Clapham’s Gigalum

The south side of Clapham Common is home to quite a few well-respected bars and eateries. The likes of Firefly, The Avalon along with the Brasserie James are all found in the vicinity of Clapham South tube stop.

Another to add to the list of swish places around this part of London is Gigalum. It has a tropical theme, which you think would make sense as it shares its name with an island. However, this island is not one of those with lush beaches and swaying palm trees, lying as it does off the west coast of Scotland.

The laid-back feel is maintained inside with a sleek black look to everything and a DJ keeping a selection of chilled-out tunes going. It is a place that offers people the chance to enjoy a drink outside or pop indoors for something to eat. My companion and I tried to straddle the two options by starting with a cocktail before moving inside for a meal. The two creations were made by the manager Rui Cesar Teixeira and showed a pleasing level of innovation. My Black Rainbow contained a good mixture of gin and fresh fruit juices, while my companion went for the more sturdy Raw Life – similar to a Long Island Ice Tea, but without being as overwhelming as that particular drink.

Moving onto the food, our meal began with tapas-style starters, my companion and I getting stuck into some buffalo wings and chicken quesadillas. I was impressed with the simplicity of the buffalo wings, which came with a tangy dip and my only complaint was that there were only five of them. My companion was also very enthusiastic about her quesadillas, quickly snapping away my attempts to get just a little sample.

We both had the burger for our main course, which came with log-sized chunky chips. It was pretty decently put together and was certainly very filling for both of us. Due to a problem with the venue’s freezers, we were limited to the chocolate fondant with vanilla ice-cream for dessert. The fondant was a little disappointing, having been overcooked that no melted chocolate remained at the centre.

With the summer shutting up shop the venue is changing its menu to be more seasonal. I hope that they keep up the standard, as not only is this a charming place to get a drink, its food means that you should think about staying that bit longer.

Gigalum
7-8 Cavendish Parade
Clapham Common Southside
SW4 9DW

Tel: 020 8772 0303