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April 2019: Brazilian-born Cleverson Cordeiro (formerly of Maze) has been recruited as head chef at the Covent Garden flagship.
Harden's says
MasterChef finalist and Bright Young Thing Adam Handling rolled out his Frog brand after just six months in E1; the new restaurant opens all day from breakfast and has an (almost mandatory these days) open-plan kitchen, large private dining room and a speakeasy-style basement bar with its own entrance.
Owner's description
Frog by Adam Handling, in Covent Garden opened in September 2017 and is Adam Handling’s flagship restaurant site. The restaurant has been heralded as a “smash hit” by the London Evening Standard and one of the “best restaurants in London right now” by Condé Nast Traveller. More recently, Frog by Adam Handling won ‘Best Newcomer Restaurant’ at the 2018 Food & Travel Reader Awards.
The dishes served at the restaurant showcase Adam’s deliciously recognisable cooking style, combining technical savvy with the freshest seasonal produce, to deliver an elevated experience. Using a range of seasonal ingredients to marry unique flavours, Adam creates consistently outstanding dishes, reaffirming his reputation as one of London’s finest chefs.
Tucked away under the restaurant, you will find Eve Bar, combining life's greatest impulsions - temptation, indulgence, hedonism - all homed in luxurious subterranean surroundings. With walls adorned with bespoke art pieces by the amazing artist JJ Adams, you’re invited to come and enjoy the best cocktails, atmosphere and experience London has to offer.
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
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| Always | £65.00 |  |
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| Lunch | £65.00 | |
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| Dinner | £65.00 | |
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| Cost | Availability | Courses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu1 | 65.00 | Always Available | 5 |
| Menu2 | 95.00 | Always Available | 8 |
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Pudding |
|---|---|---|
| £18.00 | £32.00 | £12.50 |
| Drinks |
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| Wine per bottle | £25.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.50 |
| Extras |
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| Service | 12.50% |
Restaurant details
The chef
A highly accomplished chef, Adam Handling brings his love of intense flavours and delicate techniques to his kitchen. His beautifully presented dishes start with careful sourcing of top quality, seasonal ingredients, prepared in a number of different, creative ways to enhance their inherent properties and deliver real depth of flavour and harmony.
Adam currently operates three restaurants, two bars, an entertainment venue, and a café.
Frog by Adam Handling Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Was excited to come here and while not disappointed was not blown away either. The breads with chicken butter and crispy chicken skin were, however, out of this world. All very clever cooking though and I couldn’t fault anything I had. Wine pairings with the tasting menu were interesting but, on reflection, I would have been better off with choosing from the (somewhat overpriced) regular wine list. Service was friendly and fine but not otherwise remarkable. Glad to have been; would not rush back, but certainly wouldn’t turn my nose up at a revisit."
"The attention to detail is second to none. The theatrical experience does not take away from the fact that the quality of the food is absolutely outstanding. One of the best meals I've had in London."
"If they had white tablecloths I am sure the Frog would have a Michelin star. The food was slightly quirky but delightful. The only minor quibble would be the cheese doughnuts which are rather tiny compared with the Hoxton Frog, but then we did have about 1o courses altogether."
"Lunch. Same menu and prices as evening. Tortellini in brodo: heavy, not a brodo, too rich and thick. Well judged turbot but what a rich sauce. Slivered broccoli stalk under. Light lunch this was not. And so expensive, not value"
"Had the full tasting menu with wine pairing. I think there were 1 courses. The matching wine were excellent, but too much."
"Wines not available. Lamb dreadful. Pudding station. Wiping down table. Cocktails. Snax and starters. "
"Buzzing modern bistro feel, with modern comfort food feeling menus. One of the best value tasting menus in the country. "
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Eating at The Frog is like allowing your palate to go to a firework display” – Adam Handling and his teams create a series of dishes of “always-surprising ingenuity, with quirky presentation and mixture of ingredients” both at his Hoxton Square original and his even-more-successful Covent Garden flagship. Both locations offer a mixture of à la carte and tasting menus – the latter incorporating vegan and vegetarian alternatives as well as beer-matching and wine-matching options. The results inspire massive support,not just for being “a well-devised journey expertly executed”, but for food that’s “wow, wow, wow beyond delicious!”. In keeping with the main man’s free-thinking philosophy (and, at E1, a big emphasis on sustainability), his locations have a youthful energy at odds with the fayne dining ethos: an approach that also seems to inspire “impeccable service” from his staff (with a special shout-out to his sommelier – “I’ve never been disappointed when asking Kelvin for a recommendation!”). Where his taste is a tad more divisive is the ambience – to fans admirably un-stuffy and energetic, but to critics slightly “odd” or “nondescript”, and with “loud and dreadful music” in N1. Top Menu Tip – “those cheese doughnuts are the stuff of legend”. See also Adam Handling Chelsea.
Summary
“A new star in London’s dining scene!” – Adam Handling’s “outstanding” year-old Covent Garden branch is proving just as big a smash hit as his E1 original (which, in mid 2018, moved to a new, 60-cover site on the corner of Hoxton Square, together with a bar and coffee shop). His “clever and delicious” British tapas feature “brilliant taste combinations” yet “without being prissy or overly expensive”; while the “chilled” atmosphere is “that so hard-to-achieve balance of professionalism with perfect relaxation and excitement”. Service, too, gets a big thumbs up: “top class and efficient but not obtrusive, and so friendly”. See also Belmond Cadogan Hotel.
Summary
“Bold British tapas, with interesting combinations, textures and flavours” goes down a storm at Adam Handling’s “superb newcomer” – an “echoey”, rather “Spartan” operation in Brick Lane’s Truman Brewery, where “you observe the fierce concentration of the chefs, who also serve you”; and which achieved top marks for food in spite of significant grumbling even from fans over its “unbelievably high bills”. He must be doing something right, as in September 2017 he’s already opened branch number two, in Covent Garden. Top Menu Tip – “the best mac ’n’ cheese in London”.
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Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑9 pm |
