The best pubs in Clapham

The best pub in Clapham is The Windmill on Clapham Common South Side, a Young's house on the Common that dates back to 1665. Clapham has dozens of pubs, from cask ale institutions to Saturday night party rooms, and the good ones are spread across the Old Town, the Common and the streets towards Clapham North. Here is where we drink, with the pint to order in each.

The Windmill, Clapham Common South Side

The Windmill sits right on the Common, a Grade II listed pub that CAMRA dates to 1665, greatly extended in the 19th century. It is big, with a garden, a Burger Shack outside in summer and 42 bedrooms upstairs. Order a pint of Young's London Original on cask. It opens early, at 7am on weekdays, so it doubles as a breakfast spot. You may still see it called The Windmill on the Common, its old name, and 13 of its rooms take dogs, if friends are visiting. It is busiest on sunny weekends, so grab a table outside early and stay.

The Pig's Head, 87 Rectory Grove

An Old Town pub run by the team behind Smokehouse and the Princess of Shoreditch, with a kitchen good enough that Maai's chef Nikita Pathakji calls it her favourite pub in Clapham. Drink the house wine blend, poured on tap, and order the beef dripping chips with chicken salt at the bar. It opens at 4pm in the week and from noon at the weekend. Book for food.

The Sun, 47-51 Old Town

The Sun is the Old Town's big Victorian pub, opened out inside and busy with a young crowd at the weekend. The beer is well kept: Fuller's London Pride plus three changing casks, with a top five-out-of-five Cask Marque rating. Food runs all day, there is a side patio and garden, and on Monday evenings there is an acoustic open mic upstairs. It is open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Falcon, 33 Bedford Road

Near Clapham North station, The Falcon is a large pub popular with families by day and party-goers at the weekend. The draw is the large enclosed back garden with mature trees, a barbecue, an outside bar and a big screen for the sport. There are three changing cask beers. Come for a long summer afternoon or a big match.

Bread & Roses, 68 Clapham Manor Street

Bread & Roses is Clapham's community pub with a stage. There is live music, comedy, theatre and sport across the week, so check what is on before you go. It opens at 3pm from Monday to Thursday and at noon at the weekend, and you can book a table online.

The Alexandra, 14 Clapham Common South Side

A big, atmospheric pub on the south side of the Common, with separate drinking areas around a huge central pine bar and an upstairs darts lounge with four boards. It is a sports pub at weekends, and the food is Thai, brought in from The Pepper Tree a few doors along. It is not a cask ale pub these days, so order a lager and watch the game.

The Bobbin, 1-3 Lillieshall Road

On a quiet residential street off the Old Town, The Bobbin is the neighbourhood pub you wish was at the end of your road. There is a changing rota of real ales and a seasonal menu with Mediterranean influences and daily specials. It is the one for a quiet pint and a proper conversation.

The Abbeville, 67-69 Abbeville Road

The Abbeville is the heart of Abbeville Village, with a terrace that fills up fast in summer and a Sunday roast whose potatoes locals argue about. Come early on a warm evening if you want a seat outside.

A Clapham pub crawl

• Start: The Windmill on the Common, for a cask Young's in the garden.
• Then: walk to the Old Town for London Pride at The Sun.
• Then: round the corner to The Pig's Head on Rectory Grove for something to eat.
• Finish: Bread & Roses on Clapham Manor Street, for whatever is on stage.

Know before you go

Clapham pubs fill quickly on Friday and Saturday nights and on any sunny weekend afternoon, especially the ones with gardens. Go early for a table, book if you want to eat, and remember that the big pubs by the Common and the High Street get loud late on. For a calmer pint, head for the side streets: The Bobbin, The Pig's Head and The Abbeville are all a short walk from the noise.