Balham Bowls Club

Balham Bowls Club

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Affectionally known as the BBC, Balham Bowls Club is one of the most original pubs around. It was one of the first venues to get the Antic Pubs treatment: requisition a tired old building of character and turn it into something special. In this case, a long abandoned bowling club is transformed into one of the capital's greatest pubs. Antic have since sold up to the Urban Pubs chain, who've left its interior largely the same.

Balham Bowls Club exterior

It's hard not to use the word 'sprawling' when describing the BBC. On entering, a series of bar areas can be found to the left, a function room known as the Presidential Room sits to the right, and through the back lies a vast dining hall. The poor cleaner has their work cut out, for there's yet another capacious space known as The Ballroom upstairs — used for private hire (including weddings) and film screenings. There's even a beer garden should you need to stretch your legs out even further.

Main rooms Balham Bowls club

No shortage of patrons colonise this space. Turning up at 12.30pm for Sunday lunch, we were lucky to get a table. It would be easy to assume that the BBC, with its ironic subverting of a traditional community space, might be populated with trendy young things, but this isn't so.

Dining room of Balham Bowls Club

We've rarely seen such a mix of ages in one pub, with family groups and reunions squeezing in among the dining couples and elderly gents. The Sunday roast, by the way, was superb. Lord alone knows why the two yoga-chatting ladies on the next table chose to leave their Yorkshire puddings, for these were divine.

Images below are from 2014 and may not reflect the pub's current look. We leave them in for posterity.

Looking into the bar area. Not sure who these gents are, but we hope they enjoyed their pints.
Looking into the bar area. Not sure who these gents are, but we hope they enjoyed their pints.
Are you Balham Bowls Club or Balham Bowling Club? Get your branding consistent!
Are you Balham Bowls Club or Balham Bowling Club? Get your branding consistent!
Stupendous roast. Trust us - there are non-brown vegetables under there somewhere.
Stupendous roast. Trust us - there are non-brown vegetables under there somewhere.
You'll be bowled over. Ha. Ha ha ha! Ha! Um
You'll be bowled over. Ha. Ha ha ha! Ha! Um
Blue Moon wheat beer, with slice of orange. Try it, you might just like it.
Blue Moon wheat beer, with slice of orange. Try it, you might just like it.
Where old mirrors go to die.
Where old mirrors go to die.

Address: 9 Ramsden Road London SW12 8QX

Phone: 020 8161 0956

Website:
https://www.urbanpubsandbars.com/venues/balham-bowls-club

Monday: 4pm-10pm

Tuesday: 4pm-11pm

Wednesday: 4pm-11pm

Thursday: 4pm-midnight

Friday: noon-midnight

Saturday: noon-midnight

Sunday: noon-10pm

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