Reviews The Clove Club

Our last meal in London, the happiest ending I can imagine. A simply-decorated dining room, fantastic service, food that I'll be telling stories about for ages. Eating at Clove Club feels like you're starting something special, like you just stepped into your best friend's living room or sat down with your close-knit supper club.

I love it when a simple and casual restaurant or eatwry gets a star , this place in a way felt like a school canteen with a small open kitchen that did wonders, totally loved it

My friend and I went to the clove club for lunch. The food was really nice. A bit pricey for the kind of food they serve you. Good service as well.

At my recent lunch at Bonhams with Kang, he mentioned about his recent meal at Clove Club and how the kitchen were doing some amazing things. He is of course a very knowledgeable and well-travelled foodie, so when he speaks you have to listen. Booking a table here is tricky, given its pre-paid ticketing system. Depending on what time you choose to dine, you may have to pay up front for your table – up to £95 pp for the prime dining hours. As I was on my annual leave, we decided to pop in for a mid-week lunch and opting for an early 12pm table, meant that we did not have to pay anything up front.

I’d last been to The Clove Club on Valentine’s Day, that passion-killer which ranks up there with New Year’s Eve as top of my nights to stay at home under all circumstances. I was so overjoyed to be able to find that a table was free that I had failed to realize that there was a reason. And when the penny of sadness dropped into my consciousness I decided to press on anyway. How bad can it be?

I have been hearing about The Clove Club for ages and I’ve been very curious to try though it was never near the top of my list as I had also heard some non-enthusiastic reviews from friends. But one friend raves about it so we finally decided to go at lunch, when they have a great deal for a set menu. The snacks were fantastic and the service was very good but the mains or desserts didn't impress me enough to want to rush back.

Amazing food and great staff. I visited The Clove Club with a friend on a Saturday night. We didn't book a table in the restaurant instead we opted to sit in the bar at a tall table. As the chef that night is a friend of mine, we not only got to try the dishes on the a la carte menu but also the new dishes they were developing which were all very amazing. We started with some nice cocktails and the fried chicken feet skin, great new way to cook chicken feet. We ordered their signature buttermilk fried chicken in a nest, very tasty and reminded me of the Japanese version of fried chicken Kara-age. The raw scallop with mushroom and truffle was so fresh and everything came together perfectly. Slow cooked duck egg with mushroom and peas were so beautifully presented that I didn't want to break everything apart! It was delicious! We didn't get to try the desserts which was a shame as we had too much to eat before dessert course...definitely a must try in London!

The Clove Club has recently opened in Shoreditch Town Hall, and you should go as soon as you can... In the kitchen is one half of Young Turks , chef Isaac McHale. He’s the chap who used to dish out delicious stuff above the Ten Bells pub... Food at The Clove Club is simplicity done brilliantly – there’s a big emphasis on fresh seasonal veggies (asparagus, jersey royals) and a few oddballs thrown into the mix for good measure (gull’s egg, anyone?)

I'm always a bit sceptical towards British cuisine, as I've had experiences in up-scale restaurants that were no different from my local pub. This, however, is not the case at the Clove Club. My first bite of the Radishes, Sesame and Gochuchang had me convinced. I spilled a bit on the table and had to scrape it up to make sure I got everything, that’s how good it was. The Buttermilk Chicken & Pinesalt served on pine branches is basically gourmet fried chicken, and a superb one at that. The duck ham is cured and prepared in the Town Hall, but

I started to worry that this small space was actually a Porch of Judgment. The Clove Club is rather trendy at the moment; did I have to pass an entrance test? I looked around for a camera; surely there was somebody observing my dress sense to see if I was a suitable diner?! I tried to play it cool - I let my glittery shoes sparkle in the light whilst contorting my face in my best Blue Steel pose. I HAD to get in. Mr P, watching my performance with quite some confusion, left me to it and exited the building. I felt rather silly when he returned moments later to inform me he

In the end, I found the food at The Clove Club is one of those experiences you either love or hate affairs. I didn't get some of the dishes but on the other hand, the rest were delightful and especially the squid dish. Price wise it was reasonable with £48 for the tasting menu.

This is one clove club that won't leave your mouth numb, but after this meal you'll still be drooling. At £46 for the 5 course meal, it may seem like a lot.. but believe me, it was worth it. The best meal I've had in a while

The signature dish of 'Buttermilk Chicken & Pine Salt' is something special.

