I'm always looking for something different, even while on holiday. With a manifesto like, "honouring tradition whilst subverting convention," PKD answered the call. The decor is vintage, but off-kilter, psuedo-ColonialVictorian decor, a very good cocktail (and beer) list, and the staff very agreeable. We enjoyed several fresh-takes-on-old-fashioned cocktails as well as a sampling of dishes - from breakfast to dinner - that we found to be classic, but not cliché. I'm looking forward to the prospect of another evening well spent at this fine establishment the next time I find myself in London. read more

As I'm teetotal, I don't frequent pubs but my fine London Yelp friends introduced me to Powder Key Diplomacy after a Yelp event IT's a unique venue and they've obviously worked hard to make it so. Everywhere you look, there are quirky decorations - maps, stuffed animals and quirky lampshades abound. I think the theme is Victorian gentleman traveller? The throwback to that era continues with the considerable leatherbound menu and the staff addressing you as sir. If you still can't find a libation which will meet your exacting tastes, they will concoct a bespoke cocktail based on your preferences Just a shame it's in an area of London I dont visit that often read more

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I spent a very enjoyable afternoon at PKD today. Sat in a comfortable booth, I was well placed to investigate one of the best beer lists in London. I immediately knew I was in safe hands when I spied a specific section of the list devoted to Redchurch Brewery (my favourite) and an array of others from around Britain and the rest of the world. The staff seemed to really know what was on offer and suggested a few bottles with which I was not familiar, all of which were delicious. My companion enjoyed the cocktails just as much as I enjoyed the beers and the wine list looked pretty good as well, with a couple of unusual bottles from India and Canada on offer. Further, while I have not sampled the full menu, the bar snacks we ordered were tasty. In particular, the haggis coated scotch egg was both unusual and delicious. PKD is, for me, the full package and I can see it becoming a real favourite in the months to come. read more

Powder Keg Diplomacy - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

I was recommended this place for a boozey brunch by a friend and after looking up pictures online couldn't resist it's beautiful Victorian tea room styling. The interior really is beautiful with the glass ceiling and botanical feel combined with antique looking artefacts. The food was lovely and the service was great. I highly recommend the brunch cocktails, and as you can see from my picture, in true brunch fashion, I had 3 or 4 drinks on the go at once! We stayed for hours having cocktails in the bar area. I really can't wait for a second visit read more

Powder Keg Diplomacy - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Hum...shall I check out Powder Keg Diplomacy, you ask? Hum, do you like awesome beer, awesome decor, awesome food, and awesome service? Nah? Then why the heck are you on yelp?? I'll join the line of Elites endorsing this place. I first tried it in the fall of last year, sitting in the front area by the windows in a comfy chair, enjoying a few delicious beers with a friend. I vowed to come back. After that, I came back for brunch with my boyfriend who was visiting from America, and was impressed again. (He was super impressed!) We shared a giant full English for only £8, and a fantastic braised ham hock on toast with poached egg and hollandaise for £7. We also had tea, coffee, beer, and a fabulous espresso martini. We must have sat for hours in the place! Next, we made reservations for Christmas Eve dinner. A place has to be special to be chosen for Christmas Eve dinner, and this place certainly is! Their holiday menu was just effing gorgeous. Three course dinner and great ambiance, a few drinks, a soup with cob nuts, a terrine, some cold pickled vegetables, a roasted bird, a tower of twice fried potatoes with peppercorn cream sauce and roast beef, fresh berries, something with chocolate... it was delightful even if some of the details are lost in the hazy glow of the memory. Yes, delightful. read more

This was my first ever proper roast in London and I was very VERY happy. I had always seen this place popping up on the "must try" places of clapham junction and glad i finally got to go. It's pretty small when you walk in but then opens up to a dining area at the back. i loved the decor i loved the staff and i loved the guy playing guitar at the entrance. Seeing everyones reviews i think i need to come back and try the brunch as well and will definitely be back for drinks. It was on a bit of the pricer side but the love of everything else makes me forget about that and keeps me wanting more. read more

Powder Keg Diplomacy - Sunday roast - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

