A Nightlife Guide To Clapham London

It can’t be found on a London tube map, but Clapham is the home of Britain’s busiest train station and is incredibly well-connected on Overground and National Rail lines. Besides its main claim to fame, Clapham also has an array of great nightlife spots for letting loose.

The Clapham Grand

Dance the night away in this refurbished Victorian music hall which has hosted acts including Public Enemy, Chipmunk, Muse and Oasis. Only open on specific nights, this large venue can hold up to 1,250 people for evenings of film and sports, as well as good old-fashioned club nights too.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSWHzzBgsAr/?taken-by=thegrandclapham

Gigalum

Gigalum may not be the biggest venue that Clapham has to offer, but what it lacks in size, its makes up for in atmosphere. Chill out in the front terrace of this bar-styled pub and ease yourself into the night, or bust some moves on the dance floor as you warm up for a club. Beware: this place closes by midnight on the weekend.

Fu Manchu

Tuck into some dumplings and sip on a cocktail before hitting the dance floor in Fu Manchu, an Edwardian opium den themed cocktail bar, which is only open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays. Situated under the railway arches of Clapham, the industrial setting combined with the exposed brickwork makes this eatery-cum-cocktail-bar feel a little bit Shoreditch.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXVF1L8ARvy/?taken-by=fumanchu_bar

Sugar Cane Bar

Embrace the culture of the South Pacific at the Sugar Cane, a brilliantly decorated Polynesian-themed cocktail bar. Complete with tiki hut booths and a bamboo bar providing tropical cocktails, the Sugar Cane Bar will almost certainly have you donning a flowery lei and exclaiming ‘Aloha!’ before the night is out.

Infernos

Leave any hang-ups at the door upon entry to Infernos, a wild weekend nightclub that falls into the ‘love to hate’ category for many of its regular patrons. Delivering an avowedly 1980s ethos and playlist, Infernos’ spacious dance floor is adorned by plenty of disco balls and neon lights in homage to its era of inspiration.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV2SaveleVM/?taken-by=infernos_clapham

Venn Street Records

Immerse yourself in the world of music at Venn Street Records, a music-themed bar where guests can enjoy live music over a meal. Furnished with a musical décor, with the shelves behind the bar stacked full of records, this place is sure to inspire an appreciation of the acoustic arts.

64th&Social

Dig into a steak while savouring an award-winning cocktail at this trendy spot on Clapham High Street, where all the meat and fish have been sourced directly from Smithfield and Billingsgate markets. Meanwhile, happy ‘hour’ is a major misnomer here, where two-for-one deals on cocktails are available from 5-10pm Sunday-Friday. It’s not hard to see why 64th&Social is so popular.

About the author

Ruaidhrí Carroll

London Travel Writer

Born to an Irish family, Ruaidhrí grew up in West London before moving to the East End to study history and politics at Queen Mary, University of London. He first joined Culture Trip as an intern, after gaining work experience at The Times, and soon took up the mantle of London Travel Writer. After a lifetime of committed research, it's safe to say Ruaidhrí knows the capital pretty well, but if you know about something cool, quirky or interesting going on, he wants to hear about it @RuaidhriCarroll