The Clove Club was one of my three London restaurant bookings, having jumped to 26th position in the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list in June, and having been named the highest new entrant (from 55th position last year) this year. It has two Michelin stars.

Background

The Clove Club has not yet achieved the fame which its London counterparts Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and The Ledbury have achieved. The cab driver had not heard of it, and had to Google it. No doubt this problem will go away in future.  I had requested the assistance of two friends in making a booking at The Clove Club, and had also sent an (unanswered) media email, and was worried that I might miss out on the restaurant. I was advised to book on their website, and lo and behold, there were numerous time slots available for the date I wanted. No credit card details were required, and a confirmation email was sent!

Business partner Daniel Willis came to the table regularly, and we spoke about the meteoric rise of The Clove Club on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list, having opened in 2013, entering the list at number 84 in 2014, improving to 55th position last year, and 26th position this year.  Unfortunately Executive Chef Isaac McHale was booked off after an operation, so Head Chef Chase Lovecky was in charge. Daniel told me that they have a more informal approach in the restaurant, guests topping up their own drinks.

The most formal part of The Clove Club is its discreet entrance, in blue, not revealing what is behind its doors.  One steps into the bar, and a hostess led me into the restaurant, and I noticed the chefs working in the open-plan kitchen one walks past.  It is not a surprise that there is a very strong food smell in the dining room.

The biggest surprise was the informal nature of the restaurant, not only in its table decor, but also the staff dress, with managers wearing light suits, or jacket and slacks. Waiters wear grey shirts and aprons. There are no tablecloths, but a napkin was offered.  No cutlery is pre-laid on the table, and the wooden top table only contained a glass vase with lavender.  Chairs are upholstered in light blue leather. Decor in the room is minimal, with unusual wooden slats on the ceiling, perhaps playing a functional role of dampening the noise. One lone palm tree adds a touch of colour. An ice-cold cloth with a lavender fragrance was brought to the table, a service which I experienced in all the top New York and London restaurants I dined at. Cutlery is by David Mellor.

The Menu

I was not feeling well, so chose to order from the Lunch Menu, on an a la carte basis. The waiter was pushy when I did not order a starter or a small-bite item.

The first Amuse Bouche looked like a bowl of grated cheese, but was a frozen melon gazpacho. For a steamy London day it was a refreshing start. This was followed by a second Amuse Bouche, a summer herb broth containing sancho, related to the Szechuan pepper plant. I had to request a soup spoon for it. Some tables appeared to have been served bread, but none came to my table.

Of all the World’s 50 Best restaurants I ate at in New York and in London, the menu presentation at The Clove Club was the most disappointing, just two A5 pages and one A4 page in cream.

Small-item options were priced between £4.60 – £7.20, for Chickpea panisse (flour cake), Haggis Buns, and buttermilk fried chicken and pine salt. A platter of cured meats costs £11.

Four Starters were offered: baked Aubergine, green tomato and frozen Saint-Nectaire (cheese); crisp pheasant egg, red wine braised Lincolnshire chicken, and smoked liver sauce;  flamed Cornish mackerel, gooseberry, English mustard, and cucumber; and raw Orkney scallop with hazelnut, clementine, and Manjimup truffle from Australia, ranging between £11 – £18.

I regret not ordering the 21 day dry-aged Aylesbury duck (£28), it seemingly being a signature dish, as Chef Chase brought a sample of it to a number of the tables, but I had already eaten my main course of Crisp Tamworth pork belly, served with Bagna Cauda (a warm dip with its origin in Piedmont, made with garlic, anchovies, olive oil, and/or butter and cream), Como peppers, New Zealand spinach, and artichokes (£26). Other main course options are Hazelwood grilled Pollock (a white fish which is a member of the cod family) with gherkin, brown butter, and seaweed; and risotto of oat goats, courgette, sunflower, and pecorino.

I couldn’t choose between the two desserts, of apricot sorbet with burnt honey, toasted almond, and bee pollen; or cherry blossom ripple inside a buckwheat and molasses pancake, both costing £8.  I asked the waiter to guide me, asking which of the two desserts would be the more photographable. The pancake was his recommendation, and it taught me never to go by a waiter recommendation again. It was the most bland presentation, with two cherries in a separate bowl accompanying the dessert. In addition, the dessert plate had two pieces missing on its rim! A selection of British cheeses costs £10.

A sweet touch was receiving a home-made chocolate bar with the bill, to sweeten the payment! The wrapper colour matches the front door of the restaurant!  A surprise is the ‘discretionary service charge’ of 12,5%, which is added automatically.

I could have ordered a six course Tasting Menu, at £65 and an additional £50 for a standard wine pairing and £65 for a ‘Prestige Pairing’; or an eleven course Tasting Menu, with the standard wine pairing cost of £65 and the prestige pairing at £95. The items on the Tasting Menu were all part of the lunch menu from which I had ordered.

The restaurant clearly is proudly-British. I was presented with the menu options, but no one talked them through with me, a shame as I clearly missed some British specialities.

The winelist

The wine list cover is brown leather. It has the restaurant logo of four triangles, representing the elements of earth, wind, fire, and water.

I looked for the South African wines, and found Mullineux White Blend 2013 (£60), as well as Thelema Merlot 2012 (£45) and Crystallum Cuvee Cinema 2014 (£95).

I spoke to Head Sommelier Guy Palmer-Brown, and asked him about his selection of South African wines. He told me that they were to experience a tasting of our country’s wines in the following week. They specificy what they need, including grape variety, and invite suppliers to present their wines.

Summary

I was underwhelmed by The Clove Club, expecting far more of it at the 26th ranking and two Michelin stars (the accolades not visible anywhere). Perhaps it is a little too laid back and relaxed, forgetting a spoon for the broth being unforgivable. I found the food presentation boring, with the only wow factor being the melon Amuse Bouche. Serving dishes with chips in them is inexcusable!  A hostess kindly allowed me to use a cloakroom near the entrance, when I saw the steep spiral staircase for the guest ones. An annoyance was asking for a cab, and the company (Hayes) they sent is linked to the restaurant, but only tales cash. The driver was annoyed with me that the restaurant had not told me, and he did not tell me either when I got into the vehicle, leaving a bitter taste about The Clove Club!

Exchange rate: £1 = R18.37

The Clove Club, 380 Old Street, London. Tel +44 20 7729 6496. www.thecloveclub.com Twitter: @TheCloveClub

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whalecottage.com/blog  Tel 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@WhaleCottage  Facebook:  click here Instagram: @Chris_Ulmenstein