Aquum

I wish I could give zero stars to this place! The guards made my night impossible! Right before we entered one of them had a massive go at the group in front of us. We thought they must have done something to piss him off but then our turn came and we were told to step away… nothing else… Eventually I got talking to a different guard and he seemed OK and let us in. It appeared the entrance was on some random basis. Once in, it was alright, nothing special, drink prices are reasonable but do not correspond to the crowd they’ve invited in on a random basis. At some point it got really crowded and we left to get some air but we couldn’t get back in at all… They literally ruined my night! So not going back!

Avoid coming here! This club is really bad. The floor is really dirty and sticky. The prices of the drinks are ridiculous. 7 to 8£ for a watered down drink. They must be kidding… The worst part here is the safety. One of the bouncers is a maniac. He spend the night assaulting people without any reason to. Being extremely aggressive and rude even to girls… I will never come back here.

Came here on a Friday night hoping to dance the night away. What a horrible idea that was.
The bartender was nice, but the music was just not quite my jam, nor was the crowd. The clientele was very mixed but it was also very cliquey.
Probably the best part of my night was the hilariously amazing toilet attendant. Be nice to her and give her a good tip if you ever choose to party here.

Oh Aquum, what a place to be. If you feel like digging out the big lashes or polishing of your best shoes, look no further than here. This glitz and glam bar has a great atmosphere and funky house music that will have you shouting ‘wait for the drop!’ over your champagne cocktail.
The dancefloor always overspills into the bar area as people really start going for it as the night gets on. The clientielle is very sophisticated. So if you’re drinking white lightning in the queue, or thinking of hiding your Burberry cap to get through the door, I’d suggest keep walking.

Absolutely great atmosphere with some of the friendliest security that you can find. The bar staff are brilliant and you will often find them setting bottles of drink alight and juggling behind the bar!
Prices are a bit pricey but the champagne cocktails are gorgeous!

Until very recently, Aquum used to do the best Sunday Roast in London — it really was delicious — large portions, proper roast potatoes (so rare to find!), beautifully flavoured gravy and tender, lean meat for a very reasonable price. I don’t know if they’ve changed management, but we were disappointed to find they no longer serve food apart from bar snacks, and they now don’t open until 5pm on Sundays.
We are utterly bereft and have no clue where to get our Sunday Roast from now on!

terrible place to go. Over priced, pretentious and completely lacking in character. Chavvy atmosphere full of wannabe’s.
Too crowded with people trying to be seen in their latest high street outfit. Avoid at all costs unless you are one of those people in which case you’ll fit right it

Good place for cocktails as well as a good Sunday lunch. Inside is very modern — all whites. Prices are a tad high but that is what you expect when in clapham.
Really popular place and always filled to the brim — this can sometimes be quite negative as there is no room to really breath.
Music is very upto date and if you find yourself a space with some seats, it is a good night out.
I would definitely recommend the food during the day — the atmosphere is much more relaxed and welcoming in the day light.

As a drinking venue i would highly rate the cocktails. I have had one of the best espresso martinis here… but also one of the worst. So quality of drinks very much depend on the barman making them. That said, this was only one bad drinking experience out of quite a few drinks ordered, so overall a positive!
Food-​wise; the brunch menu is fab! — i have returned several times for the eggs benedict and a bloody mary and twice for the sunday roast… unfaulted!
In terms of a club night crowd– if you like WAG wannabes and footballer types (ripped shirts in areas to show off pecs… and in similar areas for the girls to show off boobs) this will be the club for you. Reminds me very much of the crowd from the latest Essex reality tv show… lots of tanned, pretentious behaviour… living on the assumption that this is tasteful luxury… right in the heart of Clapham! Given this, the décor is fairly tasteful… non offensive. even pretty you could say… but not the right place for those who just want to dance like their parents and not be judged! Music, again… relatively non-​descript…
To summarise… yea i would go back for a cocktail (best in clapham… not the cheapest!). yea i would go back for brunch/lunch…NO i wouldnt go on a club night… :)

Unfortunately, I ended up here quite few times as I am Clapham resident… I can only recall one time we actually enjoyed the stay at the Aquum… It is usually full of quite tacky people, over crowded and over price for what it is! Obviously looks nice, while the white interior hasn’t worn out… Last time we turned our backs to the bar as we were asked to pay for the entry at 9pm ! Even central London ”posh” places does not charge you for entry at this hour! :)

This is called Aquum not Equum. does a great two course a la carte meal for £12 during the week. Food is excellent. Atmosphere a bit stuck up (sunglasses indoors has been spotted once or twice). Small outside area and brunch at the weekend seems popular.
I want to edit my original review because although the food is GREAT the place really is just a bit over the top! It totally is the kind of place you see people wearing sunglasses inside, and where the bar crew attempts lots of cocktails tricks. Not my cup of tea! Shame, cos the food is worth it.

