Spacious, inviting and comfortable, All Bar One Battersea is a relaxed venue with friendly, knowledgeable staff, a great wine list and exceptional tapas. It just goes to show what chain bars have to offer when done well.

The Venue
All Bar One Battersea is located on Northcote Road, a bit of a walk south of Clapham Junction. Outside, it’s done up in typical All Bar One white, with a number of tables cordoned off from the street by low barriers, covered by broad green awnings.

Walk inside and you’ll find a bar clearly designed for an after work crowd with a host of thoughtful touches. There are plenty of tables at both standard and bar stool height with a combination of seats and benches. At the far end you’ll find the ubiquitous ABO long tables that could sit 16, alongside a handful of tables that can fit many more drinkers than you’d expect. Throughout, you’ll find that the seats are upholstered in tasteful maroon with padding even on the benches. It’s well spaced so you never feel cramped or crowded, and the clever use of mirrors adds to the feeling of space. The space is pleasantly lit by a series of industrial-style metal boxes that house small halogen lamps, alongside a large lamp in the corner that sends out a muted orange glow.

The bar itself runs along a large section of the left wall as you walk in, with hanging lamps illuminating the serving area and exposed air conditioning ducts above. Behind the bar are shelves filled with standing wine bottles with small blackboard areas below each detailing their contents, ladders to access the higher shelves, and even fake barrels with spigots. The barrels push the arrangement a little close to the cheesy side, but it’s largely a very charming backdrop, topped off by an old-style railway clock.

The Atmosphere
The focus at All Bar One Battersea is to provide a relaxing atmosphere, and it certainly delivers. When there are a lot of customers later in the evening it feels busy but never packed, thanks to the spacious layout. The efficient, very friendly staff behind the wide bar ensure that there’s never a fight to order, either. It’s an easy, stress-free place to be, and the clientele are as relaxed as the venue.

You’ll find a broad mix of ages with suits mixing with creative types, but it’s a uniformly well-presented, clean-cut crowd without any airs and graces. Music plays all night but only as a background to your conversation; ambient chill out music that, while it increases in volume and ups in tempo as the crowd gets bigger, you probably won’t notice.

The Food
The menu at All Bar One Battersea is varied with the standard mains, burgers and sandwiches complemented by a broad variety of tapas and a choice of five skewers, each of which comes with one of five accompaniments ranging from spiced rice to roasted organic beetroot.

The tapas is exceptional, and whilst it’s not the cheapest you can find, this is more than made up for by generous helpings. Try the hummus (£3.65) and you’ll have the rare experience of having so much thick hummus that the pitta will run out before it does. Likewise, expect plenty of tender lamb koftas (£4.40) with tzatziki dip (although the dip is closer to yoghurt than tzatziki) and hoi sin duck quesadillas (£5.85) crammed full of succulent duck with a delicately sweet ginger and soy dipping sauce on the side.

Alternatively, the beef and coriander burger with bacon and mushroom (£8.45) isn’t bad, although it’s not spectacular. It towers above the plate - almost too much as you’ll find no elegant way to eat it - with crisp lettuce, a thick slice of tomato and tasty bacon let down somewhat by a rather dry minced beef patty. The mushroom is consists of one lonely, not very large mushroom perched atop the burger. You do, however, get an enormous serving of crisp, piping hot shoestring fries with mayonnaise and the unusual accompaniment of salsa, which has a nice tang that works well. The steak frite (£9.95) offers a thinly cut 6oz sirloin on a similarly large bed of shoestring fries. It’s a simple meal, executed well, with a touch of originality in the parsley and horseradish butter that tops the tender steak and adds an interesting layer of flavour.

The Drink
The wine list at All Bar One, as you might expect, is sizeable, and there are also five Champagnes available, two by the glass, rising to £100 for a bottle of Dom Perignon.

The wine list is divided into classic, bold (full-flavoured) and distinctive varieties, with brief descriptions of each making selection easy, encouraging the exploration of new flavours. Trying the distinctive wines is highly recommended; for example, the ‘fruit-salad-in-a-glass’ Selaks Sauvignon Blanc (£4.60 for a 175ml glass or £19.95 by the bottle) is, as advertised, a delightfully fruity and unusually dry wine. The wine list’s helpful information, combined with the knowledgeable staff, should put you at ease if you feel like broadening your horizons.

All Bar One Battersea also offers a wide range of beers and cider, with Duvel Green Draught, Becks Vier, Amstel, Staropramen, Edringer, London Pride, Guinness, Heineken, Adnmas East Green, Peroni, Paulaner and Aspall Draught Suffolk Cyder on tap. Bottled beers are also available, including the unusual Kasteel Cru Rose, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Meantime Chocolate. Spirits and mixers are also available though they are not the main focus.

The Last Word
Those who like their bars unique and full of character won’t find that here, but if you are looking for a pleasant, comfortable bar with a cheerful atmosphere then you’ll find it in spades at All Bar One Battersea.

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