Modern European twist
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| Grilled ox tongue, heritage radishes |
From the same people behind the Michelin starred Portland, Clipstone is a modern European restaurant in Fitzrovia. I had a fantastic meal at Portland before it landed itself a Michelin star in the 2016 guide. Clipstone is supposed to be the younger sister restaurant at a more affordable price. The menu is short but is loaded with plenty of interesting dishes that made it uneasy for me to pick, such as ox heart and partridge.
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| Cod, rainbow chard, miso |
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| Yorkshire grouse, wet polenta, blackberries |
The starter of grilled ox tongue was a simple dish but blessed with some big and robust flavours. The texture was fantastic, as was the seasoning, I really enjoyed the smoky element and the coolness of the creme fraiche which offset the bold taste. The Yorkshire grouse was the star dish of the night, very tender but not a trace of unpleasant bitterness. The pickled blackberries offered an interesting twist of sweet and sour flavour which greatly enhanced the earthy flavour of the grouse. The Paris-Brest had a lovely balance in both taste and texture, creamy and sweet but not overly sickening.
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| English strawberries, hey and white chocolate cremeaux |
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| Paris-Brest |
While it wasn't anything out of the world, I enjoyed the meal a lot as it showcased some very well executed, modern European flavours. Standard wise it wasn't to the level of its bigger brother Portland, but then again that was reflected in the cost of the food as well as a more relaxed, lay back decor of the restaurant. The service was fairly decent as far as the London standard. Overall, I found Clipstone is a great addition to Fitzrovia and I am sure it will become a real success very soon.
Food 3/5
What I paid:
£38 per head with a glass of wine
Average cost without drinks and services:
£30
5 Clipstone St, London W1W 6BB
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