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Submitted on Tuesday, 11^th August 2026
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Elephant and Barrel, Stockwell, SW9

Pub added by Philip Carter

273a Clapham Road
SW9
SW9 9BQ

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Served areas

Stockwell

Reviews of Elephant and Barrel (Average Rating: 4 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

David Walton left this review about Elephant and Barrel

Visited 10/08/26. Visited previously as the Royal Oak on 21/08/24

No cask. Keg offering of Brixton Reliance Pale Ale, Coldharbour Lager and the Low Voltage Session IPA (the logo for which seems to have had a refresh), a trio of flavoured Old Mount Cider, Heineken and the AF version, Inch’s, Amstel, Murphy’s Irish Stout, Moretti, Cruz and Neck Oil.

This venue is chalk and cheese from my visit to the previous venue here. Think then I was the only punter in a drab and lifeless venue. OK the beer choices won’t set the world alight, but the venue was proper busy with a crowd of all ages on my later Monday evening visit. Inside still sort of U shaped with the bar counter offering some tall stool seating along the left-hand wall with a large mosaic tile skirt in an otherwise bare boarded venue. Generally tall table and tall stool seating around the bar counter and then regular tables over on the left-hand side, fed by an open kitchen at the rear of the venue. Nice lighting, a good pop soundtrack and screens showing sports absent commentary. What brought most her this evening was a large outside seating space, part on decking part on concrete, mostly picnic benches and with plenty of umbrella cover. Must admit I was gobsmacked as to how a venue that I was sure would close turns itself around as much as this - true money spent tarting the place up, but a good result to show. Not really going to get cask in a venue attracting the crowd it does, but you can't have everything.

On 18^th September 2026 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2067 recommendations about 2020 pubs]

Philip Carter left this review about The Royal Oak

Has reopened and changed its name back to The Royal Oak. Just in time for the football. They now have a 15 foot fake elephant in their front garden.
Has had another refurbishment, it is now called Elephant and Barrel.

On 19^th June 2026 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 760 recommendations about 721 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

David Walton left this review about The Royal Oak

As noted below, this had re-opened but my question is whether it has really re-opened? I found it a pretty sad venue on my visit. Could hear the heavy metal music being boomed out of the venue even before I got out of my Uber. Patio area out the front but a pretty sad area on Clapham Rd. otherwise bar is on the left-hand side of the venue with seating arching round to the right-hand area with a pool table. A DJ area between the two halves and otherwise a totally sterile interior that it is had to positively describe.

No cask, beers on tap were Guinness, Brixton Coldharbour lager and Reliance Pale Ale, cruz, Inch’s Moretti, fosters and Amstel.

Fruit machines, TV’s showing Sky Sports, flags from recent Euro’s so this place did its best to be jazzy but it had the appeal of a bottle of Prosecco opened a month ago, cheap to start with then and totally flat now. My Guinness was by a country mile the best and most enjoyable, OK Pink Floyd and Comfortably Numb on soundtrack notched this place up considerably so I hover between 4 and 5 but settle on the former.

On 21^st August 2024 - rating: 4
[User has posted 2067 recommendations about 2020 pubs]

View more reviews of Elephant and Barrel (6)

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