The Sunday Crossword No 3164, Sunday 22 Aug 2021

ACROSS

1   Drinking quickly, setter unsteady somewhere in London (7,6) DOWNING STREET {DOWNING}{SETTER*}

8   Freaks of nature: mongrels ain't regularly included (7) MUTANTS {MUT{AiNt}TS}

9   A bit of ghastly cheese and fruit (7) LYCHEES [T]

11 Greek character to provide roof for bird (8) NUTHATCH {NU}{THATCH} 

12 Perhaps hearing report of euro's make-up (5) SENSE (~cents)

14 Painter (grand), returned a casual greeting (4) GOYA {G}{A YO<=}

15 Novel about brash strongman (5,5) CLOUD ATLAS {C}{LOUD}{ATLAS}

17 Household devices prepared cold salmon (3,3,4) ALL MOD CONS*

19 To be heard, provoke ravens' calls (4) CAWS (~cause)

21 Light bike moved aimlessly (5) MOPED [DD]

22 I can be seen among bald men challenging part of bill (8) MANDIBLE {I} in {BALD+MEN}*

25 What's seen in a chest, or somewhere below one? (7) DRAWERS [DD] 

26 Shelters knight in an annexe with son (7) AWNINGS {A}{W{N}ING}{S}

27 Mint tea I aim to turn into modern culinary proposition (9,4) IMITATION MEAT*

DOWN

2   Last longer than most of your stat might suggest? (7) OUTSTAY {YOUr+STAT}*

3   Hitman in Japan's hidden? (5) NINJA [T] Semi&lit

4   'Hulk' not half succeeds on getting reboot: chance'd be a fine thing (2,4,4) NO SUCH LUCK {HULK+SUCCeeds+ON}*

5   One mason's silent, essentially (4) SOLE {maSOns}{siLEnt}

6   Light vehicle strains to turn left (8) RICKSHAW {RICKS}{HAW}

7   With times moving on, that may be seen to become timeless (7) ETERNAL ExTERNAL

8   Groom with 'Mad Men' stylings, like a fancy hanky? (11) MONOGRAMMED*

10 Pop quintet is short, stunted family group (11) STEPSISTERS {STEPS}{IS}{TERSe}

13 Fertiliser reserves upset man's invested in somewhere in Cuba (10) GUANTANAMO {GUAN{TA}{MAN<=}O}

16 Timidity caught by ancient poetry (4,4) COLD FEET {C}{OLD}{FEET}

18 Everyman, blood pressure rising in the French lake with Frenchman wanting protection from elements (3,4) LIP BALM {L{I}{BP<=}A}{L}{M}

20 Adriatic land, Balkan? Assigned name: Illyria? Absolutely, at first! (7) ALBANIA Acrostic Semi&lit

23 Material extracted from ground, sent up (5) DENIM<=

24 Listen to me: some apps stink (4) PSST [T]

Reference List

Grand = G, About = C, Knight = N, Son = S, Times = X, Reserves = TA(Territorial Army), Caught = C, The in French = LA, Frenchman = M