The Apollo Arms

The Lunar Pub Company couldn’t have picked a better location for its third London venture. The team behind gastropub royalty Ganymede and The Hunter’s Moon have opened another food-focused boozer, this time in Clapham Old Town, with Oliver Marlowe and David Halewood heading up the kitchen.  

One might assume a gastropub in this part of town would err on the side of smart restaurant rather than local boozer, but The Apollo Arms does an excellent job at catering for drinkers and diners in equal measure. The interiors are rustic enough to feel welcoming and lived in, with guests greeted by a huge bar area featuring wooden stools, blackboard menus and timber wood panelling. We’re seated in the main dining room which overlooks the street out front, an uplifting, light-filled space filled with tan leather booths, antique furniture and large leafy plants.  

There’s a daily-changing menu focused on modern British cooking, although it just so happens that we visit on a Sunday, joining the throng of guests who are clearly also here to sample its signature roast. Every element is executed perfectly, from crisp tatties to a fluffy Yorkshire pud and golden-skinned chicken breast, while the addition of bread sauce and a shard of smoky bacon feels like a nostalgic hug. Preceding that, we sampled an unbelievably delicious scallop and crab raviolo served with a bronze-hued lobster bisque and creamy fondue leeks. It was exceptional, and closely matched by a beautiful steak tartare, tangy with vinegar so as to offset a crisp, deep-fried egg and truffle mayonnaise. Desserts are classic and indulgent, including a fudgy sticky toffee pudding drowned in a viscous caramel sauce, and crowned with a comically large squirt of aerated whipped cream. In short, this is food that brings a smile to your face. 

We weren’t drinking on the day, but there’s a lengthy wine list that caters for everyone, from fairly-priced to premium bottles, and cocktails play a starring role, too. The Apollo Arms is nailing it on every front, and we can see it having longevity here.  

From the same group behind The Hunter’s Moon (Kensington) and Ganymede (Belgravia) comes The Apollo Arms, The Lunar Pub Co’s largest and most ambitious site of the three. Occupying a spacious venue in Clapham Old Town, this modern British gastropub is designed to bring a piece of the countryside to the city. Spanning a large bar, dining room and hidden garden terrace, this all-day venture offers a place to eat, drink, relax and socialise at any time of year.

The food menus offer modern twists on British classics, with the kitchen overseen by chef director Oliver Marlowe and head chef David Halewood (previously The Coach Clerkenwell). The daily-changing menus flex with the seasons and include a bar snack selection, lunch and dinner menus, brunch at the weekends and an epic Sunday roast.

Examples of dishes from the menu include starters of tuna sashimi with whipped avocado, and tagliatelle with morels, asparagus, wild garlic and shallot cream. While mains include pub classics, such as beer-battered haddock with chips and tartare, as well as refined dishes, such as olive oil poached plaice with fennel purée, seaweed butter, clams, pickled cucumber and sea vegetables. To finish, expect classic and indulgent options, from sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce to an exotic twist on a baked Alaska using mango, vanilla and lime.

The food is complemented by a drink's menu featuring wines, Champagne, English sparkling, top-shelf spirits and craft beers and ales. Cocktails are a major priority too, including beloved classics and nifty twists.

The interiors are spearheaded by Novo Design and offer a less is more approach to décor, to create a warm and inviting space that feels rustic and lived in. Expect cosy corners and elegant spaces, with exposed brick walls, timber wooden panellling, antique furniture and vintage pendant lighting.