Roundhouse pub – Wandsworth Common

Wondering where to go for Sunday dinner this weekend?

The Roundhouse Pub at Wandsworth Common is a five minute walk from Clapham Junction train station yet – being situated on the edge of Spencer Park – has something of a village feel to it.

With outdoor seating (on the busy Northside road, but with the greenery of Wandsworth Common in sight) this is a great pub to while away a Sunday afternoon.

 

Grilled Galician octopus with shallots, pea shoots, pickled cucumber + carrots – starter @ £7.50
 

 

Crispy skinned wild sea trout with fennel, courgette, pomegranate, blood orange + salad herb dressing @ £13.00

 

Summer garden risotto with courgette, peas, red chard, leeks + pea puree @ £10.00
 

I first stumbled across this pub a few years ago when K and I went to a Wandsworth Common beer festival at Le Gothique. Or rather, it was full and we didn’t get in.

It was fortuitous that The Roundhouse was nearby serving an interesting range of craft beers. And, as we discovered after bedding ourselves in for that particular Saturday afternoon, great food too.

 

Sunday lunch menu – sample menu as of 19 July 2015

 

On my most recent visit with S, we shared a starter of grilled Galician octopus with shallots, pea shoots, pickled cucumber and carrots @ £7.50 (as gorgeous and tender as it looks in the photo above). And for mains my sea trout with fennel, courgette, pomegranate, blood orange and salad herb dressing @ £13.00 was stunning (lots of lovely flavours that went really well together) and S thoroughly enjoyed her summer garden risotto with courgette, peas, red chard, leeks and pea puree @ £10.00.

The verdict: Great pub in a nice scenic location, that’s handy for Clapham Junction. Great choice of drinks, wines and beers (with real ales regularly changing) and seriously good pub grub.

 

Restaurant info:
~ Lardbutty rating: 4 / 5
~ Type: British, pub, Sunday lunch
~ Address: 2 Northside, Wandsworth Common, London
~ Postcode: SW18 2SS
~ Nearest station: Clapham Junction
~ Website + menus: Roundhouse pub website
~ Photos on flickr: Roundhouse pub photos
~ Location: Roundhouse pub map

 

 

Boqueria Battersea

A new branch of Boqueria opened recently on Queenstown Road in a prime spot near Battersea Park. It’s as much a deli, serving lunchtime treats to local workers, as a more formal tapas restaurant.

Boqueria Battersea – new branch on Queenstown Road with roadside seating

On completing our D.I.Y. shopping chores (yawn) the other Saturday morning in a hired zip car, we spontaneously decided to delay doing said D.I.Y., in favour of trying a take-away tapas lunch from Boqueria Market.

A scorching hot day, this new branch was busy, with all five (circa) of the outdoor tables occupied. Now this branch is beautifully done out but those outdoor tables are still on traffic-heavy Queenstown Road and Battersea Park Road…

Indoors, some customers were sitting in the deli area on high stools having a leisurely lunch and cocktails, and a few were dining in the restaurant at the back. All looked to be relaxed and enjoying themselves.

Deli counter – salads, snacks, tuna empanadillas, variety of cakes

Simple rustic-feel restaurant area – small restaurant at the back

The deli counter displayed a tempting selection of salads and cakes, not to mention tuna empanadillas (tomato and tuna pie) @ £3.50 a slice so – along with all the tapas options too – there’s plenty of choice.

Whole jambon

For the two of us to share I ordered:
~ Bread @ £1.60 + marinated olives @ £2.00
~ Patatas bravas – lightly spicy crispy potatoes @ £4.20
~ Chorizo in cider @ £4.90
~ Pork + beef meatballs in tomato sauce @ £6.00
~ Spanish tortilla @ £4.90

Tapas take-away lunch

Our total lunch for two came to £23.90 – very reasonable for freshly prepared, good quality, and thoroughly enjoyable food. Certainly as good as Brixton Boqueria.

Restaurant info:
~ Lardbutty rating: 4 / 5
~ Type: Spanish, tapas
~ Address: 278 Queenstown Road, Battersea, London
~ Postcode: SW8 4LT
~ Tel: 020 7498 8427
~ Nearest station: Battersea Park
~ Website + menus: Boqueria market website
~ Photos on flickr: images of Boqueria food
~ Location: Boqueria Battersea map

RELATED LINKS
More Battersea dining:
~ Dalila – top Lebanese restaurant
~ Nancy Lam’s Enak Enak – *best* restaurant on Lavender Hill (Indonesian / SE Asian fusion)
~ Santa Maria del Sur