Upstairs (at Trinity)
Adam Byatt's starred Trinity occupies the ground floor of 4 The Polygon, and the room directly above it runs its own kitchen, its own staff and its own Bib Gourmand.
Why go
Upstairs is a self-contained dining room with an open island kitchen, high stools around communal tables and a chalkboard of specials, cooking small plates to order off a menu that changes daily. Michelin holds it at a Bib Gourmand in the 2026 United Kingdom guide and describes modern British, produce-led food at a more accessible price
than downstairs (MICHELIN). Byatt himself took the MICHELIN Chef Mentor Award in the 2025 Great Britain and Ireland special awards, the guide crediting Trinity's pass with the careers it has launched (MICHELIN). Cooking to order at a counter with 32 seats is the reason the produce reads the way it does: nothing is held, so squid and prawns go on the fire when the ticket lands. The wine list is the one from downstairs.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the Comte croquettes at £5 for two, then the BBQ Cornish squid at £16. Harden's survey calls the souffle
outstanding,
so check the board for it.3 - Avoid: planning a weekday lunch. Lunch runs Friday and Saturday only, and dinner service finishes at 8.45pm.
What locals & experts say
- MICHELIN Guide (Bib Gourmand, 2026): the room has
high-stool seating around communal tables and a chalkboard specials menu, offering small plates such as comte croquettes, heritage tomatoes with anchovy dressing, and barbecued freshwater prawns.
1 - Harden's (2026 survey):
the cheaper and more casual way to dine at Trinity,
food 4 out of 5, service rated 5 out of 5, £79 a head.3 - MICHELIN Special Awards (Great Britain & Ireland 2025): Adam Byatt named Chef Mentor.2
Good to know
- Timing: dinner Tuesday to Saturday, 6pm to 8.45pm. Lunch Friday and Saturday, 12.15pm to 2pm. Sunday Lunch Club arrives at 1pm for a 1.30pm service, three courses from £40.
- Booking: essential. 32 seated, 50 standing if you take the room.
- Price: £79 a head in the 2026 Harden's survey. Small plates start at £5, large plates reach £46 for a whole barbecued seabass.
- Dietary: no gluten-free, celiac or vegan statement is published, so ask when you book.
- Location: first floor of 4 The Polygon, Clapham Old Town, about ten minutes from Clapham Common station. Trinity downstairs is a separate booking.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Michelin bib gourmand rec" REAL.
Verdict
should-visit — Upstairs at Trinity is worth the detour. A Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide sitting one floor above a starred kitchen, cooking to order at an open island counter, is a specific proposition: the same sourcing and technique at a fraction of the downstairs bill. Adam Byatt's Chef Mentor Award in 2025 says the kitchen is a training room as well as a restaurant. Short service hours and a small room keep it off a must.