My exposure to british finedining before this trip was non existing. I was therefore very uncertain of what to expect. Afterall they showcase everything from the molecular and once cutting edge restaturant that is The Fat Duck where as the now more known restaurants seem to lean more towards classic french taste.
The Clove Club is located in the very modern and hip area of Shoreditch in an old classic mansion. Internally the décor continued to reflect the upscale feal in an open dining room and a nice bar wherefrom two competent bartenders supply guests with a cocktail tasting menu if that was requested.
To start of the meal a series of snacks came flying. First snack was a refreshing melon gazpacho with hazelnuts. Second was a very decorative crab tart followed by a rich and delicious buttermilk fried chicken. Very good and rich. The last snack was a haggis bun which didn’t have the rich and spicy feel which I associate with haggis.
The first actual dish managed to increase my expectations for the rest of the meal. A smoked mackerel with English mustard, cucumber and elderflower. To me mackerel is underrated and the slightly smoky fatty fish was matched perfectly with the zingy English mustard. Great dish.
Next up was their signaturedish. Raw scallop with hazelnuts and manjimup truffle. I have never tried scallop matched with truffles before, but the the sweetness of the scallop worked great really well with both the hazelnuts and truffles.
The cold courgette soup with smoked ham juice was refreshing but also quite bland. Unfortunately easily forgotten.
A nice baked dover sole with green pepper hollandaise and spinach was to follow. The rich hollandaise was a nice match for the sole.
Lamb and mint is a very very classic combination, but for a reason. It just works. Which is also did today where the lamb was marinated and smoked rib with a mint jelly. A very delicious peace of lamb.
The next dish was both classic and innovative. Duck and morel consome with 100 year old very very rich madeira where the aged of the wine was apparat and gave great dept to the consome.. Despite its rich flavours it still somehow acted as a cleanser and a nice break in the so far quite rich meal.
The last maincourse was a very good piece of roast pork loin with tropea onion, cherry, beans and jui sauce. Classic flavours and composition which tasted nice.
First dessert was just what I needed. A very refreshing wild fennel granite with milk mousse and strawberries. I had chosen the soft pairing where a carrot juice was matched perfectly to this dessert. It made me feel like summer.
To finish the meal was a loquat sorbet with lonquat kernel cream and a puffed amaranth. I am not a fan of marcipan and wih a distinct taste of marcipan this was not a favorite of mine.
About 3 hours after I started my dinner at The Clove Clove it was finished. The service was throughout the entire meal personal and professional and I felt welcome and well taken care of.
The first two dishes blew me away and the rest of the dishes were good, but I expected a bit more from a restaurant currently rated 26 in the world. To my own personal preference there were too many classic combinations where they did not add anything new or execute it in a fashion that made the meal truly amazing and stand out as something I will always remember.
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