13-19 Old Town London SW4 0JT www.thejamtree.com
As you enter through the automatic doors, it is clear that the Jam Tree is not just your average pub. In fact, it is not a pub at all.
The Jam Tree offers a charming mix of bar, restaurant and colourful party space in the heart of Clapham Old Town and even boasts a beer garden for those rare warmer days. With a wall of windows that fold back, this would be an ideal place to sit wasting away the weekends, and we definitely spent a good few hours watching the rain beating down last weekend.
The recently updated Jam Tree menu has a range of options, but as I went on a Sunday evening, I of course had to try out their Sunday roasts with all the trimmings, which are available from 12pm.
My partner and I went for the Half Roast Lamb Shoulder for two, which had been marinated in rosemary and garlic. Although seemingly simple to cook, I’ve always found a truly good roast dinner hard to find when eating out, and many seem overpriced too. At £20 per person the lamb was the most expensive of the roasts on the menu (with the cheapest being chicken at £14) and one I am glad to have tried, but won’t be in any urgency to get again.
On first glance, presentation was great – a big hunk of lamb with some rustic looking Yorkshires and another bowl of fresh and colourful veg. The lamb came off the bone easily but seemed a tad overcooked for my liking, however if you like your meat more on the well done side, you will be in heaven.
One of my favourite aspects of a roast dinner is the Yorkshire Puddings, and unfortunately although obviously homemade, they were more on the burnt side so had more of a crispy finish.
On the plus side, the roast potatoes were great and the swede and carrot mash alongside cauliflower cheese really made the dish. Portion sizes are also very big (especially if you have starters!), and we ended up taking a doggy bag home.
Although I wasn’t hugely impressed with the Sunday roast, I do highly recommend the hot and sticky barbecue ribs to start. I am usually not a ribs girl, but these practically glided of the bone and were covered in a deliciously rich sauce that made even me want more.
The Jam Tree is a unique venue with something for everyone and as I am a sucker for both cocktails and puns, I’ll be sure to go back just to try the numerous jam related drinks (Pearl Jam, Made in Jam Tree, Wham Bam Thank you Jam…the list goes on).
The venue offers an extensive cocktail menu with happy hour deals in full force during the week as well as a weekend brunch menu to keep up with the current trends.
With every game of the RBS 6 Nations being shown in the hidden Bookcase Bar, it even appeals to rugby fans looking for somewhere social to watch the game.