About The Avalon
Inspired by the legend of King Arthur, and named in particular after the mythical isle where Arthur’s sword Excalibur was forged, London’s premium gastropub The Avalon encapsulates the best of British. With a number of award-winning picturesque English gardens and several distinct dining suites, this gorgeous spot up Balham Hill in Clapham South is perfect for lazy Sunday brunches, intimate dinners, sophisticated receptions or grand parties.
Opening Hours
- Monday 11:00 - 23:00
- Tuesday 11:00 - 23:00
- Wednesday 11:00 - 23:00
- Thursday 11:00 - 00:00
- Friday 11:00 - 01:00
- Saturday 11:00 - 01:00
- Sunday 11:00 - 22:30
Further Information
The Avalon, a public house and garden on Balham Hill in London’s Clapham South, is elegance incarnate. And what an incarnation – housed in a gorgeous heritage building, The Avalon contains a number of sumptuous places to wine and dine. Accessing The Blue Room from downstairs via the secret staircase hidden near the well-stocked bar, you enter a palatial dining room replete with Georgian furnishings and rococo fixtures. But it isn’t all old fashioned – The Blue Room features state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment for the perfect private party. In summer months, al fresco dining is well-rewarded out in The Avalon’s peaceful courtyard. As if you weren’t already spoiled for choice, the side garden has been attracting rave reviews as one of the best pub gardens in all of London.
The Avalon’s menus are extensive – just a brief overview would have to cover their popular weekday lunches plus their equally popular weekend menu, in addition to sophisticated brunches and dinners. Extra-special menus include the barbecue menu, served on the courtyard by appointment only, The Blue Room’s 4-course degustation menu, annual Christmas and New Year’s menus, and a little one for the kids. The Avalon is a proud addition to Clapham South, and to all of London. Make sure you reserve well in advance, this gem atop Balham Hill is justifiably as mobbed as the Round Table.
245 Reviews
Good food, nice place, excellent staff. As gastro pubs goes in this neck of the woods it's worth travelling to. Close to the tube and bus routes. Try it next sunday
We have discovered the Avalon pub a couple of weeks ago. We would always pass by on the bus but we have never stopped there before! What a nice surprise! Super nice food (especially tasty pizzas) and the back garden...a gem! We love it now!
The staff were very accommodating and friendly . Food was very nice and came surprisingly quickly considering there was a very large group of us
Excellent service and food. Easy to find, good location. Good wine list with a number of good wines from all over the world. Good garden too.
The food was delicious & the outside space was fantastic. It was only a shame that I can't say the same about the staff. The bar staff and most of the waitresses were lovely but one waitress told us we were in the wrong reserved table (I have booked through quandoo and the table had my name on it) and we would have to move (after being there for half an hour and we had ordered food & drinks) when I said I had made the reservation she said she would speak to her manager. About 10 minutes later, the lady who I assume was the manager came over to tell us to move and that there were 2 people with the same name and the correct one had arrived so we had to move to an inside table. I said I had booked an outside table and she said "did you ring up to confirm this" which I hadn't as I didn't know I needed to. She was extremely rude about this, not what you would expect from a manager, at this point our food arrived and we were unsure if we could eat it there or not, the waiters stood holding our food unsure what to do. We were then told by the manager to "just eat it there" no apology about the mix up, no acknowledgement that they maybe should have put the surname on the reserved tables if 2peoole have the same name. It was a shame as it very much put a dampner on our evening, you don't expect to be spoken to like that by any member of staff, least of all a manager. As I say the food was nice when we were allowed to eat but I don't think we shall be returning.
I had family visiting and they had been here before. My sister was gagging for a steak, so where else would you go to? They have the best steaks in south London. We were on a timeframe and I told the waiter we needed to leave before a certain time to ensure we had food before we had to leave. The dinner was good, service good and the waiter even came and told us the time when I said we need to leave - excellent service. The only downside to the place is... the Mens stinky toilets :-( By the way, they have a fabulous garden at the back :-)
Lovely food as always! The staff are excellent and the food comes quickly! Very good service and I really like that the staff just come and check with you that everything is okay. And that they refill water without need for asking! It´s not long until next time I´ll have a dinner at The Avalon!
I wanted to book an area for about 14 people for my daughter's 30 th birthday and to have bubbly and cake when everyone had arrived. I found the booking process easy and the staff extremely helpful when I did this. When we arrived at the Avalon the tables had been reserved and were in a good place near the windows. Staff so helpful did everything I had asked . Food also was delicious and everyone enjoyed. For me the 1 drawback was that the FA cup semi finals were being televised so I found it rather noisy but I am sure the youngsters didn't! Really pleased with the whole afternoon/evening. Many thanks to the Avalon staff and Frankie who helped make it so enjoyable.
Overall we had a lovely Sunday lunch at The Avalon. However, our waitress did not seem to understand our questions - when we asked if the gravy on the vegetarian roast was vegetarian she said yes and then said it had beef in. We therefore ordered without the gravy but this dish was fairly dry as a result - it would be much better if vegetarian gravy was provided on a vegetarian option.
