Clapham High Street has a disproportionately high percentage of bars for such a small strip of road and O’Neills Clapham is one of the less respected drinking spots, albeit the cheapest.

The Venue
O’Neills Clapham is the same as any O’Neills across the UK. A few Irish-themed mementos such as flags and giant Guinness memorabilia adorn the walls and the heavy woods, plenty of tables and sturdy bar do little to set it apart. It is, however, a decent sized drinking spot and does benefit from an outdoor area to the front, cordoned off by a large blue barrier.

The Atmosphere
O’Neills is a bar that thrives off its competitively-priced drinks and food offers and, as such, it attracts some of the more unsavoury elements of Clapham at the weekend – the type of people looking to get drunk before hitting one of the late night spots nearby. In the week it’s a bit more sedate but the large groups of lads smoking or enjoying the sun outside can be a little off putting. Still, the bar staff are friendly and efficient at serving you in a timely manner when it’s busy. They also make an effort on the entertainment front with regular live music.

The Food
The food at O’Neills is cheap – that’s Wetherspoons cheap. They offer an incredibly good value Simply Great Food menu with dishes like shepherd’s pie and a cheese and bacon burger priced at just £3.99. Their bar menu isn’t much more expensive with a selection of grills, burgers and even steaks all priced between £6-£10. It may not be the best food in Clapham but for the low prices it certainly does the job of filling a hole before a drinking session.

The Drink
You come to O’Neills to enjoy fairly cheap drinks and, of course, Guinness, which is by far the most popular drink served here. They also serve the rarer Guinness Red which has a sweeter flavour than the original. Ales play a big part at O’Neills and Smithwick’s and Caffrey’s are popular draught options. If you’re not a fan of beer then Bulmers and Magners make up the cider selection.

There’s only a small wine menu with just a handful of reds, whites and a couple of roses on offer. However, they are well priced and two of their bottles come in at under £10. It may not be the best wine in the world but it does the job for groups looking to get tanked up.

The Last Word
O’Neills Clapham is what it is. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it gets the job done. If you don’t like loud and lairy pre-party spots then steer clear at weekends.

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