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Clos Maggiore (∗∗)

Address:33 King Street, London WC2E 8JD
Tel:020 7379 9696
Price: £44.00Wine: £19.50 Champagne: £52.50
Opening Hours:Mon-Fri 12N-2.30pm Mon-Sun 5-11pm (Sun -10pm)

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The area around Covent Garden market is short on smart dining options, but this sophisticated French rendezvous fits the bill for both business & special occasions & is rightly considered an ‘exquisite gem’. Sit in the conservatory, which is filled with fake blossom & transformed by night with candles & a roaring fire, & you may agree that this is ‘one of the most romantic restaurants in London’. Business diners may prefer the front area with its collection of rare brandies & Cognacs encouraging extended discussions. Wherever you sit, service is judged ‘close to impeccable’ & the range of soundly executed dishes runs from rémoulade of Dorset crab with marjoram via roasted black-leg chicken with Burgundy snails & ratatouille to rum baba with chilled rhubarb salad. Tasting menus include a vegetarian option; weekday set lunch & pre-theatre deals (£19.50 for three course) are a good bet.

Wine List: A striking collection of Champagne kicks off this staggering 90-page global selection, which has a slight French bias. Verticals of Dom Pérignon, Raveneau Chablis, the Super Tuscan Sassicaia & pages of claret will send anyone interested in wine home happy. Margins are standard at the bottom end, but trade up & there are bargains to be had. Best Buy White 2004 Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben Oberfeld, Dr Unger, Kremstal, Austria, £39. Best Buy Red 2005 Mestizaje Viñedos Jóvenes, Bodegas Mustiguillo, Utiel-Requena, Spain, £29.

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Reader reviews of Clos Maggiore:

Read all 12 reader reviews for this restaurant
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Joanna L.

Joanna L. ( 40s, Female, London )

If you book a table here, ask to be seated in the conservatory. It was the picture of this area on their website that made my decision to book, only to find that area full & we were seated in another part of the restaurant near to the bar.
As it was a special treat, I felt slightly miffed not to be seated in this area, but luck was on my side & without asking, we were approached & told a cancellation had come up & would we like to move to the conservatory. It's absolutely fabulous & a great spot if you're out for a romantic dining experience. The area only has around 12 tables & is spacious in it's setting. Trees adorned with fake blossom, twinkling fairy lights & a roaring log fire set the scene.
The food & service is exceptionally good, staff are friendly & helpful.Deserts really are a work of art & taste like heaven. The wine list is large but expensive & I didn't think there was a particularly great champagne choice.
They do offer a fixed price lunch menu with wine included which is great value for money, and is why I'm returning shortly for a pre theatre… More

6 January 2010
Overall:10
Food and Drink:9
Service:10
Atmosphere:10
Value for Money:8
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Bibouli L.
Reviews: 1

Bibouli L. ( 50s, Female )

After weeks of web-searching, deliberation and consultation with friends living in London (I live in Japan) Clos Maggiore turned out to be the very best place to hold my 50th birthday party. My guests were ecstatic. We had a charming first-floor private room – 14 for lunch from 11.30 mid- August – and weren't evicted until almost 5pm. The dishes were beautifully-presented and the risotto and sea bass in particular were exquisite. The staff were very helpful in suggesting wines to go with the menu we chose* and though we ultimately opted for some fairly pricey ones (Meursault 2006 and Savigny les Beaunes 2004) they weren't pushy on this score and suggested many reasonably-priced bottles from the U.S., Italy and France, as well as a South African wine. We chose the Pannier Vintage Champagne 2002 for the apéritif, new to me but which was one of the champagnes recommended by the restaurant. We weren't disappointed. Other unexpected little plusses were menus and place-cards printed at no extra charge – one of them rustled up moments before lunch when the guest list… More

29 November 2009
Overall:9
Food and Drink:8
Service:10
Atmosphere:10
Value for Money:8
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Ian J.

Ian J. ( 30s, Male )

What a little gem this restaurant is in the hectic life of Covent Garden. Great food, excellent service, a wine list that would take a year to read cover to cover and fantastic atmosphere. Will definitley return.

30 October 2009
Overall:9
Food and Drink:9
Service:9
Atmosphere:9
Value for Money:9
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Charlotte S.
Silver Reviewer

Charlotte S. ( 30s, Female, United Kingdom )

We went for a romantic meal and it certainly delivered. We sat on the first floor, which had about 6 tables and was reminiscent of being on a boat. Elegant & cosy. The food was outstanding as was the recommended wine and for fine dining, was good value for money. I had a delicious vegetarian soup from a separate menu, bursting with flavor, followed by gnocchi. I found that the vegetarian choices that I liked the sound of were a bit repetitive so it was great that they accommodated me. My husband had scallops followed by steak. I didn't try, being a vegetarian, but it looked fabulous and he enjoyed it.
Our only gripe was the service. Although attentive, our waiter had a strange manner & came across as a bit sarcastic & short to start with, but I think he was trying to be funny.
For romantic special occasions, I would recommend this restaurant.