Great express lunch menu. Exceptional food.

This is a very very high-​end bar/​restaurant, the inside is beautiful, white, pristine and sparkly. The drinks menu is expensive and caters to a lot of corporate VIP reservations, explaining the availability of pre-​ordered £1000 bottles of champagne and such.
However I just went there for lunch, when it is very very quiet, hence the £6 express lunch menu, which was spot-​on. I had lasagne and my boyfriend has munite steak with lovely thin fries, the portions were perfect for lunch and the steak turned out to be great value for money! There was a nice range of options (including some non-​meat ones, such as risotto) and the staff were very friendly and even told us a bit about the place.
An absolutely gorgeous place. Pricey drinks, but hey, it’s a top-​end luxury bar! You get what you pay for. As more of a bargain hunter, I’d recommend it for a swish lunch.

I’m not sure I could dislike a bar anymore. No really, I’ve tried to rack my brain and I just hate it. It’s such a shame it’s at the end of my road and not in, say, Siberia.
You know you’re going to experience something ridiculously snobby and up its own ar$e when you encounter, what I like to call, a ‘door b! tch’ (read moody cow with clipboard, smothered with make up and flanked by two huge bouncers), this is Clapham High St, not Mayfair!
Just before I entered this hell portal, the two middle eastern looking guys who walked up before I did were turned away because they were ‘full’. I could see, they could see and ‘she’ could see that it clearly wasn’t. She declared they had to be on a guestlist, and off they walked. Funny that us 5 white folk were allowed to walk right in huh? Not the best first impression.
The tacky décor screams try-​hard, and it misses by a mile. Again, need I remind you where you are? The drinks are extortionate! I didn’t ever feel I was getting value in this place. Thank the lord we didn’t pay to get in. That post 10pm surcharge would be a slap in the face.
Didn’t feel comfortable here at all… although I did leave with one burning question. Where did all the twunts that frequent this place go before Aquum opened? If anything, they’re doing Clapham a favour by adopting all the idiots that drink in this corner of London.
I’ve been told there is a basement bar which can actually be quite fun. But to be honest, I’m never going in again.
And Aquum? What a name!

Located within minutes from Clapham North station, among pubs and betting bureaus, Aquum is a distinctive spot on Clapham High Street.
Already from the outside, one can tell it’s a slick affair, which is all confirmed upon stepping in, even though some may find white (faux?) leather, gold-​and silver-​framed mirrors and crystal lampshades a tiny bit tacky.
On our visit, on Thursday evening around 6.30pm my friend and I were left spoilt for choice of seats as only a few punters had arrived before us. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for drinks, or if so, only on paper, as I had already scanned the cocktails I was going to go for on their website. So when came the time to order, I excitedly asked the waitress for one of these yummy-​sounding molecular cocktails, with my choice leaning towards either the Mojito Martini (described as perfectly shaken classic mojito, strained and topped with a Mango Espuma) or the Straw Bairy only to be told none of the molecular cocktails were available and that these were soon to be withdrawn from the menu, so to console myself I drew my attention to their ‘Aquum Bubbles’ (basically a selection of champagne cocktails) and the Fool’s Gold, tagged with the promising strap line of Has to be seen to be believed, was a definite go, but I was once more deprived from this supposed delight as it turned out the venue had run out of gold; so, after no less than three failed attempts, I had to make-​do with a somehow tasty Classic Champagne Cocktail (i.e ‘bitters laced sugar covered with cognac topped off with champagne).
The munchies had my friend and I respectively order a cheese burger and a (medium) sirloin steak, both with chips; and while she fully enjoyed her meal, mine (the steak) although nicely cooked, lacked in seasoning, but a lovely glass of red Delvin wine soon eased my palate out.
Three hours or so later, we finished the evening with some super-​flavoured cocktails: Dirty Martini (which looks and tastes what it’s called) and an old-​fashioned (bourbon, bitters and sugar).
The place filled up a bit more, totaling about 35 punters, but this still didn’t make the atmosphere any worthier of a trip from the other end of town.
I am sorry to say that the accusations brought upon Aquum for ‘bringing the West End to the South’ are undeniable, but both the service and the quality of products (with drinks ranging from £ 4.50 to £ 9.00 a glass and main courses hardly exceeding a tenner) might convince some.
This said, it is by all means a suitable option for SW4 residents in search of a swanky local.