PKD is most certainly an excellent drinking establishment as well as a great neighbourhood restaurant, and was actually a significant pull factor in moving to the area! I like the fact it caters for pretty much anything you might fancy, whether that's a beer and a light bite, a bottle of wine and a three course meal, or some pre/ post dinner cocktails. It manages to achieve a perfect combination of delivering good quality that's worth returning for, a relaxed, quirky, interesting environment, and friendly, attentive service. It can get really rammed with drinkers at peak times, so I prefer to enjoy it when it's a little bit quieter - it's ideal for a mid-to-late afternoon drink, accompanied by some of the tasty bar snacks as you ease into evening. The staff are also very good at making recommendations on the beer front and giving you some tasters to try, or mixing up a variation on a cocktail. It's definitely a place where time somehow seems to slip away. And, it's also open for brunch :) read more

So this is now the at Johns Tavern - powder keg was good but this place is now even better brilliant craft beer selection, also a decent selection if you drink the "other" beer types. Good wine selection while, lovely vibe read more

The Powder Keg Diplomacy is a drinker's paradise. Particularly if that drinker likes their interior Victorian English and their music from the Jazz Age. The drink is good, no doubt: I'm a keen beer drinker, and there's plenty of stuff here I don't recognise, in a good way. I'd also be confident about trying their wine and cocktails: these guys know their stuff. Heck, they're passionate about it. But it's the service here that really makes this place stand out from the others. How many other places would give you samples of five different beers to help you decide which beer to go for? And I mean 'give' freely i.e. not prompted, more a case of "here's what we have on draft, and what kinds of beer do you like? Okay, well here's another two you should try." Incredible. This is a place I'd be confident of taking the most demanding of customers without fear of disappointment. The interior is Victorian English: candles, low hanging lights, many in a style harking back to the 19th century. The coup de grace is the dining area, an elegantly styled space with a huge skylight, ceiling fans, and immaculately laid tables. I'd happily take someone here with a view to impressing. The music is 1920s-40s. Jazz Age. Classy. Throw in the free wifi and this is a superb spot for some surfing. Overall: this place is amazing. If there's any justice in the world it should get business a-plenty. read more

Powder Keg Diplomacy is a great place for a drink and throughly earns its five stars with ease. The beer is good but it is the enthusiasm and knowledge of the staff for the beer they serve which marks this out from other establishments. If you are unsure what to order the bar staff will happily advise you of the different beers on offer and will pour you a small taster glass before you have to make a commitment. The quirky Victorian decor of the interior adds to the character of the place, having moved close by I will be frequenting Powder Keg Diplomacy again and working my way slowly through the extensive beer menu. read more

I am so glad this is here. Moving from Shoreditch, the land of braces, beards, and the well-crafted cocktail, I was a bit nervous moving to Clapham.... not only south, but SOUTH WEST (gasp!). PKD comfort me in my time of need. Friendly and knowledgeable bar staff, incredibly tasty cocktails, and enough taxidermy to make this East London girl feel at home in the South West, away from a tube line. Thanks to places like PKD, I am excited to call Battersea/Clapham my new home. Do try it out, you shan't be disappointed! read more

I was introduced to this place by Yelp's lovely book group. Apparently most of them live in this part of town and had been here before, but it was my first venture. After having a really bad day (and only a week or so after my arm surgery too) involving the wrong train, I finally stumbled in late and wet. The venue itself is going for that 20's speakeasy vibe with an eclectic decorating scheme. (Stuffed ferrets anyone?) I really enjoyed the vibe of the place. I ordered hot chocolate and a cheese board. Both of which were amazing. The drinks also looked great, but given my arm has been cut open only 10 days earlier, I thought that forgoing drinking on this outing might be a good plan. But I'd come back. The rest of the food looked great, and they do brunch, so who knows? It could be a great brunch venue in the future. read more

By far one of my favourite pubs by name, the Powder Keg Diplomacy was the site of our inaugural Classy Beer Club and it would be hard to find a better place to start. As expected, the PKD boasts an impressive range of beers and ales on tap and the staff behind the bar have a correspondingly vast amount of knowledge about said beers and ales. I often find myself wanted to try something new without really having much of an idea about what to try. The bartender was quick to ask questions about my tastes and general mood for the night (including what drinks I had had previously) and suggested a dry lager to start followed by a more robust stout. He even poured tastes of a few recommendations so I could try before I buy, so to speak. His choices were excellent and I would happily rely on his judgement for future experiments. The atmosphere is one of dark woods and fire places which makes it an excellent place to drag chairs into a corner and chill. The back of the pub has a dining area in what looks like an old conservatory but we were here to drink, not eat, so I can't comment on the food. Overall, a great place for a lingering drink if you find yourself down in Battersea and definitely on my list of places to Beer in London! read more

