The Falcon at the Junction: what to order and when to go

Go on a weekday afternoon if you want to see the interior in peace. The Falcon is at 2 St John’s Hill, SW11, on the corner with Falcon Road, right by Clapham Junction station. Order a pie, find a seat under the stained glass and look along the bar.

Not to be confused with the bright yellow Falcon on Bedford Road, SW4, which is a separate pub. Londonist notes the yellow paint helps tell the two apart.

What it is

The Falcon is a Grade II listed pub run by Nicholson’s, part of Mitchells & Butlers. CAMRA describes a National Inventory Victorian interior and usually up to six real ales. It is officially listed as Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, but it is very much the Junction pub: station on the doorstep, commuters and locals both through the door.

A bit of history

The site sits on the old Southwark to Kingston turnpike, from 1717, at a ford over a brook later renamed the Falconbrook. The name comes from the crest of the St John family, lords of the manor of Battersea, which shows a rising falcon. An earlier inn stood here. The current building dates from 1887, built as a purpose-built hotel with the pub on the ground floor, to serve travellers using the station as well as locals. It was listed Grade II in 1974, and CAMRA gives its interior a Three Star rating on its National Inventory, meaning outstanding national historic importance. More on the listing is on the Historic England entry.

What to see

• The bar counter. The island counter is claimed to be the longest in the UK at 125 ft. Parts of the bar top in the rear area may be modern or inter-war, so treat the record as a claim.
• The falcon stained glass. In the vestibule on the St John’s Hill side, the right-hand inner door has a falcon panel. The left-hand door says “Private Bar”.
• The window over the bar. Nicholson’s says it is part of the St John crest that gives the pub its name.
• The rear room. Stained glass panels show the pub before 1887 and in its current form.
• The fittings. It is a three-room pub with a carved wooden bar-back and cut and etched glazing.

What to order

Pies are the speciality, according to the Nicholson’s menu, and they come with buttery mash, thyme-roasted carrots and gravy. Online prices at the time of writing, which may vary:

• British Steak & Nicholson’s Pale Ale Pie, £18.50: blade of beef in pale ale gravy under thyme pastry, described as a gold winner at the British Pie Awards.
• Chicken, Leek & Tarragon Pie, £18.50.
• Mushroom & Spinach Suet Pie, £16.50 (vegetarian, with a vegan version).
• Flat white, £3.75.

There is also a separate fish menu with mussels in Nicholson’s pale ale, a soft shell crab burger and fish pie. For drinks, expect real ale on handpump: check the current pumps at the bar, as the range has shrunk since the pub’s 2014 refit, when it had 18 handpumps in the main bar.

When to go, booking and hours

• Monday and Tuesday: 11:00 to 23:00
• Wednesday to Friday: 11:00 to 00:00
• Saturday: 10:00 to 00:00
• Sunday: 10:00 to 23:00

Bank holiday hours may differ, so check first. It is on a station corner and gets very busy, with Sky Sports and BT Sport screens, so expect noise on match nights and after work. Walk-ins are normal, and there is a book a table option on the pub’s page. Cards are accepted. Dogs and families are welcome, and there is wifi.

For after

Walk up to Scratch Bar at Battersea Arts Centre on Lavender Hill, SW11, in the old Battersea Town Hall, a Grade II* listed building designed by E. W. Mountford and completed in 1893. It is a café and bar serving beer from a local micro-brewery. Listings show it open until 23:00 on Tuesdays, but check before heading up, especially on a Sunday.