When Portland opened in 2015 it was an instant hit, sitting pretty at number 60 on our first-ever London hot 100 list and bagging a Michelin star. Chef Merlin Labron-Johnson originally hails from the Michelin-starred kitchen of Belgium’s In De Wulf, while his co-founders Daniel Morgenthau and Will Lander have 10 Greek Street and The Quality Chop House on their CVs – no wonder Portland succeeded. Opened in late July, is Clipstone a blockbusting summer sequel? Find out here.
Words: Tom Fahey and Neil Simpson
Portland was always going to be tough to follow, but the team have another winner on their hands. A corner site of whitewash, gleaming tiles, wood furnishings and wraparound windows, the look brings to mind
St John. Clipstone ditches austerity for a welcoming, inclusive feel however, supported by prompt but unhurried service.
The menu spins through sharing plates, a more bistro-style take on Portland’s signature quirky simplicity with lower prices to match. Thick-cut crudo of char arrives enlivened by slithers of vibrant yellow peach, super-sweet tomatoes and raspberries in a savoury-bomb of fermented tomato consommé. Plump mussels poached in sake are served with bouncy sourdough bread, a perfect magnet for the juices. The same dough becomes pizza topped with the likes of clams, crème fraiche and garlic, but the highlight of our meal was top-spec Yorkshire hogget, blushing pink atop coco beans and girolle mushrooms.
Wine punches way above its weight for such a casual format, with some superb on-tap options including Château Pesquié Terrasses Rouge, as well as the odd rarity arriving from Portland. Finish with the Paris-Brest (above), that’s as Instagrammable as it is delicious.
This article was published 26 August 2016