Enter Powder Keg and you feel like you've gone back in time - into an era where everybody was a gentlemen. This unique venue is full of quirky decorations - old maps, lampshades and floating gramaphones are just some of the things to get you excited. Never would I use the word 'mixologists' but the bar staff here really are craftsman. It may take you a while to decipher the various concoctions on offer in their long menu (but in a leather bound cover no less) filled with beers, wines and cocktails. If you find that you're struggling (and like me, wondering if some of the worlds were actually English), the team will happily make you something bespoke. Once you've dominated the bar, you can walk through into the quaint conservatory area where there are tables for food. Even thought the place is quite small, I've never had a problem getting a table for the weekend but try and book early (phone or online). Wonderful place, and I'll definitely be back! read more

Class. While the interior may suggest it's like any other British pub, upon further inspection the atmosphere is far kitschier and interesting when you sit inside. There were doors hanging on the wall! Doors! The beer menu was large and diverse, though heavy on the European selection. I can't really complain because I am very unfamiliar with brit-microbrews so the alcohol menu was a new lexicon of lubricants (yea. I went there) I tried a Fraoch, an ancient heather ale from Scotland. I'm a sucker for new things, and I was very happy. Though the beer doesn't exactly reflect on the bar, the fact that it was an option does. Nice place. Definitely check it out if you are looking for a micro-haven in London and want a true selection. read more

My absolute favourite brunch place! I love going there on Saturday / Sunday mornings as it tends to be really busy and Loud every evening. You have to try their eggy bread, best French toast I've ever had (except once, I think they ran out of old dry white bread, which is perfect for French toast and made mine with very fresh wholewheat bread - it didn't taste right and was pretty soggy). Their cocktails are amazing too and the staff are really friendly and relaxed (and funny). I discovered this place a couple of years ago, I wanted to go to Ben'S canteen for brunch with a friend and the long queue (and my desperately empty stomach) pushed us to go somewhere else. And since then I've never been to bens canteen again! Love PKD and so do all the friends I've taken there so far. Well done guys! read more

This is my favourite place for a meal/night out in Clapham Junction. The food is always excellent, the staff are very attentive and knowledgable, even the cutlery & glassware are different. Great choice of cocktails too - not just your run of the mill selection. read more

Came here for Sunday roast with my boss, her fiance, and his friend. The atmosphere is cozy, and the menu is pretty impressive. I settled for the sirloin, which was cooked perfectly along with the yorkshire pudding and veg that came along with it. I'd definitely come back to try other food my next time in London. However, we were a bit put off by our waitress who handed us our check when we asked for a dessert menu. read more

Powder Keg Diplomacy is a great and underrated place to go for brunch. I have been there twice with my parents and the food is delicious, not stupidly expensive and the atmosphere is great - something a bit different! I did go there for a first date once and I think it was a bit intense for that! The cocktails are AMAZING though (you have to try the Cape of Storms!), and the food was tasty. A good place to go with friends, either if you earn a good wage or for a special occasion. But it can be tricky to get a table as it fills up, so maybe book a table or get there early :) read more

If you want to treat yourself to lovely food, in an amazing cosy venue with some friends and don't mind going to Clapham, then Powder Keg is worth experiencing at least once. It is a bit pricey but for the atmosphere and noms it's definitely worthwhile. Menu options are delicious, and offer some lovely dishes that you might not have tried before. Presentation is exceptional and the staff there are very friendly. read more