The Clove Club opened in March 2013 in the old Shoreditch Town Hall. There is a bar area with a few tables, and behind it is the main dining room. The décor is simple, with bare tables, the room having good natural light. Chef Isaac McHale worked for five years at The Ledbury and then worked at the Young Turks above the Ten Bells pub. The restaurant had an unusual funding model, using “crowd sourcing” from a variety of investors using the website Crowdcube to raise the £250,000 that its three founders needed rather than a bank loan. In the end they were heavily oversubscribed and raised £408,000, with individuals investing from £1,000 to £50,000.

In the beginning, three chefs, Ben Greeno, James Lowe and Isaac McHale, having trained at some of the most influential restaurants in the world (Noma, the Ledbury, etc.), began running special evenings under the collective name the Young Turks. Invariably wildly popular, and winning lavish praise from anyone lucky enough to attend, it was inevitable that they would attract the attention of the movers and shakers and before long Greeno was cherry-picked by David Chang to launch his Sydney outpost of Momofuku. By all accounts, he's doing very well. So then there were two. Lowe and McHale, after gracing the rooftops of Peckham with a popup at Frank's Campari bar in the summer of 2011, began a residency in the newly refurbished upstairs dining room of the Ten Bells pub in Spitalfields, where the reviews were similarly salivating . I ate at Upstairs a couple of times and it really was very good indeed; don't ask me why I never wrote it up, I definitely should have done, sometimes these thin

A perfect Saturday afternoon spent eating amazing food. We had the carte Blanche menu Starting with chicken feet and ending with a fizzing pepper dessert. I loved the meat hung at the Windows and the chefs in full view. The food was incredible. So many highlights loved all the snacks at the start including chicken feet, a chicken 'nugget'' cured meats and sausages. Another highlight was a Madeira and consume course drunk from a wine glass and the blood sausage. Inventive and clever food. Fantastic service and a great way to spend an afternoon.

The Clove Club opened in March 2013 in the old Shoreditch Town Hall. There is a bar area with a few tables, and behind it is the main dining room. The décor is simple, with bare tables, the room having good natural light. Chef Isaac McHale worked for five years at The Ledbury and then worked at the Young Turks above the Ten Bells pub. The restaurant had an unusual funding model, using “crowd sourcing” from a variety of investors using the website Crowdcube to raise the £250,000 that its three founders needed rather than a bank loan. In the end they were heavily oversubscribed and raised £408,000, with individuals investing from £1,000 to £50,000.

The wine list was fairly short, ranging in price from £19 to £150. Examples were Tenute Fessina Nakone Sicilia 2010 at £38 for a wine that you can find in the high street for around £13, Valdicava Rosso di Montalcino 2009 at £55 for a wine that you can find in a shop for £26, and Mastro Janin Vigna Loreto Brunello Montalcino 2007 at £102 for a wine that retails at £48.
In a cupboard near the entrance hangs charcuterie, which the chef makes himself, smoking and ageing assorted meats and even bonito to make his own katsuobushi. We sampled two types of salami, one flavoured with nutmeg and the other with garlic and wine, as well as some cured pork from a Cornish pig. The latter was from the rare Lop breed of pig, being farmed by the Duchy College in the area in an effort to bring the breed back from near extinction. This was very enjoyable, and is good to see a chef making the effort to make charcuterie rather than just buying products in.

The meal began with English asparagus served with mayonnaise, and little croquettes of haggis. The asparagus was carefully prepared and the haggis had good flavour, hinting at the Glaswegian roots of the chef. The mayonnaise contained the Korean product gochujang, a spicy chilli paste, though it was not too strong (14/20). Buttermilk fried chicken with pine salt was made with a gluten-free batter using tapioca and was served in a basket of pine needles and pine cones. The chicken itself had good flavour, and the batter was light, the salt level just right (15/20).

Sand eels were in season, tasting a little like whitebait and served with a mint vinegar jell. The jell was quite acidic and very minty, and I wondered whether the sand eels really needed it to accompany them (13/20). Wood pigeon sausages were lovely, the pigeon liver included in the sausage and giving it depth of flavour, a little spicy ketchup enhancing the taste further; a sausage dreams are made of (16/20).

