The Clarence (ex-Balham Arms), Balham  

Second relaunch in two years for this old Puzzle pub, so here's hoping this one lasts longer than the ill-fated Balham Arms. It's been taken on by the people behind The Bishop (on Lordship Lane) and The Castle (in Camberwell), though they've dropped the chess theme in favour of canines (Clarence, it seems, is the owner's four-legged friend). So, is this one now the dog's cojones? Well, on first impressions it didn't seem too different from its predecessor; its loungey layout much in keeping with the high gentrification of SW12 (even the Estate Agents across the road is decked out like a style bar). Hard to quibble too with its drink offerings: beers and wines from all over the world will keep all but the most picky of punters from complaining. What strikes us as odd though is the layout of the TV: there only seemed to be one screen (fair enough) but it was tucked away in the alcove at the back, almost as a preserve for those lucky enough to nab the seats around it. What developed then was a queue of punters around that space pushing in and trying to eye the screen. All most odd, and not in keeping with the laid back air this one is trying to pull off. Quibbles aside, this one's quickly picked up a regular clientele, and for it's range of drinks alone deserves a three pint rating (not many pubs in London offer up Budvar Dark on tap, for example). We were just a bit bemused that a pub named after a dog, comes across as rather too stylish to have a pub dog.

reviewed:
27/06/2006

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

Sky TV

outdoor seating

dogs welcome

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