Archer Street SW11, Battersea Rise, SW11

This has changed much since the below reviews of upwards of 10 years ago. This is the third of the three venues in this small chain of v upmarket bars that I have added to the kill list. It is fair to say that this place is styled to within an inch of its life. The room fragrance is so over powering that I could smell it even though I am totally bunged up with hay fever or worse at the moment. I am probably going to have to wash my clothes when I get home to get rid of the smell. I get why the few here are all sitting outside on the v busy road taking in the exhaust gases in preference to the smells and the impact on their lung health of being indoors here. The inside looks like the best Heal’s have to offer or how a top of the range garden entertainment structure at Chelsea flower show would be decked out. Beer wise there is the solitary tap dispensing Madri with a range of bottled lagers. I plumped for the Miller for novelty value. At the curious price of £7.31 I worked out it is the list price of £6.50 plus 12.5% service for a beer I bought all on my own standing at the bar in a queue of just me. It is also the joint cheapest bottle of beer on the venue. Could have had a glass of their red or white entry level plonk for just a couple of quid more. Suspect I will be visiting their fourth London venue in the near future funded by mugs like me paying over £7 for a 330ml bottle of a crap lager. What time is is - is it Miller time or the time I get the feck out of here whilst my olfactory senses still function.

Official site of Archer Street SW11 - archerstreet.co.uk

Official site of Archer Street SW11 - archerstreet.co.uk

Loved the style of this pub with its blue leather upholstered booths and chesterfields.Wacky retro brightly coloured lampshades adorn the ceiling.No real ales but kegs with Palm lager being my reluctant choice.So there you have it Babel-bright,blue,blingy but boring beer.BYE BYE.

Babel is a large open plan bar with a bar along the back wall where limited premium draught products and Guinness can be purchased. I decided upon a half of the black stuff when I visited late on Friday afternoon last week. This set me back £2.25 and my change was returned on a sticky silver tray; there was no tip left. There were some advertisement up on the wall advertising all day brunch and burgers, but I didn’t spot any menus with prices. The furniture consists of some stools along either side wall that tuck under drink shelving and some sofa seating and tables in the centre opposite the bar. The weather was very clement during my visit so the front had been opened up to some high tables on the path outside that are covered by awnings. There are no televisions that I noticed, but there was some background music playing at an unobtrusive level. Like the other pubs and bars down this stretch Babel was busy with office workers who had clocked off for the weekend. There was a good atmosphere, but I think that there are better venues in the immediate area.