Sourdough bread with oat berries was excellent, the crust lovely, the texture airy. This bread was made from scratch and it really showed, being genuinely classy. I could have eaten this all day (17/20). Razor clams cooked in hay, served with smoked butter emulsion with sorrel and apple juice sauce. Razor clams can so often be hard and rubbery, but here were very tender, the light accompaniment working well with their natural flavour (16/20).

A salad of pheasant egg with ricotta, almond oil and aged balsamic was prettily presented, but the vegetables in the salad had limited flavour. Perhaps eating this just after returning from Italy was unfortunate, but even in the UK there are better vegetables than this. However the egg was carefully cooked and the balsamic added useful balance (14/20).
Mackerel was served with a sauce involving cucumber that had been pounded to extract its flavour, dill and elderflower vinegar, with a garnish of wild fennel. The mackerel was correctly cooked but was not of great quality, though the sauce worked nicely with the fish. This dish owes something to The Ledbury, where the chef worked, and the concept was fine, but was let down by the particular piece of mackerel (14/20).

Chicken (from France) was served with summer truffles, girolles, baked leek and a sauce of Montgomery cheddar. As well as the chicken breast with crisp skin was the chicken testicles, which resemble a boudin blanc. The chicken had quite good flavour, which is not something that can be said of many chickens served in London. The leek worked well with it and the sauce was nicely restrained, the cheese taste in no way dominating the dish. The girolles were also of high quality (15/20).
Lobsters from Christchurch (the Dorset version rather than the New Zealand one) was served with courgette puree, almonds in brown butter with Indian spices. The lobster was tender enough though I thought that the butter and spices were a little much for the delicate shellfish, so you ended up tasting more spice than lobster (14/20).

Lamb from Yorkshire was served with spinach, anchovy emulsion and spinach dust with kelp. The lamb had very good flavour, cooked a little longer than some might like but I quite liked it this way. However the anchovy emulsion was very strong indeed, and I wasn’t entirely convinced about this pairing (14/20).

Strawberries from Brittany were served with ewe milk mousse and almond crumble. The strawberries had quite good flavour and the contrasting textures of the crumble and mousse worked well with the fruit (14/20). Finally a prune ice cream was served with a sorbet of milk infused with rosemary and a prune soaked in tea. The prune flavour came through well, the texture of the ice cream and sorbet just right (15/20).

With only water to drink, this extended tasting menu came to £75 a head. The standard tasting menu is shorter and priced at £47 a head. Waiting staff were friendly. Overall this was a very enjoyable meal, with the attention to detail illustrated in the home-made bread and charcuterie, and with solid kitchen technique.

In the beginning, three chefs, Ben Greeno, James Lowe and Isaac McHale, having trained at some of the most influential restaurants in the world (Noma, the Ledbury, etc.), began running special evenings under the collective name the Young Turks. Invariably wildly popular, and winning lavish praise from anyone lucky enough to attend, it was inevitable that they would attract the attention of the movers and shakers and before long Greeno was cherry-picked by David Chang to launch his Sydney outpost of Momofuku. By all accounts, he's doing very well.

So then there were two. Lowe and McHale, after gracing the rooftops of Peckham with a popup at Frank's Campari bar in the summer of 2011, began a residency in the newly refurbished upstairs dining room of the Ten Bells pub in Spitalfields, where the reviews were similarly salivating. I ate at Upstairs a couple of times and it really was very good indeed; don't ask me why I never wrote it up, I definitely should have done, sometimes these things happen.

And now there is one. McHale, now Lowe-less but accompanied by the two giants of front of house (in both senses of the word) Daniel and Johnny, has moved into an annex of the Shoreditch Town Hall once occupied by the disastrously ill-conceived Monsieur M (you know what an area of town blessed with lots of amazing Vietnamese restaurants didn't need? A mediocre Vietnamese restaurant). It's called the Clove Club, it opened on Monday and you should go as soon as you can.

OK, so I've long been a fan of the Young Turks' output and this was never likely to be a negative post. And I hesitate after the drubbing David Sexton got on Twitter for his not wholly upbeat writeup of the opening night in the Standard, because I was there the same evening albeit in the more informal a la carte bar area. But given the quality of the dishes we were served, the slick service and the generally positive vibes that chime through every element of this operation, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess there were other factors at play in that piece than a desire to be objective. Put it this way - if you ever read a restaurant review that grumps just as much about "hipsters and food bloggers" and a "yearningly aspirational diaspora" as the food, then take the star rating with a pinch of salt.