It was a very enjoyable evening in comfortable surroundings. All four of us had steaks which were cooked with a good deal of pink - which I like for a medium rare. Great chips and peppercorn sauce, The staff were attentive as needed and quick to clear and serve. The only thing I didn't like at all was the dessert, a passion fruit and raspberry Eton mess. For an Eton mess it was 90 cream and 10 meringue. I don't think thees many people who want to eat a entire glass of whipped cream. I suggest they rethink this dessert as it was extremely disappointing.
The staff are wonderfully friendly but the food was horrible. I had a hanger steak and was advised to have it medium to rare otherwise the meat was tough. I had it rare and it came out blue and it had gristle in it. It was horrible. Then the guy wouldn't change it cause he said I had eaten over half of it!!! Offered me a free dessert (standard) but I said no and he ended up taking it off the bill. Dinner ended up being salad and fries! This is the second time out of three over the last 6 weeks where the food has been really bad. All I would say about my other experience is avoid the lasagne at all costs!
I know the Avalon well and have eaten there before. I took advantage of the generous January 50% voucher which was very worthwhile. The food was good but as one would expect from a gastro(?)pub. The duck was a little too smothered in gravy and would have benefitted from a hint of green veg rather than the watercress garnish. The pizza is always good value but could do with slightly more topping as the crust was quite dry. On the whole - good and I would expect to return again.
Went here on a Friday night. I've eaten at the Avalon a couple of times before & its generally good. Tonight though the service was quite slow. Had to call the waiter over to take our order. He did have good knowledge of the menu though. Also, there was a table of around 10 young guys who seemed to be doing shots & were extremely noisy to the point my friend and I couldn't hear ourselves speaking. Had it been my restaurant, I would have asked them to pipe down. In terms of the food, couldn't fault it. Very good for the price. House white is pretty decent too.
This was not the first time we have visited The Avalon because it consistently serves good quality pub grub with fantastic service. The drinks selection is pretty awesome too, especially the house Malbec.
Went to the Avalon for dinner on a Friday, we sat in the restaurant which had a great atmosphere. We were served by a mixture of 3 or 4 different people but on the whole staff were friendly and helpful, especially when we had to query our order. Overall a great experience, delicious steak - will definitely be back even if just for a drink
The meal was very enjoyable. The steaks were especially good though the peppercorn sauce was unusual. The staff were very friendly and they fussed over our dog who had a fabulous time and a wonderful meal. The atmosphere is positive. We really enjoy the Avelon and the fact that we can take our fur-baby out for dinner with us. Sometimes it's hard to find something you like on the menu. The food can get a bit pretentious.
Booked a table for the Rugby match (England v Australia), initially there wasnt a table available through to the evening however Daniel and his team kept my details and called me that day to say they had received a cancellation, so THANK YOU! You made our day (even though we lost) - Great venue, great staff and a great day/evening overall!
Another enjoyable evening was spent with friends at the Avalon. Great food, the service started very well, however as the restaurant got busier the service was average. Two pies were brought from the kitchen and the staff didn't known which was the lamb and which was the beef. They only downfall of this place is the noise that comes through from the bar making it hard to hear when you are eating.
The Avalon is what a good pub should be which is q greta place to sit, relax and spend time with friends. Good beer, decent food, dog friendly, engaging & friendly staff, great outdoor space.
Very nice place! The food is good and the waiters are very kind. We have choosen this restaurant as it is a family pub and we can confirmed that the children are very well-welcomed. The booking via quandoo worked very well, our table was booked appropriately according to our requests (pub space in sofa!).
Always a good party vibe at the Avalon and we're big fans of the place. But sometimes the food can be hit and miss and this time the steak wasn't a good cut of beef and was a bit tough. The restaurant was a bit busy when we got there but service could have been better - sat there for 20mins+ before someone asked if we wanted a drink... Stuff happens but this wasn't one of their better nights.
Cold food, sent back, re fried...... Not good. Everything looked like it had been sat under the lamps for a good while and lacked taste and seemed out of proportion. Fish & chips for example came with the tiniest side of mushy peas and a massive amount of cold chips. Clumsy and ugly. Looked like it was thrown on the plate. Seems to be some serious problems in the kitchen. We were not the only ones sending food back. Excellent waiting staff but they were racing around trying to cope with the issues and serve people. Far to many customers to handle with the problems.
Came after a recommendation and had a delicious Sunday roast. The Avalon has a lovely atmosphere and great service, would definitely go back and recommend on.
The Avalon is a great pub, fab food with friendly and helpful staff. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and we will definitely be back soon.
Lovely Sunday roast - we had chicken, and it was one of the nicest pieces of chicken I have ever had! It was also Father's Day and they gave my dad a free pint on the house! The service was brilliant, out waiter couldn't have been friendlier. Would highly recommend.
Had a fabulous Christmas Dinner at The Avalon. The staff were very attentive and efficient! Would have been a 6 but for the table being wedged on a corner. ;)
This is not the first time i have visited The Avalon, service and food have been consistently good. Lovely outdoor gardens and great drink selection.
