Clarence

I'm puzzled by the comments. I understand the irritation when a boozer gets made over into something else but if the best thing about the old Clarence was the footy table then what's to complain about? And there's no conceivable way you could call the refurbed Clarence a gastropub unless you're the sort of person who thinks any pub that dares to print a menu has "gone gastro". The truth is that the Clarence is a gem. It's small and bright while still being cosy. The bar staff are super-friendly. The pizzas are fantastic and the rest of the menu (bar snacks, burgers, nachos, macarone cheese) is quirky and good for veggies. There's an awesome selection of beers and the music is interesting in the best possible way. The comment about it being a bit like a youth club has some truth to it but I think that's the key to its charm. The Clarence is utterly unpretentious and that's extremely rare.

Truly terrible refurb. Great pub that has been made into a poor, generic gastro pub ( ironically the only decent food is its pizzas). Balham lost its soul when this place refurbed. I wont be going to "Hangoverville"(as the mural says) at the Clarence.

Spatchcock chicken's off the menu these days too....

I agree Andy, the footy table was a key reason to to to the old Clarence, now offer little in terms of a good pub that The Devonshire doesn't or in quirkyness which the BBC bar does better. Sorry Clarence you've not hit the mark here

And now NO table football table. Calamitous decision

It's true that the pizzas in the new Clarence are very nice, but saying that they are better than the ones in Cuillos is clearly nonsense. In the refurbishment, the Clarence has got rid of a lot of its more comfortable seating and replaced it with canteen-style tables and chairs which are just too close together. And then there's that mural. Maybe it works better in the evenings when people are there to take the bus to Hangoverville. But when I'm there for a quiet weekend lunch it just makes the place look like a youth club.