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The Pig's Head, Clapham, SW4

87 Rectory Grove
SW4
SW4 0DR
Phone: 02076224019

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Tris C left this review about The Pig's Head

Again, dating from at least the 1820s though probably rebuilt much later, this was originally the Bull’s Head, formally a Taylor Walker house.
The interior is quite striking, not just because it’s substantially trendified with a raised dedicated dining section to the rear, but because it has a rather spectacular mid-section high vaulted skylight. The bare floor is polished, walls are white or bare brick with grey wainscoting, furniture is chunky with large tables, décor in the form of potted palms – some on racks – and pretentious empty gilded picture frames. Customers were young professionals, most seemingly all having eaten, the pub boasting that it’s ‘…an independent, farm-to-fork pub...a passionate bunch, and our mission is simple; to be the best pub in Clapham and the most sustainable pub in the UK. We were certified carbon neutral in April 2023 and shortlisted for the Most Sustainable Business at the 2023 Catey Awards (the hospitality ‘Oscars’ no less). We have our own organic kitchen garden in Kent and work primarily with regenerative farms to buy whole native-breed animals that we butcher on-site to ensure the food on our guest’s plates is as good and as sustainable as it is possible to get’; so there you have it then. Customers were affluent older professionals and with all the chatter and hard surfaces, acoustics were terrible.
An inorganic cask choice amounted to just two unused pumps then Sussex Best at £2.85 a half and lacking in condition, served by a friendly barman.
This place is better than the Old Town Tavern, but not as good as the Prince of Wales over the way; a more imaginative and better conditioned cask choice as well as deadening the noise would get the score up.

On 16th March 2024 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Graham Coombs left this review about The Rectory

A long narrow pub which extends some way back behind the side bar. The interior seemed rather dark and a bit cluttered. There are a couple of handpumps but only Landlord was available.

On 5th August 2019 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


custodian 42 left this review about The Calf of Clapham

Long pub with bar to right middle. Four hand pumps but only one weak real ale on offer. Some strong keg; however. Noisy wailing children put me off this place.

On 2nd September 2017 - rating: 3
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Calf of Clapham

There were only two other customers when I popped in to the Calf of Clapham at around 14:00 on a recent Saturday afternoon. To the right of the entrance are a couple of high tables the sit under the front windows. The bar on the right wall has an added food preparation area on the end and it faces some couches and tables that run up the left hand wall. At the rear some steps lead up to another seating area that adds to the large open plan interior. During my visit the plasma screen was turned off in favour of come background music. There is quiz every Monday from 20:00 and live jazz was advertised for the upcoming Friday evening.
A premium keg range was available from the bar that supports four hand pumps. Timothy Taylor’s Landlord was off, as was another, leaving Thwaites’ Wainwright and Sharp’s Doom Bar as the cask ale options. The only food I saw advertised were things like chicken wings, although there was a dog treat jar on the bar. This pub is very dog friendly, as the photos on a cork board by the entrance of some four legged locals profess. Children are also welcome to visit.
To be honest I’m not a massive fan of these open plan distressed looking pubs and I can imagine a smell of cooking fat when the small kitchen area at the end of the bar is in use. However, I found the barmaid on duty to be extremely friendly and I had a decent pint.

On 6th May 2016 - rating: 6
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


john gray left this review about The Calf

Nice open airy pub with raised area to rear.Open plan kitchen.Comfortable leather settees And stylish décor.Decent beer selection with 4 handpumps inc Fullers -spring sprinter and a good Sambrookes -junction.

On 12th April 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Calf

As the previous reviewer says, this is nothing like a traditional pub. But there were a couple of ales on when I popped in on Wednesday afternoon – Sambrook Junction (£1.85 a half), and Samuel Adams Blond Ambition, plus a Doom Bar clip reversed. The draft cider when I was in was Old Rosie. The large area at the back past the food counter has tables all laid for diners, but there was a fairly large area near the bar counter for use by drinkers, although sofas and armchairs predominate here. All the tables had clipboard menus on them. There was a fixed price menu (two courses for £10, and three for £13); and our old favourites the Gloucestershire Old Spot sausages, and the pork and chorizo burgers were present.

The bar counter and bar back look like original features, but otherwise this place has been completely stripped out over the years. It’s not the sort of pubby pub I like most, but it was there, and open, when I was around the area so it served my purpose admirably.

On 19th September 2013 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Malden man left this review about The Calf

This pub was not on my schedule during my midweek afternoon visit to Clapham but having found The Prince of Wales, The Rose and Crown and The Bobbin all shut, I was glad to find somewhere open for service. It doesn't look very pubby from the outside, I peered in warily and thankfully spotted four handpumps on the bar. A large wood floored open plan space with high tables in the windows, some sofas and armchairs but plenty of regular seating too. A series of circular section cast iron columns in the front area where the bar is located, vaulted barrel ceiling to the middle area then up a few steps to where the room dog-legs over to an area with a couple of sky lights and an exposed brick wall displaying a few arty prints.
I sat in the front opposite the bar, lower walls are panelled, plenty of mirrors form the décor including a large Charrington's variety.
The mirror theme continues along the bar back which is topped by a row of wine and Champagne bottles. A food servery area forms an extension to the bar counter. There were a few board games on the end of the bar.
The handpumps offered Hop Back Summer Lightning, Doom Bar, Sambrooks Junction and Lancaster Brewery Tales from the Brewhouse Lemon Grass (£4). A fifth handpump further along the bar was clipped with Westons Traditional Scrumpy. I noticed a large selection of gins on the bar. A side wall displayed numerous beer mats from previous guest ales. This was the second Clapham pub I visited on the day with a jar of doggie treats on the bar.
Food served, sandwiches £6.50-£7.50 served with fries, wine lists on the tables, soup of the day on a small chalkboard was broad bean and courgette but I couldn't see any main menus at 3:45pm.
Not really my idea of a traditional pub, it has a bit of an upmarket trendy vibe but it was fine for a much needed pint on Wednesday afternoon.

On 29th June 2013 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


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Philip Carter left this review about The Calf

Take care when you're in the calf
The barman is not very clear
He mumbled something about an ale
Which didn't quite reach my ear
When I asked what he said
He decided to shout it out
As I was in a relaxed mood
I didn't return his shout
I got my ale and took a seat
A short distance from the bar
Though it was across the room
It was not very far
To a lady he served after me
He talked in a normal voice
And I could hear every word
Though it wasn't my own choice
I heard him say, he could earn more
In the job he used to do
And how he is in a bad mood
What you do now is up to you
The choice of ales is quite good
Though the price you may find steep
Just remember to take earplugs
If your hearing you want to keep.

On 22nd April 2013 - rating: 3
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Alan Winfield left this review about The Calf

This pub was packed when i came in on a Saturday afternoon and everybody was eating or waiting to eat except me so i felt a bit out of place here i could only see one handpump which had Meantime IPA on this was a fairly decent drink i think this pub caters for upmarket 20 to 30 year olds i did'nt rate this one much.

On 20th June 2010 - rating: 5
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Philip Carter left this review about The Calf

Used to be called The Bulls Head, here is a picture of how it used to look. No other details at the moment. Here is a new photo.

On 10th February 2007 - rating: 6
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]