London Cray !!! The Clove Club Restaurant in Shoreditch Town Hall
The Lowdown
Restaurant Name: The Clove Club
Cuisine: Comtemporary Britsh
Average Price per Person: £55 to 120 or $85 to 180 USD
Location: London, England (see map below for details)
Recommendations: Fried Chicken Feet, Wood Pigeon Sausages, Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Pine Salt, Oak Smoked Cod's Roe, Baked Leek with Montgomerey Cheddar Sauce & Perigord Truffles, Cured Meats, Apple Tarte Tartin and Amalfi Lemonade & Black Pepper Ice CreamRatings (out of 5)
Taste: 4.5
Creativity/Authenticity: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Bang for Buck: 4.5Crayscale !!!
Located just down the street from the Ace Hotel in the Shoreditch Town Hall is a restaurant you definitely need to hit up when in London, The Clove Club. The Town Hall goes way back, built in 1865, but has been kept in mint condition hosting art shows and events. The space also happens to house The Clove Club. The restaurant opened in 2013, run by an incredibly talented team, Isaac McHale, Daniel Willis and Johnny Smith, The Clove Club quickly making a name for itself, earning its first Michelin star as well as being recognized as one of “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.”
The restaurant is separated into two rooms, the restaurant and bar. The restaurant serves a set menu (take it, or leave it) that changes daily featuring contemporary British cuisine while using local ingredients and produce. The menu evolves daily based on seasonality, utilizing the freshest ingredients on a day-to-day basis. The bar section focuses on a selection of unique drinks and smaller plates meant to be shared. The bar is more for snacking, drinking and getting a little preview of what The Clove Club is all about. This is what we stopped in for.
The snack menu consists of snacks, smaller plates, larger plates, a selection of cheese, and desserts including things like buttermilk fried chicken & pine salt, venison sausage, blood pudding, salt cod croquettes, organic duck egg yolk risotto, scallops and unique desserts such as lemonade and pepper ice cream. I would definitely recommend spending an evening at The Clove Club to sample a few of the dishes from their bar menu or even better, try to cop a table at the restaurant for the real deal.
I’ve had plenty of chicken feet in my day, but never de-boned and fried. This was delicious, similar to chicharones, but thinner, lighter and crisper in texture.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Pine Salt (£7.20 or $11 USD). The fried chicken was on point – incredibly moist and had a crispy golden crust dusted with fragrant pine salt.
Oak Smoked Cod’s Roe, Fennel and Rye Crackers (£7.50 or $11.40 USD). The cod’s roe was creamy, smoky, and extremely addictive. I couldn’t stop eating this stuff, especially with the crispy rye crackers.
Clove Club Cured Meats Selection (£20 or $30.50 USD). As soon as you walk into The Clove Club, you’ll be able to spot the incredible cured meat locker. We had some of the Lardo and Coppa. Not gonna lie, I wanted to go HAM on that lardo and order another plate.
Hazelwood Grilled Chanterelles with Radishes, Peanuts and Chili (£6.90 or $10.50 USD). The chanterelles had a nice smoky, nutty flavor with a bit of a kick.
Baked Leek, Montgomery Cheddar Sauce, and Perigord Truffle (£20 or $30.50 USD). This was unreal! The combination of the sharp cheddar cheese sauce with the tender baked leak and truffles was mind blowing.
Wood Pigeon Sausages with Greenage Ketchup (£9.50 or $14.50 USD). The sausages were juicy, sweet and packed with flavor. The greenage ketchup added a subtle acidic fruity kick.
Warm Blood Orange, Sheep’s Milk Mousse and Fennel Granita (£7.50 or $11.40 USD). The sheep’s milk mousse was rich and velvety paired perfectly with the acidic blood orange. I wasn’t really feelin’ the fennel granita though.
Apple Tarte Tartin with Vanilla Ice Cream (£6.50 or $9.90 USD). This definitely hit the spot. Simple, nostalgic and executed perfectly.
Amalfi lemonade & Sarawak Black Pepper Ice Cream (£6.50 or $9.90 USD). This was incredibly refreshing and light with hints of pepper.
Shoreditch Town Hall
380 Old Street
London EC1V 9LT
w: thecloveclub.com
p: +44 20 7729 6496