Great food, friendly staff with a welcoming attitude towards babies and kids. The decorate your own fairy cake was a great idea for kids' pudding - buys more time for adults to enjoy the delicious food! Also has an extensive wine list. Baby change facilities are available and unisex which makes a nice change from the usual. Would highly recommend.
The pizza's at the Avalon are amazing. The service at the Avalon is always consistent, friendly and efficient. The place has a great atmosphere and one of the best pub gardens in South West London for the warmer months, plus they're dog friendly throughout the whole place.
The staff were really helpful and friendly. Great ambience as lots of Xmas parties on coupled with the football and rugby. Food was very good, had s bit of a wait due to it being extremely budy. Staff coped well with the pressure. Definitely go there again.
Great lunch! The space in The Avalon is perfect for families or big groups. It has a lovely light feeling in the room and the food is great.
Always great food and atmosphere. My favourite local and perfect for a nice dinner for an occasion, which is why we were there, although any reason is good enough, really! Had to wait quite a while for our food this time, but that isn't usual. The fish with a crayfish sauce and samphire was fab!
Food was excellent. Service was slow at the start, it took ages to be served (even just for wine). Too much spillover from the bar, we tried to have a nice quiet romantic dinner but there were rowdy groups of individuals nearby and we had to shout at each other to make conversation. It would have been good if they closed this off a bit from the bar
We enjoyed a very pleasant evening at The Avalon. The staff were welcoming, friendly and helpful. The food, however, was a bit "hit and miss". We'll be back if we're in the neighbourhood again.
Great food as always with attentive service. Always reasonable priced with lots to choose from on the menu, plus the added daily specials. I love the fact they always look after my dog, with a bowl of water and treats on the table, before I even have a glass of wine in my hand.
Good food, reasonable price, prompt and attentive service - not too intrusive, nice atmosphere. Enjoyed The Avalon. Wish you could pick seats, but overall very nice evening.
I've not been to The Avalon for a while, and pleased little has changed. Great food, and friendly helpful staff help made it a great evening.
All in all I would say my experience was good, but not great. There was a large party next to us which meant the service was below par and also two of the choices our table made weren't available and we only found out after ordering, the waiter should have known. Also the time between starter and main was longer than I would have wanted.
Lovely atmosphere , been in the back garden and inside. Down side, back garden got closed at 20.45 and we had to move. Shame as it was such a lovely weather and if garden not used now then when ? In winter ?? But overall lovely, I'll go there again.
Lovely waiter who answered all our questions and was very friendly. Great speedy and considerate service e.g. unlimited water refills without asking, always checking that we had all we needed. Delicious food, slightly large portions but all very satisfied with each of our three courses! Lovely decor inside too.
The food was delicious and service was very friendly. We ordered the braised beef and beef and ale pie (from the specials board)...Please add the pie to your menu, it was amazing! We will be back for sure. It was a perfect dinner for a special occasion. Thank you!
I have eaten at the Avalon about 12 times over the past 2 years. However this time was disappointing. Tasteless carrot soup, and overcooked long grain white rice being served as the Risotto dish, instead of Arborio or Carnaroli rice. On sending the risotto back the server explained the Chef also agreed long grain rice had been used, with no explanation why! Secondly we had to as 3 times for our drinks to arrive and the service was far from attentive. The bar was busy, however the restaurant was the most empty I had seen it in 2 years. My final dish was fantastic, and yes my main course was removed from the bill - however it was overall a disappointing experience.
Generally a good experience. Quite noisy and table service was unpredictable - we were checked a dozen times to see what we wanted to drink and then left alone a little too long when the third guest arrived: can't win them all. I'd still go back again thought
All good generally. They missed off my food order though and I was the first to order at a large table and then they were out of what I wanted so that was disappointing! But otherwise a v. nice night and fun. The staff were friendly and accommodating.
This restaurant is very noisy! It's enclosed in a high ceiling room which seems to amplify the sound. If you go on a Friday or Saturday night it is even worse as they have a lively music filled bar. We went on a Saturday night and had to shout across the table to one another to be heard. The food was good, not great. The wine list was good, plenty of choice. Service was a little over stretched but friendly.
Friendly attentive staff as always, food was tasty and well presented. A little disappointed on our visit this time there were quite a number of items not available on the menu, but I'm sure this was out of their control, as we've never experienced this before.
Food was lovely. Staff were polite and friendly though their presence fluctuated throughout the evening. Warning if going on a Saturday night-I left with a hoarse voice as the music from the bar kept getting cranked up through the the night and even for a table for 2 you had to resort to shouting to be heard.
We had a lovely meal for mother's day. The service was excellent and the food was great. Our kids loved their meals too and the portion sizes were just right. I look fowrard to coming back. Thank you.
Good service and nice food although the fish goujon wrap was pretty small. It was described as a 'fish cigar' by my friend who had a delicious looking and huge New York sandwich! There could have been more substance to it considering the price
Nice big pub with a more formal restaurant at the back. They were showing the rugby the day I visited so it was very busy, with tables filled by 1:30pm. So, book in advance! The food was nice and the drinks were good, but very pricey. Overall it was nice but I won;t rush back.