The Clove Club — Restaurant in London

The Clove Club, situated in the historic Shoreditch Town Hall in London, has firmly established itself as a beacon of modern British cuisine. Since its inception, it has garnered significant acclaim, including a Michelin star in its first year and a second star thereafter, reflecting its commitment to excellence.

Ambience and Setting

Housed within the Grade II-listed Shoreditch Town Hall, The Clove Club exudes a minimalist yet welcoming atmosphere. The dining area is characterized by high ceilings and large windows, creating an airy environment that complements its open kitchen design. This layout allows diners to observe the meticulous preparation of their meals, fostering a sense of connection between the kitchen and the dining experience. The absence of traditional tablecloths and the presence of azure-tiled kitchen accents contribute to a relaxed yet refined setting.

Culinary Experience

Under the guidance of chef Isaac McHale, The Clove Club offers tasting menus that highlight seasonal British ingredients with innovative flair. Dishes such as buttermilk fried chicken, marinated in buttermilk for 24 hours and fried using tapioca and polenta flours, have been lauded for their exceptional flavor and texture . Another standout is the smoked wild Irish char paired with sour cream and rye, noted for its delicate balance and subtle smokiness .

The restaurant's commitment to showcasing British produce is evident in its menu selections. For instance, dishes featuring white asparagus, monkfish, chicken, and Aylesbury duck are prepared with precision, though some critics have expressed a desire for more luxurious ingredients at this price point .

Service and Hospitality

The service at The Clove Club is often described as attentive and knowledgeable. Staff members, including sommeliers, are praised for their expertise and friendly demeanor. However, there have been instances where service missteps occurred, such as a venison sausage rolling off the grill and into a diner's lap, with the staff appearing flustered in their response . Overall, the service is generally well-received, contributing positively to the dining experience.

Beverage Pairings

The Clove Club offers wine pairings that are both unusual and interesting, enhancing the overall dining experience . Additionally, the restaurant provides tea pairings, though some diners have noted that the teas presented had a similar, weak profile, lacking the robustness expected from their descriptions .

Value and Pricing

Dining at The Clove Club is a premium experience, with tasting menus priced accordingly. Some patrons have expressed concerns regarding the value, particularly in relation to the luxury of ingredients used . Nevertheless, many diners find the innovative cuisine and overall experience to be worth the investment.

Conclusion

The Clove Club stands as a testament to modern British gastronomy, offering a dining experience that combines innovative cuisine with a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. While certain aspects, such as ingredient selection and beverage pairings, have received mixed feedback, the restaurant's commitment to showcasing seasonal British produce and delivering attentive service continues to attract both local and...

Almlst 4.5 for me. Almost everything tastes good, but I had higher expectations because of all the ratings and recommendations. And the greasy smell toward the middle of the experience is really distracting..

Sicilian Blood Orange & Fennel Soda is citrusy and subtly sweet. It tastes better when the gas is still there.

The green chicken soup that looks like matcha is a light and appetizing start.

The cold sourdough, however, is a let down.

Snacks: The smoked ricotta bite tastes really good, crispy, melting, gooey, and warm. The classic buttermilk fried chicken is fantastic. Covered in crunchy batter and dill salt, the chicken is very juicy. Beetroot apple gazpacho is less memorable.

Smoked trout with almond brown butter, buttermilk. Love the brown butter and toasted almond. The trout doesn’t taste smoked but is tender and juicy. The caviar from Paris is mellow and melts in mouth. + Sparrow’s tongue (smells sweet and aromatic taste refreshing).

The monkfish is perfectly cooked, plump and slightly springy, not dried out at all. The texture resembles seared scallop. The crispy fish skin and whelp add layers to the texture. + Yame Genmai 八女玄米茶 (toasted rice).

The slow roast lamb is probably the rawest lamb cutlet I’ve head. It is easy to cut and eat nonetheless. The skin is crispy. The warm Italian sauce of anchovy and garlic tastes very nice.+ oolong pipacha 烏龍枇杷茶 (beautiful floral notes).

Grilled HABANERO Granita is quite a nice surprise. The chili-flavored ice is really interesting. The plum sorbet is tastes more like Chinese dark plum than the regular plum fruit here and is very refreshing. The sheep’s milk yoghurt is creamy. Its unique flavor helps to bring the spiciness and fruitiness together. Regular cow milk yoghurt won’t be able to do this. (☆_☆)

Apple tarte tartin has a just right amount of sweetness, though I’d prefer the crust to be less soggy and more crunchy. Enjoyed watching it being cut with a scissor. It was a little difficult to eat only with a spoon and a folk though. A knife would be really helpful. The solid dollop of crème m is too heavy for me. An ice cream or gelato or something even lighter would be more fitting. + white poeny tea

The finishing small bites are alright. Not too sweet or heavy, but not quite special either. One citrusy, one with chili, one with some alcohol taste.

We all liked the macaron-sized mini celebration chocolate mousse cake.

(P.s. would appreciate some more vegetables in the menu for a balanced diet :)

Tea pairing is an interesting idea. The value is debatable.

The service is considerate, friendly and attentive, offering many surprises for my friends’ special occasion. The environment is a bit noisy so some part of the food intro is missed.

From around 8:30 pm, a strong smell of oil cooked in high temperature comes out from the open kitchen from time to time. As some reviews noted, the ventilation should be improved. I am also worried about the...

Booking

I've been trying to book this place for over a year and finally managed to get a table for my wife's birthday. I had booked using vouchers bought from their site for the 9 course tasting menu.

Before the date they had asked me if it was for a special occasion and if we had any dietary requirements (I told them it was for my wife's birthday and she was vegitarian).

I also got a strange email informing me that since getting their vouchers they have increased the price but the directors have changed their mind are will honour the vouchers.

Decor & Atmosphere

The place is in the old Shoreditch town hall and looks nice from outside. Entering the front door, you are welcomed by the smell of all the meat hanging to the left of the entrance hall (Vegitarian wife was not impressed).

The main dining room had the main open kitchen on one end, but the rest of the room was quite plain and dimly lit.

Due to there being a running kitchen in the room, the bad acoustics in the room and the quite voices (in foreign accents) of the service staff, I found it very hard to understand what they were saying when they were describing the food. I had to ask them if they had a menu so I could just read that to see what we was being served.

Service

A waitress told us about the 9 course menu and also made a point of telling us that the prices had changed since we got the voucher but they would be honouring the vouchers (not sure why they needed to tell me in front of my wife who I was treating out)

We were served by many service staff throughout the night so found it hard to build any rapport with any staff. Although none of them were rude, I had the feeling from them that they really didn't want to be there.

For some of the courses where there was more than one item to be served, the main plate was served and then after a minute another waiter would come over with the other item/s. It would be nice for the whole course to be served at the same time.

Food & Drink

The food was generally very nice, but probably not worth the current price of the menu. I think London has many better places that does better tasting menus at more reasonable prices (see some of my other reviews).

We also found the wines by the glass were quite expensive (Most around £15 to £20 for what seemed to be a small (125ml) measure, though the beers were priced more reasonably (£5 to £6).

They did try and upsell to us by offering us if we wanted to add white truffle to one of our dishes (after asking they told us it was an extra £45) and also if we wanted some cheese (not sure what they would have...