It may be too much of a trek for anyone who hails from north of the river but for locals this bar, restaurant and cinema offers a cheap night of entertainment.

The Venue
The Exhibit is handily located a short stroll from Balham tube and overground station. Tucked around the corner from Station Road, beside a large Sainsburys car park, sits this attractive venue resplendent with a well-sized outdoor area complete with an overhanging canopy and plenty of chairs and tables sectioned off from the street by Exhibit branded barriers. Although it is street side, its out-of-the-way location off the main road means it’s actually a pleasant place for a drink.

Inside, the furnishing is kept simple with a neutral decor comprising simple wooden hewn furniture, wooden floorboards and exposed brick. The ground floor is where you’ll find the main bar - a large space with plenty of places to sit, including some comfortable leather sofas, overlooking the outdoor area it nestles against via a large glass frontage, which also lets in plenty of light. Attractive light fittings and a gleaming bar are nice if standard decorative touches but the real highlight is a huge backlit blue fish tank with an array of large exotic fish.

Up a dark stairway, you’ll find the dining area. One wall is taken up by a simple open kitchen where you can see the chefs at work and the rest comprises simple tables and their accompanying chairs. It’s a pretty basic space - although the bare brick is a nice touch - but the centrepiece is pretty spectacular. One wall made from glass, overlooking the leafier side of Balham just outside. Not only is it great for people watching but it also allows light to flood in, making this an airy, pleasant place for dining.

Up one more level and you’ll find a floor split for the purposes of entertainment. To the left is a smaller bar area with where comedy performances take place. To the right is a private screening room where, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, movies are shown. Comprising just 24 comfortable sofas for two, it’s a small, cosy cinema; however, just be warned – don’t sit at the front if you want to avoid a crick in the neck. That said, if you get there early and nab a seat at the back, it is a large screen and the prices are low so it is a good spot to catch a film.

The Atmosphere
Balham tends to live in the shadow of Clapham, so as you might expect the main bulk of the clientele here are local to the area. There’s a nice mix of attractive young professionals in their twenties-to-thirties and older punters catching up over a bottle of wine. There’s also a good flow between the bar, restaurant and cinema and people can come here to enjoy one or all of what The Exhibit has to offer. The staff are friendly and welcoming and the table service is efficient.

What does make this venue stand out, however, is the entertainment on offer. Every Tuesday and Wednesday they screen movies for just £5 a ticket. It can be anything from Brat Pack flicks to films released within the last month or so. It’s a great way to catch big films you may have missed during their mainstream cinema run or watch classics on the big screen. They also host regular comedy nights and on Thursdays and Fridays in the summer there’s a regular, popular barbecue. The prices are kept low, with special offers and a decent happy hour from 5pm-8pm (extended to 11pm on Fridays) making your night even more credit crunch friendly. They also offer some excellent party experiences, starting at just £10 per person, including a private cinema screening, a meal and drinks in the bar until 2am. Live music also occasionally graces the downstairs bar.

The Food
The Exhibit’s 393 menu is a more of a concept than just your standard menu. The idea that you can get three courses for 15 quid (starters £3, mains £9, desserts £3, hence the name) is certainly appealing.

To start, the chorizo and squid salad lacks depth of flavour, with chorizo nowhere near picante enough and too oily. The squid is OK but nothing ground-breaking and overall the salad isn’t seasoned enough. Also lacking in seasoning are the goat’s cheese croquettes. The slightly sweet batter is an inferior replacement to breadcrumbs and the cheese is on the bland side. The salad saves this dish, with lovely artichokes, punchy sun-blushed tomatoes and a deliciously thick balsamic reduction.

The mains fare a lot better. Perfectly crisped pan-fried salmon is a solid choice. Served with puy lentils, it is a hearty dish considering it’s fish. Sweet warm tomatoes sit perfectly with the powerful salmon. Roasted sea bream is equally good. Well cooked again, it has succulent flesh and a crisp skin. The tomato salsa is another good idea.

To finish off, the lemon tart is a little heavy; however, the lemon flavour is spot on and well sweetened. The sweetness is offset nicely by sour cream, making for an unusual but worthy combination. A strong tasting pistachio creme brulee is creamy and also a touch heavy, but the top cracks just right and it’s extremely good for the price. A nice touch is you can take your dessert upstairs to the cinema if you’ve not finished by the time the film is due to start. It adds a homely edge to the cinema experience that you don’t get in the big faceless chains.

The Drink
There’s an excellent wine list at The Exhibit, whether enjoying a drink outside, in the bar or in the dining area. Prices, again, are reasonable and range from £14-£76. Recommended is the Chablis Christian Adine Burgundy (£29.50) – one of their popular choices - or the Chianti La Vigna Tuscany Italy (£19.50). They also have a much larger than average rose selection with five bottles to choose from.

In the bar there’s a large choice of cocktails covering all the classics with a few twists priced at an average of just £6 (with a 2-4-1 deal during the happy hour). They also do a great selection of beer on draught, including Amstel, Kronenbourg, Guinness and Fosters at an average price point of £3.50 a pint. They do a rarer Bulmers cider on draught for £3.90 a pint. In bottles, they have a choice of Corona, Heineken, Tiger, Birra Moretti and Kronenbourg for £3.40 a bottle.

The Crush bar cocktail list has been elaborated for Bacardi peddlers to show off their range. It hits the right note, with some classics and creations. Although a white Bacardi cuba libre might not quite stir you into a frenzy, the bar staff are excellent at tailoring drinks to your taste. And an inventive pear Grey Goose vodka and lemonade mix is both lollipop sweet and funky. It’s doubtful that the aim of the Grey Goose L’Orange Cosmopolitan is to be quite so bitter, but the full fruit flavours of the cranberry rescue this smartly presented standard.

The Last Word
Although The Exhibit isn’t the kind of place you’d travel across London to frequent, if you’re a Balham local – or indeed a local to one of its neighbouring areas – this is a great place to have on your doorstep. An all-in-one entertainment facility, the cheap prices are a big draw now that just going to the cinema is too pricey for some.

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