Harden's survey result
Summary
“Still going strong twenty years on…”, “still stylish…”, “still needing acoustic engineering…!” – Samuel & Samantha Clark’s “unflashy” Exmouth Market legend has maintained an enormous loyal fanclub over the years. The draw is its “consistently excellent cooking, with distinctive Spanish and North African flavours” (“so fresh and vibrant”); plus “a great list of sherries and wines”, all delivered in a “relaxed and buzzy” (“always noisy”) setting. But, for a growing minority of regulars, it’s “not always as good as yesteryear”: service “if well-meaning is sometimes patchy”; and “though the old-favourite dishes are still cracked out with aplomb, they’re not as adventurous as they once seemed”. Such reservations tend to be quibbles, rather than full-on complaints, however, and the overall consensus is that it’s “still a real favourite!”
Summary
“I’ve been coming for 20 years – it’s yet to disappoint”. Samuel & Samantha Clark’s “unpretentious” (“no cheffery”) Exmouth Market landmark still turns out “memorable Spanish and North African dishes, with a terrific selection of Spanish and Portuguese wines and sherries”. Indeed, for its vast fan club, “the only limitation is the noise: it’s not great for conversation” given how “echoey” the room can become. All this said, a small band of long-term fans do sound a warning note, feeling “the food has become a bit more variable in quality and interest” in recent years. It’s still a minority view though – most reporters are just “grateful not to live nearby: otherwise I’d never go anywhere else…”
Summary
“I’ve been going for 20 years but it still surprises me” – Samuel and Samantha Clark’s epic Exmouth Market “institution” remains “a regular haunt” for hordes of reporters thanks to its “sunshine-filled” neo-Spanish and north African dishes, even if “the poor acoustics of this former supermarket make it hard to maintain a conversation when it’s busy”. By and large it “goes from strength to strength” – if ratings aren’t quite as stratospheric as once they were maybe it’s just “no longer so different from the competition as to be as remarkable as it was”.
Summary
“Gosh, it’s impressive when a restaurant can stay on form in this way!” – Samuel and Samantha Clark’s Exmouth Market favourite holds “many special memories” for legions of reporters. The “beautifully judged” Moorish/Iberian dishes deliver “wonderful flavours” as does the “unique selection of Iberian wines and superlative range of sherries”. There is a ‘but’ however – ratings did ease off a smidgeon this year, with incidents of “chaotic” service and the remorseless noise-levels of this deafening, hard-edged room denting the “happy vibe”.
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £19.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
34-36 Exmouth Mkt, London, EC1R 4QE
| Number of Diners: | |
| Required Time: | |
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5 pm-10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5 pm-10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5 pm-10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5 pm-10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5 pm-10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm-2:30 pm, 5 pm-10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12:30 pm-3:30 pm, 5 pm-9:30 pm |
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