Snapshot: Something for everyone: Carnivore, pescetarian, vegetarian. Independent eaterie with a quirky, creative menu, starring well-sourced food made with passion in a smart casual eaterie.
Whilst 4 may seem a high rating for a restaurant with what seems at first glance to be a fairly simple menu, let it be said that when you scratch the surface, Esca transpires to be something of a haven for Bon viveurs, gastronomes, and other such epicureans. The team behind Esca are the same knowledgeable and passionate restaurateurs behind neighbouring pizzeria Eco, and both are noteworthy for their attention to detail, their individuality and the evident thought and creativity that has evidently gone into decor and menu design.
I was invited along to the relaunch party of Esca in August which was a full on who's who of Clapham glitterati, featuring a barrage of cocktails and vats of wine flowing, although it was when I went back with my blogger hat on to chow down through the new restaurant menu that the concept really began to make sense, and to stimulate the taste buds as well as the imagination.
To anybody not familiar with this neck of the woods, it should be said that Clapham is a gem for those who like their eateries to be chain-free. Clapham Old Town, the high street, and other pockets of the wider area, boast an abundance of independent restaurants, many of which are worth a visit, and as anyone who has lived and worked here will testify (myself included), there exists a thriving community, centred largely around the shared joys of dining and conversation.
So what on earth is Esca when it's at home, or in a restaurant for that matter? Esca is a Celtic word for water, and Latin for tinder which of course has a certain irony, as there may well be a few first daters in amongst the clientele. The decor and menu both contain references to Celtic influence, denoting the passage of water along the river Thames and you can if you wish, follow the sketched and painted murals along the walls running throughout the restaurant and up the stairs.
I started with a Smoked Blood and Sand cocktail, containing smokey Arbeg whiskey, Antica Formula, Cherry Heering and oj, with a Celtic salt rim. It was a taste explosion and although I was sceptical about the salt rim, it was in fact a marvel, complimenting the sweet smokey syrupy concoction in the glass, to deliver a beach rockpool hit. I then opted for sourdough toast with a selection of dips which were all delicious, especially the stilton and walnut. Classic ingredients assembled with due care and attention will never fail, and the fact the sourdough was baked in a wood oven made it all the better. Apparently each batch of sourdough is left to rise and ferment for a minimum of 21 hours, otherwise it's not a true sourdough. I'm gluten intolerant but was informed that sourdough can be consumed by those with gluten intolerance and in fact I didn't have a strong reaction, so there may be some truth in this, although I would say proceed with caution.
A skewer of haggis was served with pearl barley salad and had middle eastern flavours reminiscent of tabbouleh. The meat had a firm texture and smokey flavour imparted by the coals, with an edge of offal influence. It was a nice enough dish and one I would encourage people to try if just for the novelty factor of eating what is essentially a Mediterranean haggis kebab, but it was the next dish that stole the show for me. Chilli chorizo and octopus tentacle was amazing. Tenderized and charred tentacle fused together perfectly with bean and garlic puree, chorizo, leaves and celery tops. It had everything: taste, texture, heat and excellent presentation. Smokeyness is a definite theme here (they even serve smoked beans as a side), as the ribs must have come from a 40 a day smoking sow. The meat was tender and fell off the bone, however the sauce was too sweet for my palate. I love eel almost as much as I love octopus, so the grilled eel was an obvious choice and it certainly didn't disappoint. Served with crispy fried kale, it was too good to leave any, so I finished the whole portion even though I was close to bursting point by this time.
With an open plan theatre kitchen and bar that make you feel somehow connected to the passion and dedication the team display, you can be sure to have a full on experience rather than just "a meal" if you allow yourself to be absorbed into the Esca way of dining. Or you could just pop in an have a burger...
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