APLO

NEW ON APLO

The Clove Club

££££

EXPERT REVIEWS

The Telegraph - Located inside Shoreditch Town Hall, a space now transformed into an arts and events venue, The Clove Club opened in March 2013 thanks to a successful crowdfunding initiative. The Clove Club earned its Michelin star in 2014. The Michelin guide inspector said: "The smart, blue-tiled open kitchen takes centre stage in this sparse room at Shoreditch Town Hall. "Set menus showcase expertly sourced produce in dishes that are full of originality, verve and flair - but where flavours are expertly judged and complementary; fish and seafood are a highlight." read more

The Guardian - The dining room, high-ceilinged, long-windowed and clattery, a space of almost Presbyterian plainness. The only colour comes from the azure-tiled kitchen, which isn't just open, it's positively splayed. From here, apron-clad staff – chefs and servers – dive about ferrying dishes: baskets of McHale's nutty, intense sourdough, or cocktails laced with homemade cordials and aromatics. read more

The Times - When The Clove Club was launched in 2013 by Daniel Willis, Johnny Smith and the chef Isaac McHale, a trio who had dabbled in supper clubs and pop-ups together, it was a game-changer. Here was a room proletarian in its starkness — without tablecloths, theatrics or fussy service — offering knockout dishes that manage to be familiar yet original, unflashy yet deeply clever, all at the same time. read more

Standard - The dining room itself, seating 40, is unexpectedly severe. There’s a completely open kitchen with eight or so guys, in gorgeous blue-and-white striped aprons, beavering away. But the enormously high municipal ceilings create quite a sterile atmosphere, not helped by shadeless lighting from bulkhead lamps halfway up the walls, supplemented only by candles on the tables. There’s a wooden floor, tables of reclaimed planks in iron frames, bentwood chairs, and no decoration. read more

Independent - The Clove Club started out as a supper club/pop-up collaboration between Daniel Willis, Johnny Smith and chef Isaac McHale, and moved into its permanent home in the former Shoreditch Town Hall in 2013. In the way of modern 'fayn dayning', the food is ambitious but the surroundings in which it is served are relaxed and contemporary. The Clove Club is an example of a restaurant that also eschews stuffy service, dress codes and tortured formality in favour of an ambience conducive to having a good time. read more