Dining options in London can be daunting as there are more outstanding places to dine than one can wrap his head around. Lucky for you, dear reader, we did some research and highly recommend The Clove Club.
The nine course tasting menu for two, plus wine, turned out to be more of a SIXTEEN course meal after adding in four amuses and three extra dessert bites. Would we do it again? Absolutely! We opted for the vegetarian tasting menu for two reasons: First, we had had our full of meat over the past few days, and second, vegetarian fare says a lot about a chef. Many places completely overlook vegetarians in the United States or they add one mediocre dish just to appease the diner. We had high expectations of this Michelin Star establishment and we were not disappointed in the slightest.
Below is a slideshow of our courses. Each was paired with exceptional wine, and the post-dessert courses were paired with house made amaro. Honestly, each and every bite was memorable and well done. However, two stand outs were the Mushroom Consommé and Hundred Year Old Madeira and the final bite of bon bons. The consummé was presented by explaining how The Clove Club got their hands on this incredibly rare fine Madeira. A splash was poured into our glasses and we were instructed to taste half of what was poured and to leave half. Tasting something that’s 100 years old is special in and of itself. When our server poured mushroom consummé into our Madeira wine glasses, it was the OMG moment of tasting one of the best things we’d ever tasted. That’s not hyperbole- to us, it’s fact.
A similar experience happened with Dr. Henderson’s Bon Bon. The well-placed placard instructed us that this was an ode to a cocktail, and the thin candy confection gave way to a cocktail liquid center unlike anything we’d had before. We Willy-Wonka-Questioned just how on earth this cocktail in a sugar shell was made, and for that, it’s ranking on the top of our favorites list.
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- Apple and Beetroot Gazpacho with Walnut Cream
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- Fine Bean Tart
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- Turnip Roll
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- Warm Vegetarian “Haggis” Bun
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- Salt Baked Beetroot, Charcoal Cream & Cedrat Lemon
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- Confit Jerusalem Artichoke, Crosnes & Winter Truffle
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- Warm Chestnut Broth & Wild Scottish Seaweeds
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- Musselburgh Leeks, Montgomery Cheddar & Watercress
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- A Bottle of 100 Year Old Madeira
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- Mushroom Consommé & Hundred Year Old Madeira
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- Slow Cooked January King Cabbage & Mint Jelly
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- Pot Roast Cauliflower, Cinnamon, Bay Leaf & Toasted Bread Sauce
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- Amalfi Lemonade & Kampot Pepper Ice Cream
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- Yorkshire Rhubarb, Sheep’s Milk Yoghurt & Rose
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- Post Dessert- Peated Barley Bun, Dr Henderson’s Bon Bon, and Salted Caramel Chocolate
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- Dr Henderson’s Bon Bons come with VERY important instructions
The Clove Club- Storeditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London