T B's review of Clos Maggiore

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), overall I found it extremely welcoming and comforting.

We were seated straight away and were fortunate to be in the main conservatory area at the back of the restaurant. I noted that there were a number of tables between the reception area and bar and these did seem to be a little cramped and would suffer from passing traffic. The conservatory area makes clever use of mirrors to create the illusion of increased size and works well to avoid a claustrophobic atmosphere. The area is decorated with greenery and other stylised flora – certainly different from the minimalist high-end dining rooms, although it all adds to the romantic appeal that this place holds. My negative comments about this area would be that even though we were eating late, the area became warm, although not uncomfortably so. In terms of table spacing, it is perhaps a little tight for some people’s taste, leaving you a bit too close to neighbouring tables, which required a clever balancing act to move in and out of seats. Overall though, this didn’t detract from the whole dining experience and is soon forgotten about.

We chose the Tasting Menu (6 courses for £55) with accompanying wines (at £35). In London this represents exceptional value for money in my opinion, especially given the quality of food and wine served. Scallops on crushed potato were cooked flawlessly (a consistent theme) and were a light introduction to the meal – the sweetness of the scallops came through well. The pan-fried Duck Foie Gras was rich and balanced well with the confit chicken leg – the sauce adding the acidic balance to the foie gras. The Cod was perfectly cooked and the fillet flaked away – the chorizo sauce added a note of spiciness without being too overpowering and destroying the flavour of the cod. The Duck was cooked pink and was balanced with well with the sweet caramelised sauce. Cheese was well presented with a varying choice of quinces and jellies that gave a breadth of choice that you don’t normally find. Each of the accompanying wines perfectly complimented the food served and is always a better way to enjoy a meal. The distinct differences of each wine came through with the food served and they were well introduced. You could refer to the food as ‘safe’ – throughout the cooking was to a very high standard and there were no problems with any of the dishes served. It may not have the x-factor but it certainly represents a better quality than establishments such as the Ivy. The food was easily of 1* standard.

What I felt detracted was that the dishes were served slightly too quickly and there wasn’t enough of a pause between courses; I don’t believe that this had anything to do with the need to return the table. Although not too rushed, it just felt a little uncomfortable and gave insufficient time to fully appreciate each dish. In terms of drinks service, my complaint would be that the staff didn’t notice that my water needing replenishing and I did this myself – I noticed this fault with an adjoining table, where the wine was not properly topped up. This sort of slip should have been avoided at a restaurant of this calibre. These two points are why I marked the service at 7 overall. On the plus side, I found the staff to be very knowledgeable about the food and wine. All were very engaging and sincere in their conversation, showing a genuine interest and making you feel relaxed whilst not being too overbearing at any stage.

In terms of value, Clos Maggiore represents the best I have found – £120 per head for aperitif, tasting menu with wines, coffees and digestif. It is more than capable of achieving 1* status and would require very little polish to bring things up to the required standard. If you are looking for the pitch-perfect venue for a romantic evening, which will not hurt your wallet (too much), then Clos Maggiore is the ideal location.