Junglefresh.'s review of The Zetter Restaurant & Rooms

I have liked and eaten at Zetter since it first opened. Four of us ate there last night. It was a stunningly nice evening and the setting of the restaurant with its large windows and terrace were shown to best effect. The people who work at Zetter have for me always been the strong point – managers are always efficient friendly and not sub-servient (or, on the other hand, snotty). The waiting staff can be very eccentric and last night's Frenchman was no exception, but was funny, not over-familiar and did us all a good turn in persuading us to have a “Dulce de Leche Creme Brullee with banana split ice-cream” which was simply fantastic (especially the ice cream which tasted really fresh and subtle). The starters can be a bit mean – especially the little pot of chicken liver and foie gras – but are enjoyable even if not stunning, for example the asparagus and poached egg (yawn). The mains we found to score high on taste (3 of us had the rib-eye) though not so high on texture. The chips on the side were very limp – definitely not cooked by anyone who acutally eats chips, we thought. The wine was interesting (Portuguese Petit Verdot) with tons of cherry flavours but at £30 -odd, steeply priced. The list does offer cheaper alternatives though. The atmosphere was very conducive to a fun evening and we all liked the experience and I will go back. As long as Zetter is seen in context (as one of the best overall offerings in Clerkenwell), in my experience it never fails to satisfy. One gripe: the well water is a clever gimmick but should be given away free or at not more than £1 per bottle.