Powder Keg Diplomacy - Deconstructed Peach Schnapps - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

i love this bar so much. there are various animals painted on the walls, and i honestly think that's reason enough to give a place 5 stars, buuuuut powder keg diplomacy has a myriad of other reasons too. firstly, the decor and ambience in this place is amazing (animals on the walls, hello?!) - the ceiling has an old colonies map painted onto it - too good, and it's all darkly lit and intimate. the eating area at the back looks absolutely beautiful, i will definitely need to return here to try out the food. the drinks menu is so extensive with very careful selections of booze. i ordered the regalitea which was a sparkling english wine, gin, earl grey and peach affair i believe and it was so good. the guys working here were all a delight, friendly, efficient, unobtrusive. i know if we had asked for recommendations or help on anything they would have been more than happy to oblige. we came here before a yelp event so only stayed for about 45 minutes or so, but i will definitely return here to work my way through the menu, and i can't wait to do so! read more

There are candles in the loos and that's one the many reasons I like this place but I won't tell you the other ones because you didn't ask nicely. read more

Powder Keg Diplomacy - Meaty Mary: tomato juice, spices and roast beef jus, topped with a slice of beef dipped in horseradish. YUM. - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

effortlessly classy joint. extensive beer and cocktail menu with knowledgeable staff to provide recommendations and mix stellar drinks. generous with samples to ensure the proper fit. atmosphere took us back in time between the dark blue upholstery against the rich wood and vintage trio of double bass, clarinet and banjo. read more

Powder Keg Diplomacy - Bars Near Me - London, XGL

It's time to get yourself acquainted with a Victorian Colonial themed bar. This means glass decanters, dark wooden seating, beautiful ornate Victorian decor and chaps in braces behind the bar. Yes yes, it's Clapham and if you can move past this it's well worth it. Involving powerful homemade liqueurs and ginger beer, the cocktail list is fantastic and quirky, (run by ex Lost Society 'winners of two TimeOut 'bar of the year' accolades' types this might not be too surprising) and on the menu, I'd be prepared to commit murder for the pork belly. Try the Grandad's Allotment cocktail which comes with a fresh stick of rhubarb in it, and black treacle across the top. Order one, and take delight as you're treated to a five-minute lesson in how a drink should really be made. A three because a hint of laddishness crept in towards the end of the evening, which didn't really fit the vibe. read more

An interesting place with a good service, great staff and a very good selection of drinks, will definitely come back one day.

I love this place. Great food and amazing expresso martinis. It's my go to for a night out. Really friendly staff.

Only been to this place for some Friday night drinks but it really impressed and the dining area was packed so I assume the food has something going for it! Great range of cocktails really fun and quirky vibe loved the Decor and great service from the bar staff. Delicious cocktails! read more

Nice place, good drinks, a bit snug and didn't have capacity to seat 8 of us for a birthday so we had to squish into a corner around a tiny round table. Nonetheless would probably go back! The service was good and ambience really cool and hip. read more

Lovely staff who really know their stuff. Some great recommendations on cocktails and beers. The bar food is great and I'm looking forward to trying the restaurant. Decor is beautiful and quirky. Hidden gem in clapham. read more

Wonderful cocktail menu but definitely on the 'premium and be willing to part with plenty of cash' side of things compared to other bars on St John's Hill. read more

Went here on Saturday night to treat my new fiancé to dinner after I popped the big question. I let them know in advance what the occasion was and at the time we were running slightly late and I called them to let them know. They answered the phone and when I said my name first thing they asked was did she say yes. Made my day how much attention they paid to us through the night ranging from the complementary glass of bubbles and amuse-buche to being genuinely excited for our special day. The food here is absolutely amazing. Started with pressed duck and I had crispy pigs cheek. Both stunning starters which just made me lick my lips for the main. I had rib eye with bone marrow and stout sauce. This was some of the best steak i have had. The new fiancé had Ray stuffed with brown shrimp. Being seafood lovers the flavours were out of this world. Huge thank you to the staff. And especially Ollie. You are a star for making this special day even more amazing. Will definitely be going back as we didn't get a chance to sample any of the amazing looking cocktails on the menu. read more

I am so disappointed, after reading excellent reviews for this venue I thought I would try out as new to the area. The staff were so unbelievably rude - no greetings, no smiles. We innocently sat at one of the free tables and were barked at by the staff as these tables were reserved for dinner only and told to move to the bar if we were only having drinks and not eating. After then waiting at the bar and being ignored for 10 minutes to get a drink (not even an acknowledgement at the bar as the staff were making cocktails) we left. Fortunately there are many other establishments down the road where bar staff are smiling and friendly and we could enjoy our night. If I could, Powder Keg get 0 stars. read more