Where to drink in The Junction, SW11
Four places to drink around Clapham Junction station, from a beer garden on St John’s Hill to a late bar in the old Arding & Hobbs.
By Clapham London Editorial
Start on St John’s Hill for a proper pub with a garden, head to St John’s Road for a big late night, or walk to the Northcote Road end for a busy bar with live music. One note first: The Junction is the local name for the Clapham Junction area, which sits in Battersea, SW11, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is not Clapham Common, but it is the stretch people mean when they search for bars in The Junction, and everything below is a short walk from the station.
The area is promoted by Visit Clapham Junction as a place with a range of bars, pubs and clubs close to the station. Here is what each of these four is good for.
The Junction, St John’s Hill: the classic pub with a garden
Confusingly, one of the best-known pubs here is also called The Junction. It is at 36 St John’s Hill, SW11 1SA, just up the hill from the station. It is a Greene King pub, and it was the Windsor Castle until it reopened under its current name in November 2013 after a refurbishment.
Go for the building and the garden. CAMRA describes a 1920s replacement of an earlier pub with a mock Tudor exterior, and CAMRA’s London Pubs Group puts it on its Local Inventory for an interior of local historic interest: a classic “brewers’ Tudor” pub with panelled walls and heavy timbers. Out the back there is a spacious beer garden, and the covered garden bar is nicknamed Platform 18. Greene King’s page pitches the garden as the place for a pint of craft ale, and also lists bar games, arcade games and live music nights with space to dance. It calls the pub family-friendly, so expect a mix of crowds earlier in the day.
- Best for: a pint in the garden, sport, live music nights.
- Opening times (per Greene King): Monday to Thursday 11am to 11pm, Friday 11am to midnight, Saturday 10am to midnight, Sunday 11am to 11pm.
- Food: the kitchen is listed as open Saturday 11am to 9.30pm and Sunday 11am to 9pm.
Botanica Hall, St John’s Road: big groups and late nights
Botanica Hall is at 1 St John’s Road, SW11 1QN, in the Grade II-listed former Arding & Hobbs department store, about 100 metres from the station. Hot Dinners reported its opening on 22 November 2023 as an all-day restaurant, late-night bar and vodka distillery, and the sixth London opening from the team behind Canova Hall in Brixton.
It is the one to pick for a group. The operator’s page lists coal-fired pizza, cocktails, DJ sessions, Sunday roasts and a bottomless brunch every Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Directory listings show it open late at weekends, but hours vary between listings, so check before you go if you are planning around a particular finish time. It is a big, lively room, so if you want a quiet conversation, the pub up the hill is the better bet.
- Best for: birthday groups, Saturday brunch, DJ nights, drinking late.
- Order: a cocktail, or the coal-fired pizza.
Northcote Records, Northcote Road: busy, with live music
Northcote Records is at 8 to 10 Northcote Road, SW11 1NT, at the station end of Northcote Road. CAMRA lists the operator as Rocket Leisure. DesignMyNight describes it as one of the busiest bars south of the river, with pizza, live music sessions, signature cocktails and craft beers.
- Best for: a livelier night out that starts with pizza and a cocktail.
- Order: a signature cocktail or a craft beer.
The London & South Western, Lavender Hill: the budget option
On Lavender Hill, a short walk from the station, The London & South Western is a large, bright Wetherspoon that opens from breakfast. It took over the former Revolution, as the Lavender Hill blog reported in 2020. Wetherspoon is a budget chain, so this is the choice when you want a drink without spending much, or a seat for an early start.
- Best for: cheap pints, an early drink, a sit-down before a train.
Which to pick
- Pint in the garden: The Junction, St John’s Hill.
- Group night out: Botanica Hall, St John’s Road.
- Live music and cocktails: Northcote Records, Northcote Road.
- Cheapest drink: The London & South Western, Lavender Hill.
The other main drinking streets around the station are Battersea Rise and Lavender Hill, so if one of these is full, you are rarely more than a few minutes from the next option.
