The Abbeville has been a favourite among locals for a long time so you’d forgive it for sitting back and enjoying success. Not so. This is a pub that only gets better and better.

The Venue
The Abbeville benefits from its out-of-the-way location, far from the madding crowd of Clapham High Street. The pub stands out on one of Clapham’s prettiest roads thanks to its large canopied frontage, resplendent with shrubbery and trees just outside. Stepping inward, you’ll find a large main bar area with traditional dark wooden furnishings and a decent-sized bar. Further in, a sprawling maze-like space winds its way through the basement and back up the other side to an attractive mezzanine level where most of the dining takes place. A second downstairs bar adequately deals with the requests of thirsty punters and an open kitchen emits pleasant scents of cooking across the room. The low ceilings and cosy cave-like quality of the pub make you feel right at home, heightened by decorative flourishes such as an open fireplace and a deer head protruding from one of the walls.

The Atmosphere
The Abbeville is a charming pub that attracts a happy mix of drinkers and diners. Upstairs in the main bar area, there’s a local pub feel to the space, with regulars chatting amongst themselves and bantering with the staff. In the main dining area, there’s a mix of families, couples and groups of friends drinking and eating, and a merry hubbub fills the space. It’s bustling without feeling cramped. The staff are especially friendly and the table service is offered with a high level of etiquette alongside genuine smiles and warm welcomes.

The Food
The menu is well balanced at The Abbeville and reasonably priced with starters coming in at £6.50-£7.50 and mains barely scraping the £15 a dish mark with many priced closer to a tenner. For starters, the Chevre goat's cheese salad is incredibly well portioned with a bowl bustling with salad leaves, lifted by chunks of earthy roasted beetroot. Walnuts act a nice texture and depth to the dish, working well with the creamy, slightly tangy goat’s cheese, which is pleasantly warmed through. However, it pales in comparison to the highlight of the menu – the chicken liver and foie gras parfait. The pate is rich with a languidness that’s all-encompassing. Served with a disk of fat on top, it’s incredibly decadent and incredible value for just £7, matching similar dishes at some of London’s top restaurants. It’s served with crisp toasted brioche and a sweet quince jelly.

For main courses, the whole Dover sole is simply excellent. Pulling easily away from the bone, the meaty flakes of white fish has a wonderful delicate flavour. It’s served with a strong, vinegary caper sauce that doesn’t overpower the fish – somewhat surprisingly – and buttery new potatoes served in a side dish to add substance. Filling and packed with flavour, it’s a great all-rounder. Alternatively, the sea bream fillet is equally well cooked although the squid ink linguine is a little too cloying. Luckily the generous portion of plump clams stop you caring as each mouthful offers a strong hit of seafood flavours that really tickle the tastebuds.

If you have the room for dessert then the banoffee pie is every bit as sickly, creamy and over the top as you might hope while the simple ice creams offer more of a palate-cleansing finish to what has been a filling but oh-so delicious meal.

The Drink
The wine list at Abbeville is surprisingly lengthy with a strong choice of red and whites priced at £14.50-£49, bolstered by a premium selection at a higher price point pushing the £100 a bottle mark. It’s a great cross-section of old and new world bottles and includes an incredibly delicious Riesling from New Zealand. As you’d expect from a pub, there’s also a good selection of beer. On tap, you can choose from a selection that includes Heineken, Fosters, Kronenbourg and Guinness.

The Last Word
If you want to visit a quaint, friendly pub but don’t fancy travelling outside of the Big Smoke then Abbeville is the answer.

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