-beauts of pitta bread, and serving up a variety of options that’ll even please the moaner of your group.

Not your typical bottomless brunch venue but bottomless brunch it can be with their ‘Power Hour’ option. Choose your food (more of that in a mo) and power up for £15. This gives you one hour of unlimited frozen margaritas. The slushy kind. The sexy kind. Not something I’d expect to go so well with kebabs – turns out I haven’t got a clue.

Kebab at Bababoom on Battersea Rise

Served open on those pillowy chargrilled flatbreads, tuck into the likes of Beef Brisket (my fav), Chargrilled Cauliflower (Mrs Butler’s fav), Chicken Shish, Crispy Halloumi and more. They serve open bowls if you’re one for staving off carbs.

Quite simply a beaut of a place.


The London Butler tip: An 8-minute walk from Clapham Junction station, Power Hour is available on weekends until 7pm.


30 Battersea Rise, London SW11 1EE; Bababoom
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Tonight Josephine

ANOTHER MEMBER OF PARTY TOWN


In a similar vein to Blame Gloria (it’s owned by the same company), Tonight Josephine champions the party life. As they put it themselves, “well-behaved women don’t make history. We are the Bande De Filles, Joséphine’s girl gang.”

What’s this got to do with bottomless brunch in Clapham? Well, it’s unashamedly party town and this extends to brunch. Be it a Beyoncé drag lunch, Mamma Mia, musical sing-along or even a ‘now that’s what I call brunch’, get set for drag queens, karaoke, bottomless Prosecco, cocktails, and a lot of dancing.

The menu is very similar to Blame Gloria – so come here for the good times and leave your food critic attitude at the door.


38 Clapham High St, London SW4 7UR; Tonight Josephine
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Blame Gloria

ONE WORD: PARTY


Blame Gloria is firmly in the ‘let your inhibitions go’ bottomless brunch camp. On steroids. I’m talking two hours of pure party mayhem featuring drag queens, singalongs, competitions and a shed load of booze.

You don’t come here for exquisite food; you get a fairly standard meal (we had halloumi burgers and chicken skewers). This is totally fine as it’s not pretending to cater to foodies. What it is, though, is a place to let yourself go and be unapologetically crazy. But not in a tw** sort of way.

Get your gladrags on, warm up your voice and get set to let loose. You can blame Gloria for tomorrow’s headache.


The London Butler tip: BG’s brunches are themed and include Disco, Mamma Mia, Gloriaoke, Icons, Back to the Noughties, Rocky Horror and a hell lot more.


89-91 Battersea Rise, SW11 1HW; Blame Gloria
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Let us know if you have any other tips for a Clapham brunch!

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After more Clapham tips? Check out the Butlers’ guides to Clapham’s pubs, clubs, coffee shops and massage parlours (we all need some relaxation in our lives).

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