6 October 2009
Overall:8
Food and Drink:9
Service:6
Atmosphere:8
Value for Money:10
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Hanna O.

Hanna O. ( 30s, Female, United Kingdom )

I book this often for client lunches.
The three course lunch menu is excellent, and they dish out the courses in a timely manner. The restaurant is not overly loud and buzzing, which makes it ideal for business lunches.

23 September 2009
Overall:9
Food and Drink:8
Service:8
Atmosphere:9
Value for Money:8
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Nick B.
Silver Reviewer

Nick B. ( 50s, Male )

Never come across this restaurant before but was taken there for a business lunch today for the 1st time – 4 of us.

Very pleasant indeed sitting at the back in the conservatory area. Restaurant was full by the time we left as far as I could see. Justifiably so.

Service was very efficient and friendly.

Food was excellent and well presented – we all ate of the fixed price lunch menu

Sadly, it being a business lunch and I wasn't hosting, we passed on the wine list – next time!

Definitely worth the visit!

2 September 2009
Overall:8
Food and Drink:8
Service:9
Atmosphere:8
Value for Money:8
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Vicky O.
Reviews: 1

Vicky O. ( 30s, Female )

This is a lovely room (eat in the conservatory out back), staffed by attentive, knowledgeable waiters who really seem pleased that you are there (a rare treat!). We ate at 10.30, and were a few minutes late (we did ring…), and our experience was lovely – friendly welcome, attentive service, drinks arrived swiftly, food was timely and really delicious – excellent smokey rack of lamb for 2, excellent cheeseboard and generous, well made petit fours.

A table next to us were served their main course as we arrived, and finished it as we left (80 minutes!), the table opposite us had 2 courses in 50 minutes – the kitchen and service team happily coped with the requirments of diners at both ends of the scale!

This restaurants has won plaudits as one of the most romantic dining rooms in London – perhaps because of that it attracts romantic types, but we found the overt public displays of affection (spoon sharing, snogging and hand wandering generally) faintly nauseating! Perhaps the displays aren't quite so overt at earlier sittings! Next time we will go earlier and… More

23 July 2009
Overall:8
Food and Drink:9
Service:9
Atmosphere:7
Value for Money:8
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Flying Foodie
Gold Reviewer

Flying Foodie ( 30s, Male, United Kingdom )

After years of thinking I knew the London dining scene I had never heard of Clos Maggiore, but was drawn to it for a post theatre dinner by its two Square Meal stars. I was not disappointed. The decor was fabulous, warm and inviting, a labyrinth of cosy nooks and secluded well spaced tables. It looks a lot better in reality than in photographs.
Service was excellent throughout and the staff equal any seen in a Michelin star establishment. They really could not have tried harder or been nicer to me and my guests throughout the meal.
In keeping with the restaurant name, the menu has a French and Italian theme running through it. Pricing is very reasonable at £8 for starter and sub £20 for most mains. I had a delightful terrine of quail, foie gras and ham hock, followed by a perfectly cooked monkfish on butter beans with tomato.
Overall – This place is undoubtedly one of the most romantic places in London and the staff and food are verging on Michelin standards but at very reasonable prices. This may well become a firm favourite of mine.

17 May 2009
Overall:10
Food and Drink:8
Service:10
Atmosphere:10
Value for Money:10
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T B

T B ( 30s, Male, United Kingdom )

I happened to chance upon recommendations for this restaurant, all of which were in high praise and so decided that, from what was said, I would try it out. Having browsed through the well-constructed website and looked at the menus it certainly appeared that the restaurant would live up to the expectation, often a dangerous assumption. I would honestly say that overall Clos Maggiore was an excellent night out.

I experienced friendly, polite and efficient service from the start of the booking, through to the end of the meal. Booking a reservation was simple and there was no hassle – I was informed that the table would be required for a later sitting, a request I did not have an issue with because it was made clear and the time frame was more than sufficient to enjoy the meal. Clos Maggiore varied in tone from many other French-fronted establishments in that it was more relaxed overall and yet this did not detract from the standard of delivery and was in keeping with style of the restaurant. Although there were a few slips (which I will highlight later)… More

13 May 2009
Overall:8
Food and Drink:8
Service:7
Atmosphere:9
Value for Money:10
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John A.

John A. ( Over 60, United Kingdom )

Editor's pick

The Restaurant was busy when we visited and we were seated upstairs. Excellent decor with ample space between tables. Roaring fire, which although gas was very welcoming. Service was outstanding with a close attention to detail. Attentive but not overbearing service. Excellent choice of bread. My wife had the lobster dish which was beautifully presented and a real depth of flavour. I had the lunch special of 2 courses and a half bottle of wine for approx £19. This was excellent value, the duck was beautifully cooked with a stunning sauce. The desserts were gorgeous and again beautifully presented. I cannot fault the meal for flavour or value and I will return. Next time I shall book early for a table in the conservatory area which looked lovely.

6 April 2009
Overall:9
Food and Drink:10
Service:10
Atmosphere:9
Value for Money:10
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