Anyway, it's about time I told you what you get for your £35 a head. A short list of house cocktails were all refreshingly unsweet and reasonably priced. "Clove Club Sprits[sic]" was a Polpo-a-like aperitif served in a wineglass, while an "Orange Gin Ricky" was an straightforwardly quaffable highball of fresh juice and gin.

Dishes, while vaguely distinguishable by price point, are only divided on the menu into 'cold' and 'hot' rather than 'starters' and 'mains', and arrive as and when unless instructed otherwise. This is, of course, how it should be on a bar menu designed for sharing, and at least prevents anything hanging around for ages under a heat lamp slowly baking. First thing we tried were some pretty fingers of sliced chicory, I think gently cooked somehow as they had none of that usual extreme bitterness of raw chicory, dressed in a light cream dressing and topped with toasted hazelnuts. Like Upstairs and his previous ventures, much of McHale's food has a masterful control of texture, used to often stunning effect.

If you were lucky enough to try the grouse sausages served at the Young Turks Frank's dinner, then you will love the pigeon variety served at the Clove Club. Whoever they've found to create these unctuous, gamey little beggars deserves a big pat on the back, and matching them with a powerful fermented chilli "ketchup" is inspired. The "ketchup", in fact (really a hot sauce in the Sriracha vein but actually far nicer) should really be available to buy - I imagine it would go with just about anything.

"Lemon Sole and Indian Spices" was the kind of thing that could either be a complete disaster or the highlight of an evening. Fortunately, this was the latter. A soft, light piece of fresh fish was coated in the most incredible complex, buttery coating and topped with toasted almonds, creating a dish that satisfied in every department. The raita-style crunchy dressing added a cooling touch, and lifting the flesh off the bone was a rare treat.

Having ordered savoury courses quite conservatively and buoyed by what we'd eaten so far, desserts were requested without a second thought. The single official dessert on the bar menu is an éclair, and bloody lovely it is too - all light and freshness and way more attractive than my murky photo suggests.

But we were also treated to a refugee from the tasting menu next door, a bowl of warm blood orange, sheep's milk and wild fennel which, like everything else, was a deceptively complex arrangement of flavours and textures, temperatures and techniques. It was great, and only reinforced my desire to go back for the Full Monty.

With three glasses of wine plus a very pleasant side of smacked cucumber I completely forgot to take a photo of, I think £71.80 is a very reasonable total for food of this standard. Service isn't added on, which is a lovely touch, but unfortunately water is - we had asked for tap, was told that the water from the bar was all tap even if we wanted sparkling anyway, but then were charged £1 for something called "Vivreau". So they lose a point for that. Oh and some of the window tables are a bit draughty. But these are niggles.

As I've been at pains to point out, these are very early days - the earliest day in fact - and only the bar menu not the full multi-course multi-sensory experience offered in the main dining hall next door. But you don't always need an exhaustive sampling of every corner of a restaurant's offering to know when you're onto a good thing. In fact, you very rarely do. Based on the all of the above, the pedigree of a chef like McHale and my burning desire to revisit as soon as possible, the Clove Club is a smash.

9/10

This is one clove club that won't leave your mouth numb, but after this meal you'll still be drooling. Taking permanent residence in the beautifully restored Shoreditch Town Hall is The Clove Club, set up by 'St.Vibes' after their successful stint (still ongoing) in Upstairs at The Ten Bells. With reviews from 'Upstairs at..' still scintillatingly superlative it seemed a no brainer to book in for their new place before it became impossible to get a table. The Clove Club is split up into 2 areas: the bar, with a great selection of beers, wines and bar food, and then the restaurant itself with open kitchen serving up the '5' course meal. At £46, it may seem like a lot.. but believe me, it was worth it.
With high ceilings and kitchen so close the dining area this really is an engaging dining experience. The attention to detail is clear, the room and tables are layed out to perfection, cutlery and even staff aprons are bespoke. The staff are engaging and very courteous. But now to get a glance at the menu which simply put is two 'starters', the main show and two 'desserts'. Of course there is much more to it than that but that's your choice, no a la carte.
To start with are a few dishes of Kohlrabi, sunflower and mint, picco salumi and radishes, sesame & Gochuchang. The radish dish is outstanding with the Korean influence of the hot pepper paste in mayo brings together the soil like sesame powder with the radishes. These guys really know their flavour combinations. The salumi is soo moreish with a strong background of rosemary. These come as sharing dishes and are a great start to the meal.
The red ruby beef with ransom and potatoes was outstanding I could easily had a couple of these. Again, while there is a lot of technique on display it's not over complicated, flavours are clean with everything coming together in one 'eye rolling inducing' mouthful. The roast rib of ruby red beef was so damn good, a result of great british produce. It was at this moment it was pointed out that I have a 'food face', while in my element which is no doubt akin to a child opening presents at Christmas. Either way I was in my own little bliss. The attention to detail is apparent with even the steak knives embossed with the Clove Club logo.
Being part frugal Scot I'm not someone who parts quickly with my money, but this was worth every penny. Portions are of decent size, unlike some taster menus you definitely will not leave hungry. The venue & menu is stunning, staff are a delight. Their experience from stints in places such as Noma and the Ledbury is clear, but they really put their own stamp on the food they serve. The only dish that didn't really inspire me much was the fennel, and that maybe due to my lack of zest for seaweed. That said the appreciation for the others is more than clear, this is the best meal I've had in a while. If you haven't already booked up I suggest you get a move on. I got an urge now to go back for the bar food.
Come hungry. Eat. Drink. Enjoy.

