The Ox on Clapham High Street: what to order and when to go

The Ox is at 50 Clapham High Street, SW4 7UL. It is a gastropub built around beef, with a lively front bar, a calmer restaurant area downstairs and a rooftop terrace. Book through the pub's website if you want a table in the restaurant. Prices sit in the mid-range (££ on most listings), and the full menu is at theoxclapham.com/menus.

What it is

The pub describes itself as a farm-to-fork gastropub focused on provenance, with seasonal British food, a considered wine list and selected guest beers. Its own site says all the beef comes from the family farm in the Scottish Borders. Foodepedia and London Unattached place that farm in Melrose and describe the beef as grass-fed. The booking page adds that beef and lamb are dry-aged on site. Look for the two cabinets at the front that resemble wine fridges: Foodepedia says they are for dry-ageing meat.

CAMRA also notes that the pub reopened with real ale, and First Table points to the guest beers.

What to order

• Steak. First Table says steaks take centre stage, with onglet or sirloin finished with peppercorn or chimichurri.
• The Ox Smash Burger. First Table describes it as aged beef with white onion, French mustard, gherkin and American cheese.
• Sunday roast. Kid Friendly London says the Sunday roasts reign supreme, and mentions a dedicated children's roast.
• Pie. Ideal Magazine says the pub is proud of its boeuf bourguignon pie. It was off the menu when they visited, so ask before you set your heart on it.
• Not beef. First Table lists whole roasted plaice with cavolo nero and Café de Paris sauce, and chargrilled king prawns with chilli, lime and garlic to start.

For a smaller order at the bar, the ox cheek toastie has been a talking point. SquareMeal found the flavour strong but wanted a heavier filling and more char.

Steak Night is promoted by both First Table and DesignMyNight, so it is worth checking the pub's website for the current night and price. DesignMyNight also says the Sunday roast and the Thursday supper club are always a big hit.

When to go

The Ox was open seven days a week at launch, with the bar and restaurant running through the afternoon and into the evening. Check the website for current hours before you set out.

The front bar is a proper pub with multi-screen sport, according to Ideal Magazine, so match days will be louder. The magazine suggests going through and downstairs to the quieter restaurant area. SquareMeal sets the pub against the party pubs nearby, calling it a smart gastropub, and says those places have sticky floors and an entry fee after 10pm.

The terrace is the other draw. DesignMyNight mentions a suntrap terrace and a tucked-away snug, and Kid Friendly London notes good buggy access to the terrace and highchairs.

Booking and groups

Reservations go through SevenRooms. The upstairs mezzanine restaurant seats 30. For a bigger group, The Playroom, the private events space, takes up to 55 guests, according to Caterer Licensee.

A bit of history

The site was Kazbar, a popular gay bar and restaurant, demolished in 2017. CAMRA says the corner building that replaced it opened in June 2021 as The Saxon, a modern pub on four floors with a sun-trap roof and a pavement patio. Polygon Public House, the family-owned company behind the Rose & Crown in Clapham, took the site on and reopened it as The Ox on 14 October 2024 after a refurbishment.

Early reviews described Pan-Asian touches. Foodepedia later found a menu firmly rooted in the west, so go for the beef and the British classics.

Afterwards

The Ox's sister pub, the Rose & Crown on The Polygon, is described by SquareMeal and Ideal Magazine as just up the road. Check its hours before you go.

More details: The Ox, First Table, CAMRA.