BrewDog Clapham Junction, SW11

Smaller and more intimate than a number of BD venues, though with the usual battered Biffa Bin industrial stylings and dark grey / blue paintwork. The front of the pub opens out into a terrace which makes for a fairly pleasant feel on a sunny day, the traffic on the busy road outside notwithstanding. A sensible swing and blues soundtrack played which enhanced the atmosphere on a lazy summer’s Saturday afternoon. Usual silly prices and measurements but some good fridge items and an up-to-date beer menu too. Friendly female staff who were less snooty than others I’ve encountered in the chain. Overall it’s not bad for what it is. 6.5

Odd little place, converted from a restaurant, with a small covered terrace at the front. Mix of cheap seating inside, including some booths along one wall. Having said that, the place had a good atmosphere in the early evening. 12 of their own beers on tap and another dozen cask keg offerings (e.g. Cronx Entire Stout, £2.35, half).

Recent visits to Brewdog bars in Shepherd's Bush and Birmingham have seen me mellow towards what I'd initially found to be a pretentious, over-hyped chain, so a trip to the Clapham Junction branch saw expectations comparatively high. This particular bar is set in a former restaurant, with an unusual entrance corridor down the right hand side eventually leading you into the main bar where a chunky U-shaped servery greets your arrival. The bar has a chipboard counter with a metallic top and as usual, the taps are all unlabelled, so customers need to consult a large board on the left hand wall which lists the extensive keg range along with the usual mental arithmetic challenge of their size/price ratios. The walls are almost entirely clad with cheap looking chipboard, which was just about tolerable under muted lighting, but I can only imagine this looks pretty dire in daylight. Some high tables and stools run along the front windows, looking out over the small decked front seating area outside. Banquette seating is available to the right and further back there are some comfy looking banquette booths as well as Chesterfield sofas in a tiled wall area with a neon Brewdog sign above. Large metal girders run down the middle of the pub and these each have a beer bottle collection arranged on them. Various arty prints can be found around the room including some sketches of what appear to be the bar staff team, and I also noticed a collection of board games. A trip to the toilets saw me chance upon a periodic table of beer painted on one of the walls, although this wasn't as good as the similar one in the Shepherd's Bush outlet. Arriving on a Saturday evening, loud music accompanied my entire visit and there was a good, lively crowd in. I counted twelve Brewdog beers listed on the board including Punk IPA, This is Lager, Jackhammer, Dead Pony Club, Hardcore IPA and Bourbon Baby. Unbeknownst to me, I had timed my visit to coincide with a South London tap takeover, which meant that the other twelve taps were dispensing beers from local brewers such as Brixton, Aspach and Hobday, Belleville, By the Horns and Orbit. After much deliberation and a couple of tasters courtesy of the friendly barman, I opted for an excellent drop of Rocky Head Imitera IPA, which set me back a rather eye-watering £4.00 for a half pint, surely defeating the point of ordering a locally sourced beer. I thought this was a bit of a mixed bag, as I really enjoyed the lively vibe and interesting showcase of local beers, but couldn't help think that very little thought had gone into how the bar is presented or how the beers are priced. A step backwards in terms of my efforts to get to grips with Brewdog bars, but this was by no means the worst I've been to and I would consider popping my head in again to see if anything interesting was on.