Harden's survey result
Summary
Daniel Willis, Isaac McHale & Johnny Smith helped establish the East End as a credible culinary destination, with the launch over a decade ago of this trailblazing venue (est. 2013) in Shoreditch Town Hall. “It is one of those tasting menu restaurants” – a no-frills (fairly uneventful) chamber whose cuisine on launch seemed dazzlingly weird and wonderful, and which is nowadays a key pillar of London’s foodie hall-of-fame, with two Michelin stars and – until this year – the UK’s leading position on the World’s 50 best ranking. However, the verdict of our annual diners’ poll has for some years been more cautious than the general critical consensus, and this uneven pattern continues this year. The main event is an eight-course tasting menu for £195 (with wine pairing at £175), which is hailed as “faultlessly executed” in upbeat feedback but seen in sceptical commentary as merely tolerable-to-disappointing. But most striking this year was a general lack of interest full stop: feedback was notably scant compared with the venue’s stratospheric media profile. Perhaps this good-but-no-longer-great view is beginning to become more widely held? The venue lost its World’s 50 Best ranking this year (slipping to 80th position).
Summary
The UK’s leading position on World’s 50 best has helped underpin the longevity of this mould-breaking icon, which opened 10 years ago to phenomenal acclaim in the incongruous hipster surroundings of Shoreditch Town Hall. Fans “love the vibe of the room”; and say Isaac McHale’s “awesome and imaginative” cuisine “just gets better and better”. Even they, though, can concede that with the tasting menu now costing £195 per person it is “getting a little expensive now”. And then there is a minority for whom it’s not only “overpriced” but “vastly overrated and living off the PR” (“I adore fine dining and was fully prepared to spend on a fantastic meal. But the food, while technically fine, felt over-thought and overly fussy, with scant imagination or soul”).
Summary
“In the unlikely, understated but pleasant environs of Shoreditch Town Hall”, this iconic modern venue – a UK flag-bearer on the World’s 50 Best – is approaching its 10th year and, for the most part, “still knocking the ball out of the park”. With its “calm, unpretentious room table setting” and “cool open-kitchen approach”, it delivers “imaginative and precise cooking with a wide range of tastes and textures” that fans say is “the best of the best”, and bolstered by novel wine and drink pairings. (Michelin, never exactly ahead of the curve, awarded it two stars in 2022). “Professional, attentive and caring service” plays its part and there’s been “outstanding attention to detail since reopening post Covid”. The whacking bill continues to be an issue here, though. Even many fans find it “disturbingly pricey” – although they note “you get what you pay for” – but others feel the value just doesn’t stack up: “third visit probably now our last… at over £600 for two, it’s now just toooooo expensive”.
Summary
“Still at the top of their game” – Daniel Willis, Johnny Smith and chef Isaac McHale’s famous trailblazer within Shoreditch’s monumental old town hall put in a very assured survey performance this year. The odd report did query the “astronomical pricing”, even while acknowledging that a meal here is “a great occasion”. But for the most part there was nothing but veneration for the “top service and evolving tasting menu”: “intense flavours from the hands of an artist” twinned with with “an amazing wine pairing” (and a non-alcoholic matching drinks option is also available).
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Clove Club?
Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old St, London, EC1V 9LT
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
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|---|---|
| Filter Coffee | £0.00 |
 Extras |
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|---|---|
| Service | 15.00% |
Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old St, London, EC1V 9LT
| Number of Diners: | |
| Required Time: | |
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑11:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑11:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑11:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑11:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑11:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6:30 pm‑11:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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