16 Seagrave Road,
Fulham,
London,
SW6 1RX
0872 148 1501
The ViewLondon Review
Trekking around the Earl’s Court area feeling a little parched? Wondering if there is any alternative to seedy pubs, kebab shops and cheap Italians, lovely as all these things can be?
Well, head towards West Brompton tube and venture down the unpromising looking Seagrave Road, and you shall be rewarded.
With all the understated smartness that you can expect from the West at its best, The Atlas is a tribute to the virtues of good housekeeping. Gleaming window-frames and wrought iron painted with deep red give it a cheerful exterior aspect, and some exceedingly well-kept window boxes add to the quaint, almost country-ish impression.
Inside the pub is a single room, roughly divided into a bar-type bit and a restaurant-type bit, dark, cosy and intimate. It’s always a relief to find such a low-key, relaxing place in a variable area, and I felt all the more relaxed by some old school soul playing from the speakers.
A clientele of well-behaved West Londoners, ranging from late 20s to 30s, mostly out for cosy meals with partners or friends, enhances the generally chilled-out feel. There are no attention-grabbing outfits, no shouting or posing or anything so ostentatious. It isn’t that sort of pub, darling. There are however some quite tasty, and not hideously pricey, dishes on offer, with – of course – a rustic Mediterranean theme.
It’s a shame the nasty old English weather doesn’t allow the beer garden to be used all year round, as a nice outdoor area anywhere other than the pavement is a rarity in this city.
Nevertheless, the inside space of The Atlas – small as it may be – is quite charming enough to sell it to me. Anyone looking for new romantic first-date venues should write this name down in their little black book – it’s a great place for one-to-ones, and has the sort of quietly romantic atmosphere that makes people leave arm in arm.
A small but perfectly formed little gem.
The Atlas has been reviewed by 5 users