The best restaurants in Clapham

Maai – the debut restaurant from Nikita Pathakji, winner of both Masterchef: The Professionals and Great British Menu’s Champion of Champions – is a family affair. ‘Maai’ means ‘mum’, and within a few minutes of stepping through the spacious front terrace and into the smart but relaxed Clapham space, you’ll likely have met half the Pathakji clan. This is fine dining without any of the pretence. Extraordinary flavours are presented casually, but don’t be fooled by the cheery tableside chatter: Maai’s menu offers serious cooking that fuses the familiar and the original into a genre-agnostic, high-low experience where traditional rules have no place and pleasure is king. 

Time Out tip Order the halibut. Sat in a pool of rich, smoky Malay fish head curry, it comes spiked with crispy stars of okra and unctuous aubergine, as well as game-changing tempura padron peppers.

Studio Voltaire is a much-loved non-profit gallery and beacon of artistic hope that puts on shows worth travelling for. It's also a restaurant, with the team from east London's small plates sensation Crispin (and Bistro Freddie) setting up shop in the gallery's entrance lobby. This is no museum cafe with dry old carrot cake, but rather one of west London's most impressive new restaurants, offering fresh pasta, charcoal-grilled meat and fish and seasonal smashers on a daily-changing menu from chef Michael Miles.

Time Out tip Make an afternoon of it and do lunch and take in some art as well (and remember it's only open Weds-Sun).

Battersea Rise's neighbourhood bistro offers small plates but big flavours. The house anchovy and lamb crumpet is a must-order, but you'll also find fun in things like savoury eclairs stuffed with creamy, saucy Lincolnshire poacher cheese. The menu changes weekly, so surprises are also always in store. 

Time Out tip The 'carte blanche' group dining option might seem steep at £75 a head, but you'll get all the best bits of the menu.

Balancing smart decor and smiling service with exemplary wines and cutting-edge Anglo-European cooking, Trinity is king of the hill in Clapham – a restaurant that gets the swish/casual balance just right when it comes to creating a neighbourhood vibe. Chef-patron Adam Byatt also knows how to put on a show without showboating his talents or puffing up his food. In short, it’s a shoo-in for special occasions and celebratory splurges when money’s no option. It has, of course, a Michelin star.

Time Out tip Save on the tasting menu by visiting at lunch, when the four course set meal is £50 cheaper.

Like a pomegranate-coloured jewel glittering among the local chains, this hip kebab joint serves the real Middle Eastern deal from a cleverly designed, bespoke charcoal grill. Ingredients are lovingly prepped, portions are generous, and fillings are off-piste (beef brisket with chilli and smoked cheese kofta, say).

Time Out tip Don’t forget to order some dangerously addictive dukkah whitebait. 

An artisan joint in a stools-only space that was formerly a public loo (hipster ticks all round), Joe Public is all about by-the-slice US-style pizzas cut from 20-inch whoppers. Toppings are strictly Italian-stateside (chilli-flecked slivers of pepperoni or courgette and aubergine slathered with garlic butter, for example). Prices are an absolute steal for a satisfying stop-and-go or a high-speed sit-down meal.

Time Out tip Wash down your slice with JP’s own-brand lager.

Across the road from Clapham Common tube, this café is where it all started for the guys behind Aussie-themed Brickwood. Spread over two floors (with a yard out back), the place has a rough-and-ready shack-like vibe, while the menu is big on brunch. Popular picks include ‘The Butcher’ (a colourful take on the ‘full English’). Other prime Aussie assets include tip-top coffee, cheery service and a toe-tapping playlist.

Time Out tip If in doubt, order a Brickwood burrito or grilled sourdough toasties.

There’s a genuine Spanish feel to this tiny tapas bar: the vibe is informal, hams hang from the ceiling, diners eat at the counter and drinkers mingle in. The food preparation area (we can’t call it a kitchen) makes a caravan’s galley look spacious, but the no-frills menu is spot-on for flavour and authenticity. Handily placed for Clapham Common tube and the Clapham Picturehouse.

Time Out tip Always score a cheese platter served with tiny little breadsticks.

Out in Abbeville Village, this self-styled ‘quintessentially British bistro’ succeeds on so many levels. Staff are chummy and welcoming, the room looks quirkily rustic and cutlery is kept in drawers under the tables. Meanwhile, shelves of homemade preserves and fruit gins set the tone for the kitchen’s slightly homespun approach.

Time Out tip Three course Sunday lunch is a big deal. Splash out on three courses.