Why it's great for a date
The Rookery is not your standard Clapham pub. Sitting pretty on the south side of the common, its a great destination for a quiet evening date. Its not full of Australian bar staff or cheesy tunes, but rather staff who will remember your name and remember what youre drinking. The dark comfortable interior is perfect for sheltering inside and hiding from the (current) wet weather, coupled with a very good and ever changing menu¦ I dont know why youd pick anywhere else for an evening getting to know someone new!
The warm and cosy interior
How the date went
We went to The Rookery on a damp Tuesday evening, arriving about 19:30 to a table booked through DesignMyNight, the staff welcomed us in by name which was a great start to the date and really set the tone for a relaxing evening. We sat in the bar area upstairs and tucked into a bottle of bubbly while getting to know each other. The staff gave us all the time we needed to look over the menu, letting us know politely to just give them a shout when we were ready to order. When the food arrived it looked and tasted fantastic, and the staff didnt blink twice when we ordered 3 deserts to pick at between the 2 of us! We ended up staying for a few cocktails after wed finished eating, which made the short walk back to Clapham Common station quite entertaining!
The Rookery in Clapham perfect for a date night in London
General about the place/drinks available/ambience/clientele
The bar had a chilled buzz about it for a weekday evening with various sized groups of people enjoying food and drinks. There was no atmosphere of pretentiousness like you get in many gastro pubs, just a friendly welcoming vibe. The menu at The Rookery changes daily and it serves a good selection of wines and spirits, the cocktails were also very reasonably priced and the staff were great at mixing away from the list to make some more interesting creations.
The bar area is perfect for an intimate evening, and the pub even has a smaller downstairs dining area which can be booked¦ who knows, maybe well hire it for the engagement party, because Im definitely trying for a second date with this one!
For help or advice on where to take a date you can tweet DesignMyNight on @DesignMyNight and use the hashtag #SingleGuy
