The Avalon
Pub Grub
16 Balham Hill, SW12 9EB
£
The Avalon is part of Three Cheers Pub Group: some of the best in business, in my opinion. With 8 establishments, and a recent addition of Balham institution, The Bedford, these guys are perfectly straddling the gap between notorious pub chain and independent village cosiness.
I’ve been to around 6 of the 9 venues, and I must say that the Avalon is my favourite. Not only is it one of my locals, but the interior manages to remain warm and cosy despite the spaciousness. It also has a beautiful dining area, and houses three outside spots: making it the perfect place to whittle away a summer's afternoon (or a February afternoon, given the global warming heatwave we’ve been treated to recently). Despite The Avalon being a local haunt to sink a few pints or neck a few vinos, I had never actually eaten there, all until recently…
With the addition of a pretty nifty 50% off food with a tastecard (a feature of all Three Cheers Pubs, FYI), what seemed like a Monday treat, actually ended up being a pretty neat bargain. We booked a table from 7pm, and were informed that the pub quiz would start at 8pm. After a pint of Amstel (£4.80) as an aperitif (classy), I ordered a large glass of the house red - tasty and decently priced at £6.20 for 250ml. I then went for the hoisin duck breast with pickled veg (£6.5), Ciara for the special of burrata with flatbread and serrano ham (£9.5), and the boys two portions of the calamari (£6.5). To follow, I went for the seabass I had drooled over recently on their Instagram account (£16), whilst Tom opted for the fish & chips (£13.5), and Ciara and Nick chose another special: the Chicken and Leek pie (£14). - Prices listed here do not include discount
Whilst the duck starter was tasty, I must say that the presentation wasn’t quite up to what had initially tempted me online, the pickled veg were ever so slightly on the sour side, and it was a pretty small portion. The calamari (aka the safe bet) was good as always, with crispy batter, tender squid and banging aioli. However, the star of the show had to be Ciara’s burrata, which came on a massive board, oozing with deliciousness, draped with smoky serrano and surrounded with crisp yet fluffy flatbread. We all had a bite… I had two.
My main was more impressive, and made me feel like the healthy one at the table - all very well until you end up finishing everyone’s chips. The seabass was tender one side, with crispy skin the other, presentation was colourful (all hail rainbow kale), and the combination of flavours worked really well; with broccoli, giant couscous and romesco all being simple but great additions. Tom’s fish and chips were good, although I didn’t rate his mushy peas (or the fact that he’d ordered fried fish followed by more fried fish). Once again, the star of the show was Ciara and Nick’s choice of the chicken pie from the specials board. All-encompassed by pastry, whilst keeping full form and not getting soggy - seriously harder than it seems - and complemented with crunchy chips and veg swimming in a garlicky butter. Definitely not the most slimming of choices, but definitely the best.
Service was speedy, the pub quiz was fun (we came 7th…), and the bill was much cheaper than expected - ALL HAIL HALF PRICE FOOD! The Avalon continues to satisfy my pub needs and I think it will remain a favourite for a very long time.
OVERALL RATING: ****
https://www.theavalonlondon.com/
