Battersea's quality boozer

Sporting enthusiasts are always keen to demonstrate their prowess on the playing fields of Battersea Park. Then there are the arty types who congregate at The Pump House to muse over its various art exhibitions. But next weekend (Thur 17-Sun 20 Oct) sees the arrival of the Affordable Art Fair, bringing together works from 130 galleries from around the country and abroad, all for sale at prices not exceeding £2,500.

For whatever reason you choose to visit the park, the day couldn't be better wound up than by visiting one of its neighbouring hostelries. GII (a trendy abbreviation for George II) arrived on Battersea Park Road a little over two years ago, replacing the uniquely independent pub, The Legless Ladder, which many of us remember with affection.

But fans of the old Legless will be shocked to see its transformation. In an attempt to reflect the needs of the 21st-century Battersea boozer, GII has been taken stratospherically upmarket. A large island bar now separates two modern rooms, with the only hangover from its past being the listed wall mural bearing the words of old drinking songs, and a portrait of the one-time Prince Of
Wales, who went on to become Edward VII. (George II's reign ended 150 years earlier, but no matter.)

The GII is a classy, comfortable affair with a happy mix of formal furniture and nice squashy sofas. It's almost romantic on a quiet evening with soft background music, but on a Friday and Saturday night, when half of Battersea seems to gather here, the atmosphere becomes a little more opportunistic - fuelled, presumably, by the list of 26 different flavoured shooters on the menu.

On the rest of the drinks front, we're talking fairly standard draught and bottled lagers, but there's an interesting, if limited, list of classic cocktails, daiquiris, caipirinhas and mojitos (all at around £5). Wines are frugally priced and start at £10.80 for a bottle of L'emblème Colombard and Merlot, rising to only £26.50 for a Les Loges pouilly fumé, but as high as £120 for a bottle of 1993 Dom Perignon. One can only wonder how many bottles of that they sell.

The menu is a list of snacky dishes, perfect for sharing. Thai crab cakes, chicken wings, baby back ribs and duck pancake rolls are just £3.95 each, and there are larger platters --vegetarian, Mediterranean or Oriental - at up to £12 per plate. They do a grand Sunday roast at £8.90, and a veggie alternative that includes an enormous grilled vegetable and goat's cheese tart, a bargain at just £6.

The GII might not be as much fun as it was in its Legless days, but I guess we all have to grow up sometime. And if it does lack in the fun stakes, it makes up for that by being a quality neighbourhood venue that most people would be happy to have on their doorstep.

GII
339 Battersea Park Road, SW11 4LS