Read more on: http://www.foodoverlondon.com/2013/03/the-clove-club-climax.html

Well deserved Michelin stars especially with a great venue, attentive service, superb food and an overall memorable experience. I enjoyed a lot of the seafood dishes, and appreciate the balance between exquisite ingredients and classics.

Just a wonderful experience from start to finish. Each course was so well executed and thought out. The details were perfect. The service was above and beyond and the cocktails were fabulous. Really, really great time here! This was great for a vegetarian as the vegetarian tasting menu was perfect.

Wow, wow, wow — simply spoiled from start to finish! Interesting tea and wine pairing, give it a try if it’s still on the menu. Pro-tip: the restaurant isn’t within the town hall building itself but next door in a building of its own. Expect to spend at least £300+ on the tasting menu with the welcome champagne, beverage pairing, coffee/tea.

One of the best food + dining experiences I’ve ever had We did the tasting menu and wine pairing and I don’t think it’s a surprise for you to know if was unreal. The meal flowed seamlessly and the wine pairing was on point to compliment each meal Obviously a 2 Michelin star restaurant so you expect a high standard across the board. However, it’s the personal touches and general personality of the place/staff that took me by surprise anyway. We went there for our anniversary dinner and the Clove Club team really went the extra mile to make it a great occasion… hand written letters, special deserts etc. Would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a special occasion or just a generally amazing food and drink experience!

Service was outstanding and did not disappoint for a 2 Michelin star restaurant. Tasting menu was more than enough portion-wise. Some dishes better than others. The duck broth as an extra dish was a bit disappointing for the price. Overall the venue was cozy and the ambience was calm and nice.

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 staff’s health.

We very much enjoyed our dinner at The Clove Club. Our table enjoyed three vegetarian tasting menus and one regular tasting menu which was thoughtfully presented with a seafood allergy in mind. The dishes were all delightful, can't fault anything. We've been to other similar restaurants where the food presentation may have had slightly more "wow" factor but the flavor of everything we had was top notch. Some of our party had the mixed wine and tea pairing while others had only the tea pairing and the teas were absolutely amazing although I do think the price of the beverage pairings was a wee bit high. The staff all made us feel very welcome, especially Nicholas and Michael, but everyone we came in contact with just lovely. The room and ambience felt intimate and comfortable. Based on other reviews I was prepared for it to feel a bit stark with no table cloths and a minimalist vibe but there actually were tablecloths and the color palette of the room was very warm and inviting. Most expensive meal I've had but the experience was well worth it and I don't regret a penny of it.

This has got to be the best fancy restaurant in the UK. The flavours are familiar yet presented in a very new way. The service is impeccable. And the main dining hall feels like dining at a very well run home. You can see the chefs prepare fresh high quality food in front of you. The wine list is extensive. The Clove Club is worth every penny and the wait to get a table. It's a special experience but also shows the way to how top end restaurants should be run.

I would give this place 10 stars if possible. Each dish placed in front of us was better than the last, the staff were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and also understanding when we were running late due to transport issues. The inspiration behind each meal is so imaginative and each bite of our meal was packaged with new and exciting flavours. The menu is incredibly accessible despite the two Michelin stars. Nothing felt too challenging to eat, even the meal item that had snails!