This place is very nice as the music is good, drinks are affordable and service is very good aswell. must go to on a friday or saturday.

The (relatively) new kid on the block. Obviously a lot of money has been spent on decking this place out. Inside — glittering and twinkling. Thumbs up, if not a little bit too sterile and modeled too much on the ‘Nikki Beach’ idea. See how long it can keep up the ‘just bought and unpacked look with all that white going on in there. the climate in Clapham isn’t the same as in LA and it does rain a lot over here in winter.
The bar staff/​waitresses/​waiters are friendly as well as attentive and attractive. The drinks taste great, if not a little bit on the pricey side — no prizes for guessing where the mark-​ups are.ehhm.hidden.
Front of House:
You have to make sure you get there early in the evening on weekends as you do get the impression the door policy does become more selective the later you turn up; girls bearing all who’ve spent 4 hours in-​front of the make-​up mirror will jump the queue. No real problem, unless your part of the queue that never moves at all. Possibly a little bit too selective perhaps? To counter this, the guest list is best used.
Music:
Great music, DJ knows what he’s spinning and gets (and keeps) the crowd going. Good Job.
Crowd:
A fun-​loving crowd with some great characters to be either laughed, smiled, or winked at. Perhaps there is a slight danger of encountering a pretentious WAG wannabe or two, but in case of that emergency she is best ignored as you can always find more approachable people who are just as good looking standing right next to her. Generally everyone is friendly and up for good times. Happy days.

My first visit was on a Saturday afternoon and I have to say, I was extremely impressed! The lunchtime menu is adorned with a nice variety of foods, but not at the usual bar fare standard. Not only does it look good on your plate, more importantly it tastes deliciousI recommend the burger!
At night the laid back-​luxe atmosphere transforms into a vibrant and glamorous offering. Drinks are reasonably priced and the attaractive crowd makes you forget that you you are infact in Clapham. With 3 bars, a dancefloor, state of the art soundsystem & VIP room there’s lots to keep to occupied until closing time at 4am.
The South West of London has been crying out for some West End glamour and I think Aquum has hit the spotan excellent alternative to the standard chain pubs that blight every high street in town.

Somewhat reminiscent of the very chic Restaurant L’Elephant in Ibiza, this new addition to the Clapham bar & restaurant scene has left me a bit undecided. We tried it on a perfect sunny Spring day, which certainly helped give it a cool holiday vibe — gorgeous sunshine pouring into the room making the all-​white interior and sparkly furnishings seem refreshing and different for the neighbourhood. It has a small terrace at the front with doors onto the street, which again gives it a relaxed, slightly mediterranean-​ish, atmosphere.
The food was ok, bit bland and nothing special at all (probably done on the cheap), but pleasant enough and hit the spot. Sitting just next to the terrace on a high table in the sunshine reading the paper was a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning.
However, something about the place doesn’t make me want to give it any more than 3 stars. Without the sunshine it would have been a totally different experience — I couldn’t imagine visiting this place during the winter. It will probably only work on a sunny day to keep the holiday vibe alive and excuse the tacky décor around the edges. I can also imagine the white sofas and chairs looking grubby in about 3 weeks, and it being full of WAGS! The crowd this morning were quite relaxed, but I fear that won’t last.
So all in all — I like what they are trying to do, especially as I love L’Elephant, but my worry is that it will become a magnet for a certain type of punter, which if you know I mean by that, it may not be your kind of place! If you can see through the fake glitz of the furniture, the mediocre food, and enjoy the perfectly reasonable latte, you’ll have a nice time.

My oh my, cool and chic comes to Clapham. Aquum only opened its doors a couple of weeks ago and from what I can see from my first visit those doors are going to be very busy!!!
The place itself has been beautifully designed. It’s furnished in plush white leather and Crystal that somehow works in the daytime as well as the evening. During the day you can enjoy eating breakfast all day, they serve everything from scrambled egg with Salmon to the traditional full English, all of which is beautifully presented. The atmosphere is extremely chilled and I spent a lovely few hours relaxing to cool tunes and reading the papers. In the evening they have a DJ and it opens until 4am on a Saturday Friday and Saturday. It has an exclusive VIP section upstairs that would be ideal for hosting parties and but I believe you can book at table for around £350. As yet I have not been here in the evening but I can guarantee I will be trying it this weekend. This place is going on my must visit list!