METRO GARDEN

No, you haven’t wandered onto the set of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The foliage and fairy lights are all part of the moody décor at this foodie-oriented wine bar in the bustling heart of Clapham Common. Most of the local competition goes all out on bright lights and bling, so Metro is a calm little pool of sophistication. Girls on after-work soirees come here for the sultry lighting and theatrical flourishes; guys bring dates for the intelligent wine list and sparky modern-European-meets-Asian cooking.

Metro is split over three levels, with a front porch lined with deep sofas that you can vanish into with a cocktail before dinner, and a main dining-room lined with booths made from recycled church pews (lit, appropriately, by church candles). Unusual Art Deco features leave you wondering where the trim around the interior came from – did Claridges have a garage sale? The best place to settle in for the night is the atmospheric rear conservatory and marquee, set beneath a canopy of tangled shrubbery and spangly lights. In summer, diners spill out into the garden beneath the stars (now that should help sell the place to a reluctant date!).

The food menu has a Western European tang – lots of roast and pan-fried meats and fish with traditional European veg – but occasional Asian and Arabic ingredients add an Eastern flavour. Savvy dinners opt for the two-course set menu (evenings only, Monday to Wednesday). Quaffs include
import beers, classic cocktails and a robust wine list, with some good organic reds and whites, and there’s a pleasing fin de siècle feel to the Sunday jazz sessions (held on the first and third Sunday of the month). We think Oberon would have approved.