You will find The Common Room ideally situated, smack bang in the middle of Wimbledon Village High Street, neatly sandwiched between all the smart bars and restaurants.

The Venue
The decor at The Common Room is a neutral mix of creams, browns and beige, with natural wood and lots of light thanks to the floor-to-ceiling front windows that open out onto the street on summer days and in the evenings - very Mediterranean and great for people watching. The front of the venue is lined with comfy leather sofas and low tables, with further tables and chairs dotted all over the floor to accommodate you whatever your mood; be it to sit back and relax or a more formal dining position. The long mirror along the back wall opposite the bar aims to give the room a wider, altogether larger feel, and definitely keeps the vain SW19 types happy as you catch them looking at themselves.

The back of the bar feels separate from the rest of the room as the opening narrows, creating a great private area for parties and leading out into their small garden area. The only thing that could do with improving is the size of the actual bar as it’s not very long and can get four to five people deep on busier nights.

The Atmosphere
The weekdays have quite a different atmosphere to the weekends; it’s a more relaxed, sedate affair, perfect for enjoying a glass of wine and posh pub grub whilst releasing the tensions of the working day. Saturdays, on the other hand, are a different story: buzzing, loud, and friendly, making it a great place to meet new people.

There’s a mixed older crowd with no real dress code so you can dress up or down and pretty much anything goes.

The Music
The music is definitely the best thing about The Common Room on a Saturday. Their fantastic resident DJ spins all the latest funky house tunes and some older timeless classics; he really keeps the crowd happy and plays to them rather than to himself, which is rare these days. He even manages to get people to dance despite the fact there’s no clear dancefloor - a real party vibe.

The Food
Food here is quite expensive but all the dishes are made with the freshest ingredients and deliver a mouthwatering experience. A must have are the nachos, served on a huge plate for sharing and covered with spicy salsa, creamy chunky guacamole, sour cream, and jalapeno peppers, not forgetting the melted cheese and optional chilli beef, which has a wonderful richness and kick to the sauce. It’s worth every penny at £8.25.

The main focus of the menu is around small plates and platters but you can also get traditional fish and chips or a homemade burger. Highly recommended is the breakfast menu, with a tasty array of dishes from muffins, cereal or croissants to a full English, eggs Benedict, florintine or royal.

The Drink
Expect The Common Room to be busy most nights, especially after work when they offer Quality Hour – the Wimbledon version of happy hour. This will certainly make your wallet happy as there are big savings to be made on bottles of fine wine and Champagne.

Concentrating heavily on wine, the list changes twice a year with the seasons. The bar staff are very helpful and knowledgeable and are only too happy to recommend a particular wine to suit your mood. The wine list isn’t that easy to understand and flits from one region to the next, so it’s probably advisable to ask for help. Their indulgent Rioja Rosado, Bodegas Tobia is a pink wine that sells for £7 a glass or £18 a bottle. White wine ranges from an Italian Banchetto Bianco for £13.50 a bottle to a Chablis Laroche at £27, and the reds include a French Merlot for £15 and an Australian Pinot Noir at £28. The spirits are all premium but are drowned with mixer so be sure to ask for less if you want to actually taste your single malt!

The Last Word
Definitely worth the walk up the hill from Wimbledon if your pockets haven’t weighed you down - you’ll need a fair bit of dosh to really let your hair down at The Common Room, but it’s worth it.

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